Botswana
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Joost and Marijke enjoyed a big game safari through Botswana’s Linyanti and Okavango regions
Hi Rob, we had a wonderful trip! Lodges were all great, wildlife sightings and guiding/tracking were amazing and service was perfect as well. In more detail: Little Kwara – beautiful tranquil camp. Tent 1, which we had, is situated wonderfully. We loved the whole atmosphere of the camp! We had some good lion sightings and also came across a pack of wild dogs and two servals during a night drive. Most remarkably, we found a pangolin on our first evening drive. Very special! Lagoon – a little more busy than Little Kwara. However, tents were the nicest of all lodges. Very spacious and tasteful. Situation next to the river (and the “Hippo Highway”) was nice. Wildlife was least abundant around this lodge, however we had good sightings of the local hyaena den, with the cubs. Additionally, we had unusual sightings of honey badger (3 times!), a pair of bat-eared foxes and a small group of roan antelope. Sandibe – differs most from the other two camps, probably because of a different owner. The organization was a little bit more sophisticated in a way. Since we still had leopard and cheetah on our wish list when we arrived in Sandibe, we were quite eager to find them. Guide (Gift) and tracker (Hamole) did a great job. We found cheetah in two different afternoon drives, the second occassion being a mother with two “cubs” (already quite big). We also saw a female leopard in a morning drive. Additionally, we saw a diminished pack of four wild dogs and a big family of lions (including two small cubs). In general, we liked Sandibe most for its abundant wildlife in comparison with the other camps and for its very nice and variable scenery.
Botswana
When to Travel & Seasons
Botswana Seasons And Weather – When To Visit The Okavango
The dry season in Botswana is from April to October, with the rains falling from November through to March.
In general, game-viewing in Botswana is best between May and November. In April/early May, the grasses are still long and game viewing can be more challenging. From late May onwards, conditions the game viewing can be considered as excellent, though it is probably best from August to the end of the dry season in October. The landscape can look harsh and very dry during this time, but game-viewing is easiest because grasses and foliage have withered or being eaten, and animals are reliant on more limited water sources. Migrant birds tend to start arriving in late September.
November usually brings the start of the rainy season, and whilst game-viewing can still be excellent with great visibility, certain animals (particularly elephant and buffalo herds) will start to disperse as soon as enough rain has fallen for them to survive away from the permanent water sources.
The most challenging time of year to visit Botswana is from December to March, unless you are mainly interested in birds and don’t mind a bit of rain!
The exception to this rule is the Kalahari ecosystem, where game-viewing is actually more productive during the rainy season (best from December to March) when game concentrates on the open plains and around pans. During the dry season, and particularly from July to October, the Kalahari is very harsh and game is widely dispersed.
The Okavango Delta floods annually from April (when the waters usually start to arrive) to June, so the best wetland ‘Okavango’ experience is usually had between May and September.
Temperature-wise, Botswana is temperate (not too hot or cold) in April and late August/ September. May through to late August is lovely and fresh, with clear sunny days but very, very cold evenings and early mornings. From late September onwards it can get very hot with day temperatures often exceeding 35°C and humidity increasing until the onset of the rains in November when temperatures drop off a little. December to March can be very hot and at times, humid.