Maun

The town of Maun lies on the edge of the Okavango Delta in northern Botswana and is therefore very strategic in relation to the wildlife parks. For most visitors this is the place where one begins or ends the trip through Botswana. Maun itself is not much more than a dusty town, which makes staying outside the city itself more attractive.

The name Maun is derived from the San word Maung, which means 'the place of short reeds'. The foundation of Maun as the capital for the Batawana tribe took place in 1915, after the victory over Ndebele King Lobengula. Since then, Maun has grown into a city with 30,000 inhabitants and is the tourist capital of Botswana. Along the banks of the river Thamalakane you still can see the red lechwe antelopes. In the vicinity of Maun is the small Maun Game Sanctuary, on the banks of the river Thamalakane, the original 'place of short reeds'.