North East is the hill country that wraps around Francistown and runs north to the Zimbabwe border along the Ramokgwebana River. Most people here are Bakalanga. In the villages you'll hear Ikalanga, a language close to Zimbabwe's Shona, as often as Setswana. The land is a patchwork of mophane woodland, granite outcrops and small fields, with the Shashe River along its southern and western edge. Gold drew prospectors here in the nineteenth century, and old mine workings still dot the bush around Francistown.
The best-known site is Domboshaba, near the village of Masunga, where dry-stone walls ring the top of a hill. It was occupied towards the end of the Great Zimbabwe period, more than five centuries ago. The chief is thought to have lived on the summit, with his wife's homestead at the foot of the hill. You can climb up through the old enclosures, and nearby Mantenge Hill holds a natural well in the rock that is said never to run dry. An Ikalanga cultural ceremony is held at the site each year. Away from the monument, the granite hills and quiet back roads between villages suit an unhurried morning on foot.
Most travellers pass this way on the road between Gaborone and Chobe or the delta. Our guide to north-east Botswana covers the drive and where to break it, including a night in Francistown. Use the Book here tab to see live dates and prices nearby.
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