Kasane, Botswana
Kasane is a town that is located in the North eastern part of Botswana near the border of Zambia and Namibia. It is commonly referred to as the gateway to the Chobe National Park due to its strategic location near the park and is well known for her biodiversity eco system. It is also the same place where the famous Elizabeth Taylor and the husband got married making it a stop Centre for many of them. Its remote location made it unknown to the rest of the world until recently when everything was boosted to attract the many tourists to the town.
Getting to the town is not so difficult and you can either use a rented car of fly to the town but all this depends on your budget and the Kasane town is also an all year round destination and there is no time that you cannot go and visit irrelevant of the weather although you will need to have a very strong car especially during the dry season due to the bad roads flooding.
The tourist activities that you can carry out when you are within Kasane are quite many that you might require more than a week before you exhaust all of them. The activities that you can do to fully utilize your time in Kasane and the places that you can visit here have been listed below so that you start making a list of the things that you will do when you visit Kasane city.
Take a walk to the crocodile farm
The crocodile farm which is located at about 12 kilometers away from the Kasane town and it has been in existence for twenty years now. The crocodile farm is open throughout the year and it is one of the many ways that tourists can view the predators at a close range and also get to know more about the predators, how they are bred before they are sold off to other crocodile farms.
Take a boat ride to the Lake Liambezi
The Lake Liambezi is located between the Chobe River and the Linyati River and it is a known seasonal Lake. It is a shallow Lake which fills up during the wet season and when it comes to the dry season, it is normally dry which means you need to explore it during the wet season. A boat ride to the Lake is a chance for you to also cruise on the River Chobe and get to see some of the aqua animals like the crocodiles and hippos. It is also the perfect place for one to go for birding that flock the area especially during the right season and other activities that you can carry out here include fly fishing and nature walks on the banks of the Lake.
Visit the famous Baobab tree
The Baobab tree that is located in Kasane has one of the largest and most hollow bark which was used as a prison by the colonialists since more than one full grown person could actually fit into it. Located behind the Kasane police station, the tree was known to hold about eight people before they were transported to other places and although it has changed a bit over the years, it is still one place that you will give you an insight on how the colonial times were and you might as well try to fit into the tree for fun.
Go to the Kasane hot springs
The hot springs are strategically located between the towns of Kazungula and Kasane and offer the best view of the wild life that roams the area. The hot springs are an extremely good place for one to go for fishing and bird watching and a fun place for all those that want to take photo safaris. The locals that live around the hot springs believe that they have magical powers and can heal any ailments for anyone who uses the water. Many tourists also get to rest at the springs after trekking through the Kasane town.
Go for a photo safari to Kasane
Kasane is a destination that will make your trip to Botswana worth it. The landscape that covers Kasane is enough to begin your photo safari, the forest reserves, Chobe National park that is located right after Kasane, the different animals that roam the place and not forgetting the locals. All these offer tourists good places to take their photos adding to the much needed adventure for all who visit Kasane.
The Lesoma memorial monument
The Lesoma memorial monument was set up to remember the fifteen Botswana fighters who lost their lives while fighting for Botswana’s independence in the year 1978 during the Rhodesia war. Lesoma was where they had set up their base and that is why they are being honored here. Visit the monument to get to know more about the fight to freedom of the Botswana people and those that lost their lives during the struggle from the caretakers and tour guides.
Explore the forest reserves that are located in Kasane
Kasane as a town has several forest reserve and all these are located within the same area. The forest reserves that are located within the Kasane are habitats to many endangered animals and birds in the country and the forest reserves that are found in Kasane include:
- The Maikaelelo forest reserve, this is the home to the salt pans that are located in the Kasane and they offer a good place for camping for those who love the wild.
- The Sibuyu forest reserve, this reserve is perfect for nature walks, camping and botany trips. It was formerly occupied by the san who used to hunt and gather wild fruits from the reserve but it has since been abandoned and there is no evidence of any human activity within the reserve.
- The Kamuzu forest reserve, the Kamuzu forest reserve is located between the Hwange and chobe National Park and due to its strategic location, it offers one of the best views of the elephant population in Botswana. It is also a good place for one to enjoy nature by taking nature walks, trekking through the forest, and birding, camping and watching of the elephants.
- The Kasane forest reserve, is a home to many animals and birds in the area and it is a good place for one to go for camping, nature walks as you view the small animals that habitate here and you can also enjoy game drives through this forest reserve with the help of a local tour guide who is well versed with the reserve.
Take a ride to the Chobe National park
Kasane is believed to be the gateway to the chobe National Park one of the best National park in the country. This is located in the north Eastern part of the Botswana with a wide range of wild life that you should not miss when touring Kasane. Chobe has a recorded number of bird species that amount to 440 and an unknown number of animals and all these can be viewed in a day or more depending on the time that you are planning to spend here. Some of the animals and bird species that you will see when you visit Chobe National Park include the African fish skimmer, the African darter, squacco heron, the African finfoot, the pennant winged nightjar, the long toed lapwing the white backed night heron, endangered Puku antelope, Impalas, jackals, crocodiles, hippos, lions, leopards, buffalos, zebras, elephants, elephants and many more others.
Try shopping for the Kasane Market
The Kasane Market is right outside the Chobe National park and the one place that you will be able to shop from all the much needed African print before or after visiting Chobe. And since all the National parks in Botswana are not fenced, this makes it easy for the animals to move across the park easily and into the market and this is why many tourists are advised not to walk into the far ends of the market if they want to avoid being attacked by animals. Make sure that you go with your tour guide for bargaining skills as you shop for souvenirs from the market because foreigners are over charged.
Explore the snake Park in Kasane
The snake Park is part of the reasons as to why you should visit Kasane and even though it is not for the faint hearted, you should not miss it while in Kasane. It was set up to educate the locals about the goodness of preserving the wild life in the country especially during the educational tours that they offer. The snake Park has about 50 different species some of which are harmful like the black Mamba while the rest are harmless. It is run by the community and every fee that you pay to gain entrance into the place is used to renovate and make sure that the snakes are well taken care of.