Best time to visit Botswana

Makgadikgadi Pans

The Makgadikgadi should ideally be visited twice, once in the dry season and once during the wet season. The two are so different, each with its own appeal, it is impossible for us to say which one is better. Let us summarise by saying: Come in the dry months of April to October for the feeling of solitude and the beautifully dry, desolate landscapes. Come in the wet season between November and March for vivid green scenery and great game viewing opportunities as the migrating herds of zebra and wildebeest roam across the lands.

Chobe National Park

Chobe offers great wildlife all through the year but from July to September, the park offers you a combination of a remarkably high concentrations of animals, comfortable weather conditions and spectacular sunsets.

Central Kalahari Game Reserve

It is throughout the wet season months of December to March that the Central Kalahari Game Reserve truly comes alive. Resident wildlife flourishes when water is plentiful and many animals migrate towards this otherwise barren landscape during this time with predators not far away.

Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park

As the rainy season draws to a close, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park delivers its best game viewing opportunities. During the months of March until May you will be met with beautiful landscapes, excellent wildlife moments and an undiluted wilderness experience. Another positive: no matter when you choose to travel – the Kgalagadi TP will never feel crowded.

When is the best time to go on safari

This is one question that requires two answers. The northern section of Botswana is at its best for safari from May until October. So, if you want to visit either the Okavango Delta, the Chobe National Park or Moremi Game Reserve during their peak wildlife times, then these dry winter months are for you.

If you want a more off the beaten track experience, but still wish to see plenty of wildlife, the southern sections of Botswana such as the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park and the Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pans are perfect for you as they feature their best wildlife displays during the wet months stretching from November to April.

When is the best time to do a boat safari

Paradoxically, it is during the dry season when water levels in the Okavango Delta are at their highest point. So throughout the months of April to October, water based activities including mokoro boat safaris are at their most accessible. It is also during this time that the Chobe Riverfront attracts more animals making this the most popular time for river and sunset cruises. The Okavango Delta however, retains water all year round so you can still go on a mokoro boat safari at any time of year by staying at one of the dedicated river camps in the delta.

When is the best time for scenic landscapes

If you love lush, green landscapes and want to experience vivid colours then the wet or more appropriately named “green season” holds the best rewards for you. If you admire the beauty of remote and arid landscapes which stretch as far onto the horizon as your eyes can see then you should visit the Kalahari region and the Makgadikgadi and Nxai Pans during the dry season. If you love both types landscapes, you should visit Botswana at least twice.