ON SAFARI
- Botswana
Other regions
Other regions
Other areas of interest include the Tsodilo Hills, Khutse and the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park.
In an otherwise flat landscape, the Tsodilo Hills rise off the plain to the west of the Okavango panhandle and unsurprisingly, are steeped in local folklore. Inscribed as a World Heritage Site, the hills contain over 4500 rock art paintings. Archaeological discoveries have shown that people have lived here for around 100 000 years.
The Kgalagadi Transfrontier was the first ‘Peace Park’ developed by combining the former Kalahari Gemsbok National Park in South Africa, and the Gemsbok and Mabuesehube national parks in Botswana. The park is dominated by the dune landscape of the region. There are only four roads in the park suitable to two-wheel drive vehicles, all of which are on the South African side – two follow the water courses of the Nossob and Auob rivers and have numerous ‘loops’, with the other two joining the river roads by travelling in a roller coaster manner over the dunes. There is no permanent accommodation in the Botswana section so access from that side requires the use of four-wheel drive vehicles and mobile camps.
Khutse is a small reserve which lies on the southern boundary of the Central Kalahari. There is no permanent accommodation and one needs to camp. The reserve is part of an ancient river system and contains a series of pans which form the nucleus of any game-viewing. It was the second reserve in Botswana to be created on tribal lands (1971) and there are a number of San communities on the periphery.
For further information on the many safari regions in Botswana please call us on 01787 888590 or contact us to talk to one of our specialists.
- Botswana
Mashatu Game Reserve and the Tuli Block
Mashatu Game Reserve and the Tuli Block
Mashatu is the largest privately owned game reserve in southern Africa, and is located in the ‘wedge’ of eastern Botswana known locally as the Tuli Enclave which lies between the Shashe (border with Zimbabwe) and Limpopo (South Africa) rivers. Affectionately know as ‘the land of the giants’, the reserve covers an area of some 90 000 acres of varied habitat including riverine forest, open plains dotted with mighty baobab trees, savannah woodland, and rocky outcrops. The area has some 600 resident elephant which are regularly seen together with lion, cheetah, leopard, impala, giraffe, kudu, eland, zebra, bushbuck and many other small species. Wild dog have recently been reintroduced. Neither buffalo nor rhino are found. The birdlife is excellent with over 360 species recorded.
The area was originally inhabited by the mystical Maphungubwe tribe in 800AD, and made famous by Frederik Courtney Selous who hunted elephant in the region during the late 1800’ and led the Pioneer Column and Zeederberg Express. Baines also passed though here on his voyagers. Archaeological sites abound including the notable Motloutse Ruins and Pitsani Koppie.
Access to the Mashatu/Tuli region is very difficult from within Botswana so the area is seldom included as part of a ‘Botswana safari’. More commonly, it forms part of a holiday to South Africa, rivalling areas such as Madikwe and the Kruger National Park.
- Botswana
The Linyanti region including the Kwando and Selinda reserves, and Chobe enclave
The Linyanti region including the Kwando and Selinda reserves, and Chobe enclave
The Kwando and Linyanti river systems form the northern ‘dog-leg’ boundary of Botswana with Namibia’s Caprivi Strip. Aside from the small section (some 5 kms) of Chobe National Park which adjoins the Linyanti, the area is dominated by three huge private concession areas and the communal lands of the Chobe Enclave.
The Kwando Reserve (concession) stretches westwards from the Kwando River, a vast area of big game country. To the south of Kwando is the beautiful Selinda Reserve which covers an area of 1350 sq.kms and stretches between the Okavango Delta and the Kwando/Linyanti system, straddling the Selinda (or Magwegqana) Spillway.
The Linyanti concession lies to the south-east, also stretching north-east along the southern bank of the Linyanti River, and east along the upper reaches of the Savuti Channel. Beyond the little section of the Chobe National Park which adjoins the Linyanti River is the Chobe Enclave, sandwiched between the Linyanti in the west and Lake Liambezi to the north and east.
The river system habitats around the Kwando River, Selinda Spillway, Linyanti River and Savuti Channel are very similar to the Okavango, although nowhere near as large or navigable (only limited water based activities are available). Away from the river system, the habitat is an interesting contrast of open floodplains, thick salt bush and vast areas mopane woodland.
Of the four areas, there is no doubt that the Kwando and Selinda concessions offer the most ‘guaranteed’ game-viewing, especially for wild dog (perhaps the best place in Africa to see them in the wild). However, the whole region offers superb big-game viewing, and in the dry season when large herds of elephant, buffalo and zebra are reliant on the river systems, it is exceptional. Being private concessions, activities are varied and include night drives, off road driving, walks and limited water activities.
For more information about safaris in the Linyanti region please call us on 01787 888590 or contact us to speak to one of our safari specialists.
- Botswana
The Central Kalahari Game Reserve
The Central Kalahari Game Reserve
The Central Kalahari is an area of semi-desert, where trees, bushes and grass do exist within an otherwise hostile desert environment. This allows a variety of birds and animals to exist, including the rare brown hyaena, meerkat, oryx, giraffe, zebra, bat-eared fox, jackal, springbok, red haartebeest, lion, cheetah, caracal and leopard.
The region is best visited during the ‘green’ season from November to March/April, when game concentrates on the various open ‘pans’ within the reserve. During the dry season, the landscape is harsh, and game is more spread out (especially the late dry season from August to October). However recently introduced ‘pumped’ waterholes will become focal drinking spots during these drier months, and should improve game-viewing.
For further information on Kalahari safaris please call us on 01787 888590 or contact us to speak to one of our safari specialists.
- Botswana
Nxai Pan and the Makgadikgadi Pans
Nxai Pan and the Makgadikgadi Pans
Together with the adjacent Nxai Pan, the Makgadikgadi Pans cover an area of nearly 5500 sq.miles. The pans, remnants of a huge inland sea, are largely void of vegetation except for a few areas of open grassland and isolated baobab islands. During the rains (December to March), the pans fill and attract large numbers of waterbirds including flamingos and pelicans. Great herds of wildebeest, gemsbok, springbok and zebra also gather, but once the dry season sets in, the water-reliant species migrate to leave an ‘empty’ wilderness with an eerie silence. Various species of wildlife can be found year round in the grassland and scrub bush that fringes the pans, including brown hyaena and meerkat, two of the key species of interest found within the Kalahari ecosystem.
Nxai Pan National Park lies just north of the Maun-Nata road and adjoins Makgadikgadi Pans National Park on its northern border. Nxai Pan was originally state land and an area of 1676 sq. km was declared a game reserve in 1970. In 1992 the boundaries were extended to include Baines Baobabs to give the present total area of 2578 sq km, and National Park status was granted. The Nxai pans were once part of the great lake that covered central Botswana – which included The Okavango Delta, Makgadikgadi, Lake Ngami and the Mababe Depression to name a few.
In 1861, the famous painter Thomas Baines painted an unusual group of baobab trees, one of which lies on its side, and these beautiful trees became known as “Baines Baobabs”. They are located on the south-east side of the park
The pan itself is another fossil lakebed about 40 sq km in size. The landscape is largely covered by grassland, and dotted with clusters of umbrella acacia and mopane woodland in the north. During the rains from November to April – the pans become covered in grass which is a landscape very similar to the Central Kalahari.
Nxai pan is well known for its huge springbok population and once the rains have started, gemsbok, elephant and zebras migrate to the region. At this time zebra come in their thousands to drop their young. Extraordinarily large herds of giraffe can be seen with up to 30 in a group. These large herds attract predators – lion, leopard, cheetah, jackal and both spotted and the elusive brown hyena, as well as the endangered wild dog. During the dry season some species migrate to other areas, but a ‘pumped’ waterhole supports the resident game and so there is good game-viewing all year round. Once the rains have started, the bird life is excellent.
For more information on safaris in these regions please call us on 01787 888590 or contact us to speak to one of our safari specialists.
- Botswana
The Chobe National Park including the Savuti Channel
The Chobe National Park including the Savuti Channel
The Chobe is a huge National Park and covers an area of 11,000 sq. kms. Its habitats range from the floodplain and backwaters of the river systems to sand ridges, dry lake beds, riverine thickets/bush and mopane forest. The Chobe stretches south-westwards from Kasane and the Chobe River in the north, to the Mababe Depression (a dead lake area fed by the Savuti Channel) in the south. Except for the limited network of roads one lodge along the river, and three lodges in the Savuti area, there is little development within the park.
Most travellers to the Chobe concentrate either along the river frontage (based out of Kasane town), where a combination of boating safaris and game drives are on offer, or in the Savuti area (the Savuti area is spectacular in the drier months with high concentrations of elephant and lion populations. Aside from the wildlife, the San rock art is also an attraction). Travellers using mobile tented camps may have the opportunity to explore more remote areas of the park, but only during the dry season.
Although the birdlife is spectacular, the Chobe is perhaps more famous for its large herds, particularly elephant and buffalo which frequent the river courses. Elephants swimming in the Chobe River is a great attraction for many visitors, especially photographers. Amongst the 16 antelope species found, greater kudu are common, and the near endemic puku and Chobe bushbuck can also be seen.
For further information on visiting the Chobe National Park region please call us on 01787 888590 or contact us to speak to one of our specialists.
- Botswana
The Okavango Delta and Moremi Game Reserve
The Okavango Delta and Moremi Game Reserve
The Okavango Delta (often incorrectly referred to as a ‘swamp’) is the largest inland delta in the world, covering an area of some 15,000 sq. kms. The delta is formed by the flood waters of the Okavango River which rises in the Angolan highlands over 1000 miles away. The river enters Botswana in the north-western corner of the country, continuing for some distance (through the section known as the ‘pan-handle’) before spreading out across the Kalahari sands to create the famous delta.
About one third of the Okavango Delta safari region is made up of the gazetted Moremi Game Reserve which includes Chiefs Island. The Moremi is one of the most beautiful game reserves in southern Africa – an area of mopane woodland interlaced with giant fig and knobthorn trees, open vleis and river courses. Although wildlife numbers are exceptional, as a gazetted reserve certain activities such as walking, night drives, off-road driving and mokoro (local dugout) excursions, are not allowed. Chiefs Island offers the only really exclusive experience of the Moremi, as the eastern section is open to the public and there are plenty of self drive visitors.
Surrounding the Moremi Game Reserve, the rest of the Okavango Delta is divided up into private concessions, interspersed with the odd patch of community land. The private concessions offer a very exclusive wildlife experience and cater for relatively small numbers of tourists whilst offering a wide range of activities. Most concessions are only accessible by air, and they vary in the experience they offer as some are more suited to big game viewing, whilst others concentrate on water-based activities. Many can offer the full range of Okavango experiences.
The limited community lands offer the greatest flexibility, being open to the public yet not having restrictions on activities. The Khwai Community is the best known and most used, bordering the north-east Moremi, and consequently can get busy at certain times.
The Okavango is a haven for birdlife. There are numerous heronries where large concentrations of stork, egret and ibis breed, and the area is also home to so-called ‘specials’ including the Pel’s fishing owl, African skimmer, African finfoot, purple gallinule, black coucal and black egret.
The ecosystem is also home of many species of wildlife, including sitatunga, the shy swamp-dwelling antelope with adapted ‘splayed hooves’ for easy movement on the reedbeds. Hippo, crocodiles, elephants, buffalo, giraffe, tsessebe, impala, red lechwe and zebra exist in abundance, whilst greater kudu, sable and roan antelope, bushbuck and white rhino, which were re-introduced to Chiefs Island a few years ago, can all be seen too. Predators include lion, leopard, cheetah, spotted hyaena and wild dogs, the latter thriving in dry regions of the delta. Night drives are also productive for smaller, nocturnal animals such as civet, genet, serval, African wild cat, porcupine, honey badger, white-tailed mongoose and bush baby.
The best time to visit the Delta is after the flood waters have started to settle. Although difficult to predict as it is dependant on rainfall in the Angolan highlands, this usually occurs from late May through to July. From October onwards, water levels recede and this can affect boating and mokoro activities.
To find out more information about Okavango Delta safaris please call us on 01787 888590 or contact us to speak to one of our safari specialists.
- Botswana
Regions
By way of introduction to the regions of Botswana, we first want to dwell on the Kalahari Basin, which contrary to being a specific area, is in fact the largest continuous stretch of sand in the world, from South Africa in the south to the Congo in the north. Thus it can be said that all the regions specified below fall within this greater ecosystem, and could all be called ‘the Kalahari’! However, the influence of various great waterways has allowed many of these regions to develop so that they no longer offer typical Kalahari conditions.
- Botswana
Pricing
Botswana Prices
Traditionally, Botswana is one of the more expensive lodge safari destinations in Africa. Many of the best safari regions and private concessions can only be visited on a ‘fly-in’ basis, and tourist numbers are strictly limited. This results in a highly exclusive, but consequently expensive, safari destination.
If you are on a limited budget, it is possible to explore many of the public reserves and parks by self-drive vehicle, or by joining a group camping trip, but invariably you’ll lose out on the exclusivity for which the country is renowned.
Prices vary considerably due to the season of travel. July to October is generally considered high season, with April to June and November as the shoulder season, and December to March as the low/green season. Typically, a tailor-made two week ‘fly-in’ safari holiday, including economy class flights from the UK, will start at around £4500.00 per person in low season, though somewhere between £6000 and £10,000 per person is more typical in the shoulder and high seasons.
Combining a shorter Botswana safari with sight-seeing or beach destinations in other countries will reduce the price, depending on what is included, whilst more adventurous camping tours may start from around £3250.00 per person (including economy class flights from UK) for 10 days or so on safari.
We appreciate that going on safari in Africa is an expensive holiday, but we are always conscious of providing ‘value for money’. Our selection of safari properties for any itinerary is based entirely upon those which we feel will most closely match your requirements, whether that be budget driven or experience driven. It is sometimes very difficult to differentiate between a top-quality safari property, and one which offers a lesser experience. Accordingly, a safari which offers value for money should not necessarily be confused with a ‘cheap’ safari.
If you are planning your first safari, we suggest you look at our Planning a Safari section.
- 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.