Experience the best of Gaborone

Gaborone was laid out in the 1960s to serve as the capital of newly independent Botswana, replacing Mafeking, which lay across the border in South Africa. It is named after Chief Gaborone of the Batlokwa and spreads low and green across a dry plain. At the Three Dikgosi Monument, statues of the chiefs Khama III, Sebele I and Bathoen I recall their 1895 journey to London to seek protection from Cecil Rhodes's company.

The National Museum and Art Gallery covers the country's natural and cultural history. Beyond the centre, the Gaborone Dam draws birdwatchers and sailors, the neighbouring Gaborone Game Reserve shelters antelope, and Mokolodi Nature Reserve to the south protects rhino and giraffe. Kgale Hill rises to the south-west with wide views over the city, and the Kalahari stretches away to the west.

Seswaa, pounded boiled beef served with maize porridge, is the dish of celebrations, while sorghum porridge, morogo greens and meat roasted over open fires are everyday fare. The rains arrive between November and March, when the plain turns green. Winter days are dry, clear and mild, with cold nights.