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Botswana - travel money advice please.

Hi

I'm going on a tour of Botswana this summer.

What's the best tactic for my travel money ?

I was looking around this site - very useful advice e.g. http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/travel/cheap-travel-money

Was thinking of the Abbey Zero - but it's a Mastercard and as far as I understand, Visa would be better

e.g. http://www.fco.gov.uk/en/travelling-and-living-overseas/travel-advice-by-country/sub-saharan-africa/botswana

I currently have Smile cards.

Is there a good Visa alternative to the Zero card ?

Should I take a mixture of currency & TCs rather than using ATMs ?

And to complicate things, I will be spending a few days in Zambia as well !

thanks

Comments

  • lorweld
    lorweld Posts: 5,546 Forumite
    First Post I've been Money Tipped! Combo Breaker
    MOVING THREADS FOR BETTER RESPONSES

    Hi, Martin’s asked me to post this in these circumstances: I’ve asked Board Guides to move threads if they’ll receive a better response elsewhere (please see this rule) so this post/thread has been moved to another board, where it should get more replies. If you have any questions about this policy please email [EMAIL="abuse@moneysavingexpert.com"]abuse@moneysavingexpert.com[/EMAIL]
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  • sturll
    sturll Posts: 2,582 Forumite
    First Post Combo Breaker
    When i think Botswana i imagine mud huts and little kids carrying buckets of water whilst their mother is at home making rice.

    What i don't imagine is ATM's on every street corner and an ATM every hundred yards.

    I would look to cash.
  • Gosia
    Gosia Posts: 579 Forumite
    First Anniversary
    Hi

    I too am going on a tour of Botswana and Zimbabwe at the end of the summer. I was thinking of taking hard cash, and $ for Zimbabwe. Obviously if you're going for quite a long time then you would need to consider other options.
  • swayzak
    swayzak Posts: 111 Forumite
    First Anniversary Combo Breaker First Post
    Thanks folks

    There are Visa ATMs in Maun (beginning & middle of trip) and Livingstone (end of trip).

    Think I will take mostly cash (pulas), but bite the bullet with my Smile Visa should I run out. It should only cost a few quid extra (happy to pay this rather than faffing around getting another CC).
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