Botswana
A bucket-list choice for many safari-goers. If you want to experience Nature’s beauty in its finest, Botswana is the place. Glide silently amongst the reeds in mokoros and across the floodplains of the Okavango Delta. Drift along the mighty Chobe River in search of incredible birds and relaxing elephants. Experience the remote stillness of the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans as lions roar across vast distances and meerkats scurry around you. Or enjoy arguably the greatest concentrations of leopards in the Mashatu Game Reserve along the banks of the Limpopo. Botswana is Africa’s paradise.
Africa’s Paradise
Ask any regular safari-goer where their favourite destination is and there is a good chance they will say Botswana. If they don’t, it is probably on their list. There is something truly special about it.
It covers the iconic Central Kalahari where Mark and Delia Owens wrote their bestselling and incredible ‘Cry of the Kalahari’. The Okavango Delta was the scene for Derek and Beverly Joubert’s National Geographic ‘Eye of the Leopard’ - a truly magical piece of cinema set in a landscape that feels like it couldn't possibly exist and yet simultaneously feels like it has been this way forever. A literal oasis in the desert with a life-giving annual flood supporting huge numbers of wildlife in a vista that arguably cannot be beaten for beauty. Move a little away from this oasis and the landscape is baked.
The vast salt pans of the Makgadikgadi, remnants of an ancient lake, create an unreal landscape for some of Africa’s most unique wildlife as will as its icons. And further to the south along the borders of South Africa and Zimbabwe live arguably the greatest concentrations of leopards anywhere in Africa where giant Mashatu Trees stand guard over river beds and grassy plains. And don’t forget the mighty Chobe River where incredible arrays of birds and vast numbers of elephants relax in the slow-moving waters.
When to Visit Botswana
As elsewhere in Africa, the best time to visit Botswana depends on the rains. Being in Southern Africa, the rains here tend to come from November through April in the form of big afternoon thunderstorms which has the effect of making the grass grow tall by February and March making wildlife viewing more challenging. There is a long dry season from May through October where the vegetation dies down and wildlife begins to concentrate around diminishing or more permanent water sources. The Okavango Delta is unique in that the Kavango river, unlike most rivers, empties not into the see but into the middle of the Kalahari Desert creating a lush inland delta paradise in the surrounding desert. The most popular time to visit Botswana is from July to October but this is also by far the most expensive.
JAN
Mixed
FEB
Mixed
MAR
Mixed
APRIL
Good
MAY
Good
JUN
Good
JUL
Very Good
AUG
Excellent
SEPT
Excellent
OCT
Excellent
NOV
Very Good
DEC
Good
Top Destinations
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![Tiny cheetah cub on top of termite mound at sunrise in the Okavango Delta]()
Okavango Delta
An oasis in Botswana’s Kalahari Desert. Natural, and stunningly beautiful. When a river empties into an inland desert, life abounds. A life-giving, annual flood, that is one of Nature’s greatest events.
The Okavango Delta is a wildlife paradise that never ceases to amaze.
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![Pied kingfisher in flight in golden light on the Chobe River]()
Chobe River
Cruise down the magnificent Chobe River in search of incredible birds, bathing elephants and grunting hippos. And who knows what else lurks along its banks. Photographing from the river is a very different and thoroughly enjoyable experience.
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![A leopard enjoys the first rays of sun while resting on a termite mound in Mashatu.]()
Mashatu Game Reserve
While not as famous as its South African counterpart, Mashatu is without doubt one of the best places to see and photograph leopards. With a wonderful set up for photography and incredible sunken photographic hides as well, Mashatu is a photographer’s dream location.
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![A male lion roars while walking across the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans as full moon rises.]()
Makgadikgadi Salt Pans
These salt pans, remnants of a vast, prehistoric inland lake, are a sight like no other. While not the highest concentrations of wildfire in Botswana, what is here is incredible and rare.
Remote. Wild. Unique.
