Places to Visit in Selebi-Phikwe, Botswana, Africa

Places to Visit in Selebi-Phikwe, Botswana, Africa

Selebi-Phikwe is a town situated in the Central District of the African country, Botswana at an elevation of 878 meters, around 400 km northeast of the national capital, Gaborone. It is a mining town, mainly nickel mining, which has been the major economy source of the town since its discovery in 1973.

The town Selebi-Phikwe itself is an tourist destination housing a large shopping mall, plenty of cafes and restaurants and the Phikwe Marathon, the Botswana’s biggest marathon, is also held in Selebi Phikwe. Other than tourist attractions, Selebi-Phikwe is also famous for different outdoor activities like bird watching, fishing, cross country cycling, sailing and quad biking. Selebi-Phikwe coordinates with 21°58′33″ S latitude and 27°50′24″ E longitude.

Connectivity to Selebi-Phikwe:

There is an airport in Selebi-Phikwe but served by no scheduled flights. The Francistown Airport is the closest major airport to Selebi-Phikwe, situated around 150 km away and operates flights from and to Gaborone and Johannesburg, served by Air Botswana.

One can use airport taxi to reach Selebi-Phikwe or pre-booked private transfers for comfort airport travel.

Selebi-Phikwe can also be reached by bus from Gaborone operated by many renowned bus companies.

To move within the town of Selebi-Phikwe, visitors can hire car from any of the local travel agency on day or week basis.

Culture, Shopping and Food in Selebi-Phikwe:

Selebi-Phikwe is the site of the Botswana’s biggest marathon, Phikwe Marathon which is famous all around Africa.

Selebi-Phikwe is one of the shopping hubs of Botswana housing plenty of traditional shops all around the town and a large shopping mall in the heart of the town.

Selebi-Phikwe also houses numerous modernized and traditional food corners with mouthwatering delicacies.

Things to do in Selebi-Phikwe:

Bird watching
Fishing
Cross country cycling
Sailing
Quad biking

Tourist places in Selebi-Phikwe:

Letsibogo Dam:

Located around 25 km away from the town of Selebi-Phikwe, the Letsibogo Dam was initially constructed over the Motloutse River to supply water to Selebi-Phikwe and now it serves Gaborone through pipeline measuring a length of 400 kilometers. It is also famous as a bird-watching and fishing point.

Sun International Menateng Casino:

The Sun International Menateng Casino belongs to the Cresta Bosele Hotel, is situated on the Tshekedi Road in Selebi-Phikwe. It features 50 totally cashless slots and also visitors can enjoy a variety of traditional and international delicacies at the restaurant of hotel.

Selebi-Phikwe Airport:

The Selebi-Phikwe Airport is a modern and well constructed airport, situated around 12 km away from the centre of the city, near the wildlife and resort area of Selebi-Phikwe.

Supa Ngwao Museum:

Located in Francistown, around 150 km away from Selebi-Phikwe, the Supa Ngwao Museum is a famous museum concentrated on showcasing the culture and history of Botswana including the town of Francistown. It lies on the New Maun Road.

Tachila Nature Reserve:

The Tachila Nature Reserve is situated around 145 km north of Selebi-Phikwe. Although small in size, around 8200 hectares, the reserve is rich in ecosystem and natural habitat and is also a site of game drives.

List of the other attractive places in and around Selebi-Phikwe include:

Domboshaba ruins
Cathedral of Our Lady of the Desert
Jamea Masjid
Central Kalahari Game Reserve
Botswana National Museum
Francistown Stadium
Mokolodi Nature Reserve
Gaborone Dam
Lion Park Resort
Chobe National Park

Ideal time to visit Selebi-Phikwe:

The best time to visit Selebi-Phikwe depends on visitors’ interest and for outdoor activities, between October and February is the best time.

Where to stay in Selebi-Phikwe?

Although being a tourist favor town, Selebi-Phikwe houses a limited number of hotels, so it is advised for visitors to reach nearby Francistown for more facilitated hotels and also one can head towards Gaborone to have memorable hospitality services. List of the prominent hotels in Selebi-Phikwe and Francistown (150 km) include: