Francistown grew out of the first gold rush in southern Africa, when prospectors dug along the Tati River in the nineteenth century, and today it's Botswana's second city. It's a working town built on trade with Zimbabwe, and the railway north still runs through the middle of it. The country around it is a hilly corner of granite outcrops and Kalanga villages. Most visitors pass through on the road between Gaborone and Kasane, and it makes a comfortable place to break the drive.
History and hills
In Francistown itself, the Supa Ngwao Museum tells the story of the gold rush and of Kalanga culture through old diaries and sketches. The remains of Old Tati, the first mining settlement, lie further down the river, where stone walls still stand on a hilltop, though you'll want a local guide to find them. Out in North East district, Domboshaba near Masunga is a hilltop settlement with dry-stone walls from the late Great Zimbabwe period. You can walk up through the old enclosures to the spot where the chief once lived, with the bush spreading out below. The Kalanga community holds a cultural festival there each year, usually in September.
Getting there and combining it
Francistown has an airport with domestic flights, and the drive from Gaborone takes around five hours on the A1. From here the A3 runs about 180 km west to Nata, where the road splits north for Chobe and west past the Makgadikgadi pans to Maun. One night is enough for most people. Stay two if you'd like a slow morning at Domboshaba and an afternoon in the museum.
Booking on adventuro
Use the Book here tab to see live dates and prices from local centres, including trips that set off from Francistown towards the north.
