As the main gateway to the Okavango Delta, Maun (mau-uunn) is Botswana’s primary tourism hub. This Botswana Capital City lies on the southern fringes of the Okavango Delta, and still, despite recent modernizations, carries the feeling of a dusty, frontier town. For many tourists, Maun is the point of entry into the Delta, and often into Botswana, with direct flights from both Johannesburg and Gaborone. Maun is the perfect spot to simply hop planes on to your safari destination, or even better, spend a night and learn a little more about it’s people, history and present day to day.
Maun is the administrative center of Ngamiland District and the seat of power of the Batawana people. The Batawana are an off shoot of the Bangwato of Serowe. Following a chieftainship dispute in the late 18th century, Kgosi (chief) Tawana and his people left Serowe and settled in Ngamiland, first establishing their capital at Lake Ngami, then Toteng,then Tsao and finally, in 1915, in Maun. Ngamiland District comprises a fascinating variety of ethnic groups: the Hambukushu, Basubiya and Bayei – all of central African origins, who know the Okavango intimately, having expertly exploited and utilized its abundant resources for centuries.
