From the watery wilderness of the Okavango Delta to the sweeping semi-arid savanna of the Kalahari Desert and the lunar-like salt pans of Makgadikgadi, Botswana presents very good wildlife-watching year-round.
The very best time to go to Botswana depends upon what you need to see, which parks you hope to go to and your price range. Do you lengthy to see African wild canine, swimming lions or one of many largest migrations in Africa? Maybe you dream of drifting alongside reed-fringed waterways on a mokoro (slender dugout canoe) or bouncing over glittering salt pans on a quad bike? Would you quite keep away from the crowds? Do you propose to take your children?
Don’t underestimate how sizzling and dusty it may be throughout the dry season, how simple it’s to get caught within the mud when it rains or how bone-chillingly chilly desert nights can get. However regardless of the time of yr, the wild creatures and epic landscapes right here will blow your thoughts.
Listed here are one of the best instances to go to Botswana.
Excessive season (June to October) is one of the best time for wildlife watching
Spectacular wildlife recognizing, bone-dry climate and Northern Hemisphere college holidays mix to make July and August the busiest months in Botswana. In June and July, in the meantime, campsites refill with safari-loving South Africans.
The dry winter season runs roughly from April to October, with infinite blue skies, heat days and chilly nights. June via August are the good months (round 25°C/77°F), and temperatures can drop under freezing at night time, with stellar stargazing within the Makgadikgadi Pan. From September on, the warmth steadily builds, reaching its peak in October when the mercury can hit 40°C (104°F).
On the top of the dry season, wildlife congregates across the seasonally excessive waters of the Okavango Delta and everlasting water sources such because the Chobe River; roads and tracks all through the nation are simpler to navigate. There are not any mosquitos, so it’s a great time for household adventures.
Get pleasure from recognizing animals for a fraction of the associated fee throughout shoulder season (April, Could and November)
The shoulder-season months are a time of transition between the moist and dry seasons, which means the climate may be unpredictable. Nonetheless, Botswana by no means has scarcity of wildlife motion, and lodges usually cut back their costs, making journeys on this interval an ideal worth for cash.
Off-season (December to March) is greatest for lush landscapes, birders and budget-conscious vacationers
From December to March, the summer season rains – generally known as the inexperienced season – convey excessive temperatures and heavy showers, with January and February normally the wettest months. It’s the most cost effective time to go to, although with fewer vacationers some lodges and camps shut up store, campsites get muddy and plenty of roads and tracks turn into impassable.
Plentiful vegetation and plentiful water imply animals can forage far and vast, making them more durable to identify. However photographers will love the moody skies and plush landscapes of this season. The annual the zebra migration is an unmissable spectacle, and with plenty of younger herbivores round, the potential for prey-versus-predator motion is excessive. Birders ought to flock to Botswana in December or March to see the gorgeous summer season migrants.
January’s thunderstorms are dramatic
Count on excessive temperatures and frequent quick bursts of heavy rain, with dramatic thunderstorms greatest seen from underneath canvas with a drink in hand. Chobe Nationwide Park is exceptionally moist, whereas the Kalahari Desert is suffocatingly sizzling however inexperienced, with the chance to identify new child herbivores in addition to myriad migratory birds.
The Kalahari involves life in February
February is often the rainiest month, with longer, extra persistent downpours. Temperatures rise, however the Kalahari bursts into life, with the arid salt pans reworked into nutritious grasslands that entice herbivores. Don’t miss the sight of hundreds of Burchell’s zebras migrating from the Boteti River to Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pans.
Key occasion: World Wetlands Day
Be careful for mosquitos in March
As summer season ends, showers are normally restricted to refreshing afternoon bursts. Elephants forage within the Okavango Delta as they vacuum up fallen fruit. Water ranges is perhaps too low for mokoro canoe journeys, however giant dazzles of zebras stay in Makgadikgadi, which additionally means good lion sightings. Nonetheless sizzling and humid, March is the mosquitos’ favourite month, particularly round lakes and rivers.
Key occasion: Easter (date varies)
The nights get cooler in April
Dry, sunny climate begins to switch the showers, though you’ll must layer up for early-morning sport drives and evenings across the campfire. Wildlife watching begins to enhance because the rains from the highlands of Angola roll again into the delta. Antelope mating season is underway, so be careful for males strutting their stuff and locking horns to impress the females.
Key occasion: Easter (date varies)
Clear skies arrive in Could
Winter brings clear skies and extra average temperatures, though it is best to come ready for some frosty nights, particularly within the Kalahari. With wildlife looking for everlasting water sources, it’s an excellent time to move to Moremi Recreation Reserve, which covers one-third of the Okavango Delta, and Savuti in Chobe Nationwide Park. Could can also be a great time to tie in a visit to close by Victoria Falls, which might be at its thunderous greatest.
Go to in June to see uncommon African wild canine
By mid-June, customer numbers begin to climb – and so do costs. Days are usually heat and sunny, adopted by chilly nights. In case you’re determined to see African wild canine, the denning season runs from June to September, when these endangered predators keep near dwelling to observe over the pups.
July is the height of peak season
Wildlife is concentrated round water holes, though you’ll be sharing sightings with extra automobiles. In personal reserves, it’s additionally a good time to get pleasure from guided strolling safaris to identify smaller wildlife. Between July and September is one of the best time to hang around with gangs of meerkats in Makgadikgadi.
Key occasions: President’s Day, Tour de Tuli
The Okavango Delta fills up with wildlife in August
By day, it’s all clear skies and rising temperatures, however nights are chilly, usually dropping under freezing. Water ranges are at their highest within the delta, attracting wildlife in droves and making this the proper time for gliding on a mokoro previous herds of thirsty elephants. Word that peak wildlife viewing additionally means peak costs.
September means dry climate and wonderful wildlife recognizing
September is dry, sizzling and dusty, however clear skies and sparse vegetation imply wonderful visibility as wildlife congregates on the quickly shrinking waterholes. Evenings begin to heat up too, good for a sundowner across the campfire.
Key occasion: Botswana Day
The warmth is on in October
In case you can stand the warmth of October in Botswana, wildlife is straightforward to identify, particularly within the early mornings and evenings: large herds of elephants across the Chobe River, hippos squabbling over wallowing house and predators stalking the plentiful prey round water holes. Costs are nonetheless excessive however begin to drop towards the top of the month.
The skies open in November
The wet summer season season begins (although it’s not at all times on schedule) with quick, heavy showers all through the day that start to show the parched panorama a vibrant inexperienced. November is when many herbivores give delivery, attracting the eye of the resident large cats. Temperatures dip barely – but it surely’s nonetheless sizzling, so look out for well-fed lions snoozing within the shade and leopards lounging up timber. Costs additionally take a dip.
Key occasion: Maun International Arts Festival
Migrating birds arrive in December
Humid mornings spark afternoon thunderstorms that decrease temperatures briefly. With the rains, the desert bursts into bloom, feeding younger antelopes and giving them a combating probability towards the lions, leopards and cheetahs that come prowling round. Migratory birds arrive, together with jewel-colored kingfishers, vociferous cuckoos and flamboyant bee-eaters.
Key occasions: Christmas, New Yr’s Eve
