Botswana will surpass your wildest dreams of an authentic African wildlife experience. Rated as one of the best wildlife destinations in the world, Botswana covers an area of almost 600,000 square kilometres – virtually the same size as France or Texas.
If you are planning a holiday to Botswana, although deemed to be an all-year-round safari destination, when you go can affect your safari. For example, the safari activities in the Okavango Delta are completely affected by the rainfall in Angola – so if your safari dream is to glide through the waterways in a mokoro, make sure you travel to the Delta when the floodplains do have water in them – so between end April and August are the best months. Also make sure you choose a camp that does offer water-based activities – as some camps, given their location, only offer land-based game drives as they are not near a permanent water supply.
If you are on a budget, there are ways to make your money go further. Travelling to Botswana during what is known as the Green Season (November to March) means you can take advantage of some of the fantastic low rates that many camps offer. It is called the Green Season purely because everything is green – the bush is lush and thick, which whilst making a beautiful backdrop to any safari photographs, it does mean spotting the wildlife amongst the foliage is trickier. Check
Remember that most camps in Botswana are only accessible by light aircraft. If you believe in packing a different outfit for every day, you may need to rethink your wardrobe needs. as the luggage allowance on most of the flights is strictly 15 kg per person. Your bag also needs to be soft and pliable as it needs to be squeezed into the small aircraft luggage hold. So you will definately have to leave the Samsonite case at home for this trip.
If you are looking for a real adventure, check out some of the mobile safari camps. If camping in the bush in a 2-man dome tent (albeit it with a private bathroom still!), then take a look at the Botswana Adventure package – a 10 night exciting camping trip which ends at Victoria Falls. Or if you want a little more space and luxury, there are AndBeyond’s Chobe Under Canvas and Savute Under Canvas. The camps move to a different site every 5-6 days, ensuring that game drives constantly explore fresh areas.
Lastly, if you are a passport holder from the United Kingdom, United States of America, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Belgium, Netherlands, Italy, France, Germany, Spain or South Africa you do not need a Visa to enter Botswana, so one less thing to worry about or remember to do before you fly! You will, however, need to take malaria precautions, so do contact your doctor or clinic around 4-8 weeks before your trip to get their advice.