Gabane is a city that is found in the region of Kweneng and it is just a few kilometers away from the capital city of Botswana Gaborone. Gabane has a population of about 12884 people and even though it is a small population, it is best known for the crafts factory that can be seen when you visit the city and if the few tourist attractions that are located within Gabane do not pull your attention, then the crafts that are produced in Gabane will. And they are identified as Gabaens. Gabane was originally inhabited by the people belonging to the Bamalete tribe and the tribe is led by an elder chief. The city is also well known for their love of music and football and all this can be witnessed when you visit this small town that is surrounded by other small towns that are also located in Kweneng.
Is Gabone safe for tourists?
Gabone just like any other city in Botswana is safe to visit but that does not mean that there are no crimes that are committed by a few individuals and that is why it is advisable that you leave all your valued possessions in your hotel rooms as you head out for a walk through the Gabane city. The town is sometimes crowded and it is advisable that you go with your tour guide as you head out for your tour through the city.
Explore the Pelegano village
The Pelegano village which is found in Gabane was set up in the year 1982 is the one place where you will find the best pottery services in the whole country. The village is basically run by women and you will find many of them collecting clay and then later on molding it because the men in the area believe that it is the women who are supposed to look after the family and provide for it. There are several potters’ wheels that can be seen in the village and if you are extremely lucky you might be allowed to use one but just so you know it will be a messy affair.
Besides the pottery business, you will find other crafts in the area and all these are created by the women who sell them off in order to get money to feed their families although the pots are more dominant. When you get to the Pelegano village, you will be taken around the factory and you will be shown how the pots are made, where the clay is got and how they came up with the different designs that are seen on the different pots in the factory. Enjoy a wonderful class in pottery class while you are in the factory and these are always provided throughout the day by experts at a small cost and therefore for all the tourists that want to learn a few tricks in pottery, then this is your chance.
The Gabane museum
Gabane has a museum that is located within the center of the town and this shows you the history of the people who live around the town and of Botswana at large. The museum is filled with articrats and historical items that were used by the first people who lived in the town and there will be a tour guide within the museum who will explain more about the history that is seen on the paintings in the museum. The people who also live around the museum will also give you a full history about ow Gabane town came into existence, the people who live there and all the things that are found within the museum and those sold outside the museum. Entrance to the museum is free but you can always make a contribution as this will help in rehabilitating the museum.
Visit the night clubs in Gabane
The locals who live in Gabane are known to be great lovers of music and one of the best ways that you can get to experience their type of music is by visiting the night clubs and bars in the town. In the evening, Gabane comes alive with almost every night club in the town playing all different kinds of music. You might not be a party animal but you will have fun visiting them and getting to know which type of music the locals in Gabane love. Gabane is also known to be a home to some of the best musical bands around the city and the neighboring towns and their love for music is what makes the town unique from their neighbors. When you visit the town of Gabane, buy a few of their recorded music so that you can support their music.
Shop in Gabone
Gabone is a one stop shopping center for tourists who love shopping and this is due to the presence of craft shops that are found within the town. You will be able to shop for all the thigs that you love like crafts, clothes, fruits but make sure that you go with your tour guide so that they help you with the bargaining process as foreigners are in most cases over priced for everything that they purchase. Shopping in Gabane will also give you a chance to get to know the locals more and also learn more about their culture and the traditions that they practice.
Enjoy watching football in the locals
As earlier on stated, the locals in the town of Gabane love football and there are so many football clubs that are within the town. If you want to get to know more about the locals and their cultures, then watching football with them will be the best way for you as interaction during the football watching will be inevitable. They have their own local football teams that can be found in the different fields around town playing and while you are in Gabane fell free to get yourself a local team that you can support so that you do not miss out on the fun in the country.
Gabane has a lot of other small towns that are surrounding it but the most significant one is Gaborone town and while still on a safari in Gabane, you might as well add Gaborone the capital city of Botswana since it is just fifteen kilometers away from Gabane and some of the beautiful things that you will do and the activities that you can carry out while in Gaborone include:
- Visiting the Moremi game reserve, this is located in Gaborone and one of the best reserves in the country. there are several wild life species that you will get to see when you get to the Moremi game reserve and these include lions, leopards, hyenas, crocodiles, buffalos, kudus a and a lot of bird species that habitate within the reserve.
- The Kgale hills are located in Gaborone and it is one of the best places for one to go for hikes while in the town although you will need a tour guide to escort you while hike here and when you get to the top of the hills, you will be rewarded with the best view of the whole of Gaborone.
- Visit the lion park which is located in Gaborone and it is the only amusement park in the town. It is a perfect place for you to go with your children as it is child friendly that is you get to enjoy rides around the park and for all those that want to have a close interaction with lions also get a chance due to the presence of lions that can be viewed in the cages where they are kept and you get to see them while they are being fed.
- Explore the Mokolodi game reserve where you will get to see numerous animals that habitate within the reserve. some of the animals that ca be seen in the Mokolodi game reserve include lions, leopards, buffalos, hyenas, kudus, zebras, elephants and many more other species.
- Explore the three chiefs’ monument, these were constructed in remembrance of the three chiefs that marched to the London in protest of Rhodes Island ruling the country and they succeeded. After the good work they did in helping the country get their independence, the monument was set up to remember all the good things that they did and when you visit Gaborone, you will get the full history of the people of Botswana from the colonial times to the time that they got their independence.
Many people believe that the town is not a fun place to visit but when you visit the town, you will notice that what you will find there is much more entertaining that what you are told and it is all about getting an adventure that you will not forget for the rest of your lives. Therefore talk to your tour operator about visiting Gabone and head down to this small quiet town for your safari.
