THAMALAKANE RIVER LODGE - Luxurious but affordable accommodation near Maun in Botswana

RILEY'S HOTEL: Legendary for it's good service to the tourism industry. It has been a landmark since the early days, where most well-informed and famous visitors choose to overnight in Botswana.

MAUN LODGE: Beautiful hotel and chalets on the banks of the Thamalake River

OKAVANGO RIVER LODGE: Affordable, basic and rustic

Originally established in 1915 as the capital of the Batawana people, Maun is no longer a “Wild West” frontier town, but the rapidly growing tourism capital of Botswana. Due to its proximity to the Okavango, Maun has earned itself the name of Gateway to the Okavango Delta. Maun means “Place of the short reeds” – this refers to the reeds growing in the Thamalakane River flowing nearby.

The burgeoning tourism sector in Maun has resulted in the replacement of traditional thatched rondavels with new cinderblock homes with tin roofs. But despite this very obvious sign of the many tourism dollars being spent in the town, Maun is probably best remembered for the many donkeys and goats roaming around.

At the turn of the previous century, Maun was a meeting place for big game hunters on their way to and from the hunting areas to the north. One of the fine lodges in Maun, Riley’s Hotel, dates from this time. In those days, it took 35 gruelling hours to travel from Francistown to Maun. Needless to say, by the time the men reached Maun, all they could think of was rest and something cold to drink (of course, not necessarily in that order…). Harry Riley saw the gap in the market – and the rest is history!

Maun, the Gateway of the Okavango, has an airport which is counted as one of the busiest airports in Southern Africa.

Another place in Maun you might like to visit is the Maun Game Reserve. It is small (only 8 km 2), but there are many walking trails. The original “place of short reeds”, after which the town was named, is also in the reserve.

Rileys Hotel in the centre of the town is to a large extend a symbol of the days when Maun was a isolated wild western frontier town. Island Safari Lodge a few km north of Maun is also a landmark of those pionering days.

Maun is home soil for Temba. This is where you will find Temba Car Hire hire you can hire 4X4 vehicle for your Okavango Safari. If you decide to visit Chobe after your visit to Maun you can stay at Chobe Safari Lodge or at Toro Safari Lodge or perhaps in self-catering ( self contained ) accommodation at Senyati Safari Camp. It will take you 6 hours to drive from Maun to Kasane. Once in Kasane you can consider visiting VICTORIA FALLS in Zimbabwe where we offer a selection of excellent accommodation. The Kingdom Hotel is the newest and therefore the most modern hotel at Victoria Falls. The Kingdom Hotel is within walking distance of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. Rainbow Towers Hotel in Harare, the capital of Zimbabwe is one of Zimbabwe's most luxurious hotels.  The Rainbow Towers was previously known as the Sheraton Hotel Harare. Upington Accommodation is for Upington what Maun accommodation is for Maun. You can book lodges such as the Upington Country Lodge or the more popular Sunriver Lodge through them. Other South African Lodges includes the Misty Mountain Lodge is in the Misty Mountain Reserve in the Tsitsikamma district, Kob Inn our famous wildcoast resort and overnight accommodation such as Kambro self-catering and Transkaroo lodge in Britstown in the Great Karoo. The Stiltz a lodge or hotel in Swakopmund, Sossusvlei Desert Camp at the entrance to the Sossusvlei park in Namibia can both be reach from Maun in a single day. Site Map Rainbow Towers Hotel Upington Accommodation Upington Country Lodge Upington Sun River Lodge Kambro Lodge The Stiltz Transkaroo Lodge Desert Lodge Kob Inn Misty Mountain Lodge