Kasane
Kasane | |
---|---|
Local tourist resort | |
Location of Kasane in Botswana | |
Coordinates: 17°49′S 025°09′E / 17.817°S 25.150°ECoordinates: 17°49′S 025°09′E / 17.817°S 25.150°E | |
Country | Botswana |
District | North-West District |
Population (2001)[1] | |
• Total | 7,638 |
Climate | BSh |
Kasane is a town in Botswana, close to Africa's 'Four Corners', where four countries almost meet: Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. It is at the far north-eastern corner of Botswana where it serves as the administrative center of the Chobe District. The population of Kasane was 7,638 in 2001 census.[1]
Kasane briefly obtained international fame as the location of the remarriage of Elizabeth Taylor to Richard Burton, in 1975.
Transport
The town lies on the south bank of the 200–300 metres (660–980 ft) wide Chobe River which forms the border with the extreme tip of Namibia's Caprivi Strip. The Namibian island of Impalila lies opposite the town on the north bank of the river, and there is a border crossing by passenger ferry to Namibia.[2] About 8 kilometres (5 mi) to the east of Kasane is the village of Kazungula, where Botswana has 1.6 kilometres (1.0 mi) of frontage to the Zambezi river immediately below its confluence with the Chobe River. Here the Kazungula border post serves the Kazungula Ferry crossing to Kazungula in Zambia on the north bank of the Zambezi. Nearby a second border post serves the road into Zimbabwe which runs 70 kilometres (43 mi) east to Victoria Falls.
Kasane is at the northern end of the tarred highway from Francistown and Gaborone which is a regional artery between southern and central Africa particularly for trucks too heavy for the Victoria Falls Bridge's periodic weight restrictions. There is also a tarred road to the Namibian border 51 km west at Ngoma.
Kasane is at the north-eastern boundary of Chobe National Park and its road links make it a popular access point for tourists to the park as well as those including it in an itinerary taking in the Okavango Delta, the Caprivi Strip and Victoria Falls.
The town is served by Kasane Airport.
Amenities
Kasane has a number of campsites and lodges (accommodations oriented towards the safari business).[3] These lodges offer day trips into the Chobe National Park, and boat trips on the Chobe River.[4]
Kasane has Barclays Bank, First National Bank, Stanbic and Standard Chartered Bank with ATM facility.
Chobe Crocodile Farm is a great tourist attraction located approximately 8 kilometres (5.0 mi) to the east of Kasane, in the small village of Kazungula.
Notes
- 1 2 "Population of Towns, Villages and Associated Localities" (PDF). 2001 Population and Housing Census. Gaborone: Central Statistics Office. April 2002. p. 141. Retrieved 5 September 2009.
- ↑ Chris McIntyre (2010). Botswana. Bradt Travel Guides. pp. 193–193. ISBN 978-1-84162-308-5.
- ↑ List of accommodation (from Ministry of Tourism)
- ↑ Kasane Lodges