24 Hrs In Maun
Immersive travel is about the people you meet as much as the places you visit. Maun is home to the safari industry. A collection of unique characters that have chosen to live here where tourism is a way of life. Experience Botswana beyond wildlife, connect with the local people and learn about their lifestyle and culture.
Be hosted by a local Maunite on a 3-hour immersive experience and learn about local customs and traditions. Feast your senses on the sights, smells, and sounds when walking through the vibrant marketplace. Taste some traditional dishes at a local Café or sample everyday street food from the roadside vendors. Try your hand at the ancient practice of basket weaving and while listening to the stories behind the beautiful patterns. Meet some of our resident talents and admire their crafts.
Have some family fun doing a painting workshop with local artist Prince whose passion is infectious. Look out for his work is splashed all over Maun. Experience a brewery tour with a conservation twist and enjoy a taste testing of Botswana’s own craft beer at Okavango Craft Brewery. Visit an elephant sanctuary and learn about elephant behavior and the challenges of living alongside them.
Take an early morning walk along the seasonal river and enjoy the amazing birdlife. Chat to the local fisherman about their catch of the day and spot the ladies harvesting Tswii (root of the waterlily). Visit the hippo pool at the old bridge, inhabited by the occasional crocodile, and enjoy a sundowner at this local hangout. To get a bird’s eye view of the Okavango, take to the air and soar above the water wilderness on a scenic flight.
Guests staying at Thamo Telele Private Reserve can get up close and personal on a unique experience with the resident herd of giraffe and ride on horseback or off-road bikes amongst plains game on a guided trail.
Look out for the BaHerero women dressed in their elaborate and vibrant dresses and the contrasting BaZezuru woman all dressed in white. Spot one or two of the 24 000 donkeys in Maun. Pull in to one of the many colorful tuck shops (semausu in Setswana). Keep an eye out for the tin men, selling hand-made trunks, baths and trinkets. Observe the communal homesteads and traditional everyday life.
Visit the colorful roadside craft vendors and curio shops. Make a positive difference by taking home a hand-crafted souvenir, nurturing our local talent. Don’t leave without an intricately woven, traditional basket. Add to your collection a piece of original Kuru Art made by the Kalahari bushman. Spice up your wardrobe with a traditional leteisi (shwe shwe) skirt. Take home a sundowner with a bottle of Mopane infused craft gin. Have some fun with more novel take-aways like cow bells or Kalahari donkey milk soap. Also shop for Kalahari sand candles, hand printed fabric bags & table linen, hand-made pottery, jewelry and beaded animals.
Encounter donkey carts, roadside vendors, unassuming yet vibrant corners and contemporary street art, getting an authentic glimpse of life in Botswana. Compliment your safari with 24 hrs in Maun to experience Botswana beyond wildlife.
