The Tsodilo Hills

The Tsodilo Hills, rising abruptly from the flat Kalahari sands in the remote northwest of Botswana, are one of the most important spiritual and archaeological sites in southern Africa, a UNESCO treasure sometimes called the Louvre of the desert. Sacred to the San people, who regard the four quartzite hills as a resting place of spirits, they hold one of the highest concentrations of rock art in the world, with over four thousand ancient paintings of animals and figures adorning the rock faces, some thousands of years old.

What to look for

• The rock art - the thousands of ancient San rock paintings.
• The four hills - the sacred quartzite hills of the San.
• The guided trails - the walks to the paintings with a local guide.
• The spiritual significance - the sacred San heritage of the site.

When to go

May to September, the cooler dry season, is the most comfortable for the walks up to the rock art, as the summer heat is intense; a local guide is essential to find the paintings and to understand their meaning and the site's deep spiritual significance.

Before you go

It is very remote, in the far northwest near the Namibian border, reached by a long four-wheel-drive journey, so it is a destination for the dedicated, often combined with the Okavango's panhandle. It is a place of quiet archaeological and spiritual significance rather than a dramatic tourist attraction, and a guide is needed to find and interpret the art. It is hot, so walk in the cool hours.

Nearby

The Okavango panhandle and the town of Shakawe are the nearest region.