5 Causes To Go to Botswana Throughout The Inexperienced Season

5 min

Creator: Jemima Forbes

With a wealth of nationwide parks – from the luxurious Okavango Delta to the arid lowlands of the Central Kalahari – it’s no shock that Botswana is one in every of Africa’s hottest safari locations.

June to September is historically thought of one of the best time to go to Botswana: the climate is drier, temperatures cooler and animals are often simpler to identify within the sparse undergrowth. However if you wish to expertise this lovely nation in a completely completely different mild, contemplate going within the inexperienced season (or moist season) between October and March as an alternative.
We sat down with our Southern Africa professional, Anja Füssel, who traveled there lately, to find why this season is one in every of Botswana’s best-kept journey secrets and techniques.

1. Take pleasure in nice wildlife sightings

Throughout Botswana’s dry season, animals trek for miles to seek out watering holes, however the inexperienced season is considerably extra ample. Heavy rains and dramatic storms infuse life into the panorama, significantly in arid areas just like the Kalahari Salt Pans. With extra greenery and water to go round, animals roam across the wilderness in herds. You would possibly witness the nice migration of zebras, as large herds of those majestic creatures journey from north to south to graze on recent floor. 

Many animals beginning their younger in the course of the inexperienced season too. You may count on to see quite a few child animals in Botswana’s sport reserves, from playful zebras to lovable adolescent antelopes. On Anja’s most up-to-date journey, she even received to see teenage lion golf equipment! New life additionally alerts a number of latest predators. As is the ‘circle of life’, it’s commonplace to witness lions, cheetahs and wild canine circling the susceptible younger within the hopes of securing their subsequent meal. 

2. Birders could have so much to look ahead to

Botswana is well-known for its spectacular birdlife with over 400 chook species hovering throughout its skies throughout this season. Between October and March, many birds migrate from Asia, Europe and different areas of Africa to Botswana’s lush grasslands to nest and breed. Colourful kingfishers, swooping kites and noisy cuckoos might be glimpsed all alongside the meandering Chobe River. Different areas the place you’ll be able to count on a bounty of birdlife embody the immense plains of the Okavango Delta and the wild wetlands of Savuti and Linyanti.

3. The surroundings is vibrant and inexperienced

After a chronic dry spell, the life-giving rains in the course of the inexperienced season open up the cracked earth.  Out of the blue, the panorama transforms right into a lush paradise of various shades of inexperienced, with the occasional rainbow streaking throughout the clear blue African sky. In addition to being a deal with for the eyes and your digicam lens, it’s nice information for Botswana’s wildlife. 

Though the rain might be heavy at instances, it’s often short-lived. The sky clears up quickly sufficient and the magical mild amplifies the expertise additional. As Anja explains: “It solely rained twice: as soon as at evening and the opposite time we had been in a mokoro. We noticed the clouds glide over the delta and it was essentially the most superb sight.”

Our specialists will at all times be sure you’re secure throughout your journey, whatever the climate. Set off on sport drives in closed-top automobiles with loads of home windows for viewing. On the odd event you get caught within the mud, guides are well-equipped to tug automobiles out – an expertise Anja claims is just not as distressing because it sounds. 

“Because of the rains many roads are muddy and automobiles can simply get caught. However guides have such a great routine in pulling one another out of the mud, that it seems as an thrilling journey for company. It generally solely takes ten minutes to attach the rope, pull the opposite automobile after which take away the rope once more. So it doesn’t take too lengthy, actually.”

Anja FüsselSouthern Africa Professional

4. You’ll discover fewer crowds to take care of

Whereas the height season for Botswana safaris could also be dry and fewer humid, it’s additionally often far more crowded and costly. This will make it trickier to discover a information, and also you’ll doubtless end up jostling for a great view of the motion on the nation’s extra widespread sport reserves. 

Against this, reserving in the course of the inexperienced season permits for a way more unique safari trip. Quieter parks, implausible wildlife sightings and higher availability of seasoned safari guides are only the start. Our specialists may aid you plan a getaway in the course of the inexperienced season that’s customized to your wants. 

“All of the guides are tremendous educated and motivated,” Anja says. “They at all times be sure you see what you have an interest in and that you’re secure and cozy. Your information will be sure you have blankets and raincoats on the automobile, your favourite drink within the coolbox and one of the best mild in your photographs.”

5. You’ll take pleasure in nice worth for cash at camps and lodges

Happening safari and staying amid the surreal wilderness needs to be top-of-the-line issues to do in Botswana. Among the nation’s lodges provide implausible low season charges, permitting you to raise your safari expertise, whereas offering nice worth.

Keep in one in every of Botswana’s greatest luxurious safari camps for much less by visiting in the course of the inexperienced season.  You may loosen up in luxurious tents within the Moremi Sport Reserve at Chief’s Camp or enterprise to Shinde Camp within the pristine Okavango Delta – one in every of Africa’s prime safari locations. Shinde Camp was one in every of a handful of lodges Anja stayed in on her current journey and he or she significantly cherished the panoramic views from its personal verandahs. She provides that a lot of the camps have been refurbished within the final two years, and company can uncover some new ones resembling Kiri Camp and Kala Camp.

Want a extra intimate expertise? You gained’t be upset. “All of the camps have a restricted variety of tents,” Anja tells us. “This makes the entire expertise very personal and unique.”

Why restrict your safari expertise to the dry winter months? Wonderful landscapes, new child wildlife, inexpensive lodging and fewer crowds all make the inexperienced season an ideal time to guide a Botswana trip. Chat with us right now about planning your dream safari journey on this really enchanting nook of Southern Africa.

Expertise botswana

Do you love journey tales from round the world? Signal up for our e-newsletter or register for one of our free webinars!