Nhabe Museum | Maun

The Nhabe Museum sits along Maun’s central road network, tucked inside a low-slung historic building that once served as the district administration headquarters. Its whitewashed walls and deep-set windows give it a slightly timeworn, frontier-station look, the kind you might expect in an Okavango gateway town that grew from cattle posts and river reeds into a hub for safaris. When you step inside, the heat softens and the interior feels immediately calm, almost like walking into a family archive rather than a formal institution.

Origins and building character
The museum was founded in the mid-1980s by local conservationists and cultural advocates, many of whom wanted a place where Bayei, Hambukushu, Basubiya, and Batawana history could be preserved before Maun’s tourism boom changed the rhythm of everyday life. The building still carries that grassroots spirit. Wooden doorframes show slight wear, display cases vary in age, and the floors carry faint scuff marks from school groups and guides passing through. Those imperfections give the space a sense of sincerity; it never feels staged.

Ethnographic galleries: woven stories and lived traditions
The main hall opens into an ethnographic display that showcases handcrafted objects from the Okavango’s river-dependent communities. You’ll notice tall fishing traps woven from mokolwane palm, broad water baskets dyed in earth tones, and beadwork with shifting geometric patterns. Some visitors instinctively lean closer to inspect the reed textures, the faint scent of dried palm fiber, or the subtle differences in stitch patterns that distinguish one community’s techniques from another.

One wall panel tells the story of mokoro-making traditions-how Bayei families carved the long, narrow boats from sausage trees, and how polemen once navigated the Delta silently at dawn, pushing through lily pads before motorboats became common. It is presented with a mix of photographs, oral-history excerpts, and everyday items such as paddles polished smooth by years of use. A visitor might notice scribbled notes from early researchers still preserved in corners of the exhibit, adding to the room’s slightly archival charm.

Historic accounts and early settlement life
A smaller room focuses on the early settlement of Maun after the Batawana capital shifted from Toteng. Old black-and-white photographs line the walls: chiefs standing beside ox-drawn wagons, early trading stores with tin roofs, and the first airstrip that would later become vital for the safari world. The captions are brief but evocative, giving you glimpses of life when Maun was more cattle frontier than tourism hub. Some displays include household tools, iron cooking pots, and early hunting gear, each carrying a quiet weight of everyday history.

Environmental and wildlife exhibits
Another wing explores the ecology of the Okavango Delta. It’s not a high-tech gallery, but its simplicity feels sincere. Panels describe seasonal flooding, fish migrations, and the interdependence between papyrus beds, herons, crocodiles, and the water pathways that define the region. A few taxidermy specimens and hand-drawn species charts appear slightly faded, yet they still give a sense of how intricate the Delta’s ecosystem is. A raised relief model of the Delta sits near the back, showing the sinuous channels of the Boro, Khwai, and Xudum rivers. Many visitors pause here to trace the waterways with a fingertip, trying to understand how an inland delta breathes.

Art and local creativity
Toward the rear, the museum maintains a small but meaningful contemporary art space. Paintings by local artists often depict cattle posts at sunset, mokoro journeys, and wildlife scenes in loose brushstrokes. Carved wooden sculptures of elephants and spirits of the riverlands sit on low pedestals. The rotating exhibits change with community events, giving local creators a steady platform to share their work. On some afternoons you might even catch an artist rearranging pieces or chatting quietly with visitors.

Courtyard, workshops, and community life
Outside, the shaded courtyard is perhaps the museum’s most charming corner. Local artisans sometimes set up temporary stands here, selling baskets, woven mats, carved bowls, and bracelets. You may hear the soft clack of carving tools or the light rustle of palm leaves as artisans work. Occasionally, cultural workshops take place-basket-weaving demonstrations, storytelling sessions for children, or community discussions about conservation. It has the rhythm of a village gathering place more than a tourist venue.

The smell of dry dust, river breeze, and wood polish often mixes in this courtyard, especially in the late afternoon when the sun dips low and Maun’s light turns amber. A passing guide might greet the artisans by name, or a group of schoolchildren might settle under a tree for a lesson on Delta ecology. Those small, lived moments give the museum a sense of belonging in the community rather than operating apart from it.

Visitor experience and atmosphere
Exploring the Nhabe Museum rarely takes more than an hour, but the experience leaves a layered impression. The displays are modest, sometimes even quiet, yet they convey cultural depth. The museum feels like a counterbalance to the high-adrenaline world of nearby game drives and scenic flights. Here, stories unfold slowly: weaving traditions, flood cycles, village histories, community resilience, and the intimate knowledge the Okavango’s people hold about their land.

Walking back onto Maun’s streets-past the sandy sidewalks, the craft stalls, and the soft hum of safari vehicles-you carry the museum’s grounded atmosphere with you. It offers a gentle but meaningful portrait of northern Botswana’s cultural and ecological roots, the kind that stays with you long after you leave the Delta behind.