What is the best time to go on safari to Botswana?

Botswana is a largely arid country which receives little rainfall. April to the end of November is a season of almost unbroken sunshine. Winter falls from late May to early September, and from dusk to dawn the temperatures drop rapidly requiring you to layer up. Temperatures reach their peak in October and November before the first summer showers arrive, and these continue through to the end of March.

The rains that fall from December to March come mainly as thunder showers, often in the afternoon following a clear morning. They bring relief and cause the desert areas to flourish, attracting animals and birds, making this the best time to visit the Kalahari. They also replenish areas like Savuti where the sudden availability of widespread watering places disperses the big herds. The rains have relatively little effect upon game viewing in the Okavango, which is more influenced by the arrival of the annual floodwaters.

The Okavango Delta exists because the river Okavango ends its journey in the Kalahari. The Okavango is fertile and has plentiful water all year, so the wildlife generally stays within the Delta. The rains that fall from December to March at the source of the river in Angola reach the Delta between May and July. In these months, you can actually see the Delta replenishing and in some areas, plains become submerged under lagoons. The waters then evaporate slowly and by December, the Okavango water levels are at their lowest.

Yes! Prices are considerably lower in Botswana from December to the end of March. With carefully chosen safari locations and lodges your family can enjoy an excellent safari during these months, seeing good numbers of animals. November, April and May are usually at mid-season prices. Peak season is from June to the end of October, driven by lodge occupancy levels and perfect game viewing conditions. These peak months are also the best for seeing the largest herds in Savuti, Chobe and Linyanti.