P/Bag 45, Palapye
Tel/Fax: (09267) 4920 228

This city’s greatest claim to fame is as one of Africa’s most expensive capitals. Gaborone is a sprawling village suffering from the growing pains, drabness and lack of definition that accompany an abrupt transition from rural settlement to modern city. Although it has a few interesting sights, it is certainly nothing to go out of your way for.
You could spend an afternoon exploring the National Museum & Art Gallery
(Tel. 397 4616; 331 Independence Ave; admission free; open 9am-6pm Tue-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat & Sun). It’s not a bad option, especially if you’re into stuffed wildlife. There are also and ethnographic and cultural exhibits, displays of San crafts and hunting techniques, and traditional and modern African and European art.
The Gaborone Game Reserve (358 4492; admission US$0.20 per person, plus US$0.40 per vehicle; open 6.30am-6.30pm), 1km east of Broadhurst Mall, is accessible only by private vehicle. It’s home to a variety of grazers and browsers (including rhinos in a guarded enclosure), and makes a nice break from the city bustle. Access is from Limpopo Dr; turn east immediately south of the Segoditshane River.
Gaborone boasts a wide selection of Western and African fast-food chains, and has a special love affair with chicken.
Originally a gold-mining centre, industry and commerce have transformed Francistown into a repository for warehouses and shopping malls. There’s no need to linger. The only site of interest to travellers is the Supa-Ngwao Cultural and Historical museum (Tel. 240 3088; New Maun Rd; admission free, donations suggested; open 8am-5pm Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm Sat), which displays local and regional culture and history, as well as visiting art exhibitions. Along Blue Jacket Str. you’ll find most of the banks, the post office, the laundrette and several shopping centres.