Botswana

There’s plenty of variation on a Botswana safari: huge wetlands and wide rivers are havens of biodiversity in the country’s northern woodland environments while the surprisingly rewarding Kalahari is where to go in Botswana for game-covered grasslands and sun-baked salt pans. Each destination offers something different but combining these places of interest is simple to arrange – light aircraft charters serve each destination and you can even enjoy some bird’s eye game viewing on the way.

Okavango Delta: the Kalahari’s green oasis

An emerald-green paradise in the middle of the red Kalahari, the Okavango Delta forms the centrepiece of most Botswana safaris. One of the world’s most mesmerising natural destinations, its labyrinthine channels, open floodplains and tangled woodlands really do teem with wildlife and it offers a wide range of safari activities including game drives, nature walks, boat rides and canoe safaris. Much of the Okavango Delta is protected by the legendary Moremi Game Reserve; privately managed conservation concessions take care of much of the rest.

Read more about an Okavango Delta safari.

Chobe National Park: elephants & predators

Botswana’s heavyweight big game reserve, the Chobe National Park is where to go in Botswana for elephants and at no time more so than between June and October when enormous herds congregate on the Chobe River. Further south is Chobe’s Savuti region – raw, wild and the legendary setting for savage interactions between lions and hyenas.

Read more about a Chobe safari.

The Kalahari: unique parks & thriving wildlife

A far cry from the popular imagery of a sandy wasteland, the beautiful wooded grasslands and seasonally flooded pans of Botswana’s three Kalahari parks are home to an astonishing variety of animals, quite different from Botswana’s more famous destinations, and are ideal for seasoned travellers looking for a unique safari experience.

Read more about a Kalahari safari.

Linyanti, Selinda & Kwando: exclusive wetland reserves

If it’s an Okavango Delta-type experience you want but with an air of exclusivity then travel to the private reserves of Linyanti, Selinda and Kwando. Bordering the Caprivi Strip, these wild wetlands have only recently opened up to visitors and the game viewing, particularly in the June to October dry season, is superb.

Read more about a Linyanti safari.

Tuli Block: safari in the Land of Giants

Tucked away in eastern Botswana, the Tuli Block is one of Botswana’s least known places of interest but offers a very different safari experience to the rest of the country. Set around the Limpopo River, this is a country of dramatic rocky landscapes, huge baobab trees and elephants, protected by private reserves.

Read more about a Tuli Block safari.

The question of when to go to Botswana is best answered by thinking about what you want to experience. Game viewing is at its peak during the dry winter months of May to October when animals are concentrated in ever increasing numbers at water sources as the dry season wears on. Many experts regard the cooler months of June to August as the best time of year for a Botswana safari – the game viewing is consistently excellent, there’s virtually no rain and the risk of malaria is at its lowest.

Reaching peak concentrations during the hot and dry September/October months, wildlife tends to disperse during the rainy January to April summer but several destinations such as Chobe’s Savute region and the Kalahari offer excellent summer game viewing, not least because they lie on the path of migrating animals – particularly zebra. Indeed, Botswana’s three Kalahari parks are arguably at their best in early summer – December is a particularly good month as many antelope give birth then which means more predators.

A year-round birding destination, bird watchers will nevertheless find the the migrant-filled summer months of the “Green Season” the best time to visit Botswana for both numbers and diversity of species.