Gaborone was planned from scratch in the years before independence, on open bush near the Notwane River. It has grown into a relaxed, spread-out city of about a quarter of a million people, named after Kgosi Gaborone of the Batlokwa, whose people lived nearby. In the business district stand the bronze figures of the Three Dikgosi Monument. They honour Khama III, Sebele I and Bathoen I, who travelled to Britain at the end of the nineteenth century to keep the country out of Cecil Rhodes's hands.
Kgale Hill and Mokolodi
Kgale Hill, nicknamed the Sleeping Giant, rises on the south-western edge of the city, and three trails climb to its 1,287-metre summit in about an hour. Set off early to beat the heat, and you'll share the rocky paths with runners and troops of baboons. From the top you look over the city and the wide reservoir of Gaborone Dam. About 10 kilometres south on the Lobatse road, Mokolodi Nature Reserve offers game drives, guided rhino and giraffe tracking on foot, and marked cycling and walking trails through rocky bush. Its white rhino are part of a national breeding programme, and sightings depend on where the animals are that morning.
Booking on adventuro
Gaborone makes an easy first or last night on a Botswana trip. Our guide to Gaborone and the south-east covers the villages and day trips around the capital, from Otse to Mochudi. Use the Book here tab to see live dates and prices.
