Hostels in FRANCISTOWN, BOTSWANA

City Francis Town in Botswana – The Golden Capital of the North

Second largest city in Botswana; City Francis Town in Botswana accommodates around 150,000 people in its urban area. Located in eastern Botswana at a distance of around 400 Kilometres from the Capital city of Gaborone, it is known as the “Capital of the North”. It was the first centre of South African gold rush and has multiple abandoned mines till date.

Accommodation
Francis town offers all types of accommodation for visitors. Luxury hotels, budget hotels, guest house, affordable bed and breakfast joints are all available. Packages for short term and long term tours are available. Resorts and youth hostels are also available. Some of the guest houses are located on beaches while others are located at a little distance from the central township. Backpackers, apartments and bush camps can also be used for accommodation. One can view the information on the tourism department website of Botswana for detailed information on accommodation in Francis town.

History
While it is believed that the city is around 10,000 years old, written evidences are of recent origin. Ndebele came here in 1830 on way to Bulawayo. Nyangabgwe was the nearest village to Francis town that was visited by Europeans. Gold rush commenced in 1867 when Karl Mauch found gold along the Tati River. New town was established in 1897. Botswana got independence in 1966 and in 1977 Francis Town became the second largest city in the country.

Popular Places and Monuments
Among the places of interest is Supa Ngwao Museum exhibiting the history and heritage of area. Tachila nature reserve has been established at 5 Kilometre from central Francis town. The city is also the home of Cathedral of Our Lady of the Desert, the seat of Apostolic Vicariate of Francis town.

Getting Around
Francis town is a major transport hub and is served by Francis town Airport. Railway line links the city with Harare in Zimbabwe and with Gaborone in the south. Road transport is available for city to Lobatse, Ramokgwebana, and Kazungula and Nata. For a hassle free guide around the city, one can obtain guide books from the tourism department, at airports, railway stations, or in city stalls. Conversely one can contact the travel agencies for the purpose.

Places of Entertainment
Francis town is a major transport hub and is served by Francis town Airport. Railway line links the city with Harare in Zimbabwe and with Gaborone in the south. Road transport is available for city to Lobatse, Ramokgwebana, and Kazungula and Nata. Casinos provide real buzz in the city’s nightlife. Good restaurants, cinema, night clubs and jazz clubs, sports facilities, well kept parks and colourful markets are all there.

Currency
Currency in circulation in Francis town in Botswana is the Botswana Pula with the code name of BWP. Currently one Botswana Pula comes to around 0.14388 US dollars. Since the rates continue to fluctuate it would be good to have a look at the financial news or journals to learn about the current exchange rates with all major currencies.

Francistown group accommodation | hostels & budget hotels