During July 2000 I spent 4 days visiting Francistown and stayed at the Marang Hotel. This was my second visit to the area and to that hotel - the previous visit took place about 18 months previously.
I found the hotel to be as pleasant and comfortable as it had been previously. The staff are very pleasant and helpful - who seem to derive genuine pleasure from ensuring your visit is a happy one.
The hotel is not a sophisticated westernised hotel but it is also not very rustic and third-world. It seems to strike a happy medium between the two and can be recommended for travellers who prefer all modcons and also those who are prepared to put up with the more rustic touches.
Meals are well prepared and there is a variety of dishes available on the dinner menu from the usual steaks to a more unusual selection of regional and African dishes and there is sufficient choice for the vegetarian.
One of the most enjoyable aspects of this hotel for me is the wonderful garden. Situated in a very dry and almost desert-like town, Francistown, the Marang is an oasis of tall trees with lush green grass and foliage. Quite a delight to sit in the garden and enjoy an evening drink and watch the large variety of local birds which also inhabit the garden.
The hotel offers accommodation in chalets with bathrooms, in log chalets on stilts and also has camping facilities for campers en route to the game parks further north.
Any visitor to Botswana would be well advised to plan a stopover at the Marang in Francistown en route to Chobe or the Okavango.
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