Best Time To Visit Botswana

January is the heart of the wet season, with heavy downpours usually in the afternoons. Much of the wildlife is still there it may just take a little longer to find as its more dispersed due to the surrounding surface water. This time of year is hot, and aside from the rainshowers it's sunny. Migratory birds are breeding, and the young offspring of the plains game will be skipping about the savannahs. This is the best time to see the Zebra and Wildebeest migration as well as large flocks of flamingos down in the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. Rates are lower during the wet season.

March - The wet season slowly comes to an end, leaving hot, drier days. There is still some rain, but only for short periods during the afternoon. Enjoy the green scenery and the lower accommodation rates. Towards the end of March the wildlife in the Central Kalahari really begins to pick up as large numbers of plains game head in the pans and Valleys. This is a great time of year to combine the Central Kalahari and Okavango Delta.

May, with the rainy season at an end, the temperature falls, making bush excursions more pleasant. Nights can be a little chilly, so you'll probably need an extra layer if you're heading out on an evening game drive. Skies become clearer and there are fewer mosquitoes. This is one of our experts favourite months to travel and also marks the final month before the peak season rates kick in in most camps.

July brings warm sunny days, and cool nights, July is the perfect time to be in Botswana. Although this is the dry season, it's a great time to enjoy a traditional mokoro canoe trip as floodwaters begin to rise in the Okavango Delta, flowing down from the highlands of Angola.

In August the temperature begins to rise again, but it's still a superb time for game viewing, and the Makgadikgadi Pans are now accessible through until October. Water is now scarce in many of the parks, making game viewing easy. It's a good time to visit Savute and Linyanti.

November remains hot, but the rains return mid-month, bringing the plains and forests back to life. If you want to see young animals being born, and lots of predator action, this is the month to come. With rates dropping in November and the rains often falling later on in the month the first 2 weeks of November are a very popular time to travel. It also ties in nicely with great weather in Cape Town and the garden route.

In December the rainy season is now in full swing with often short heavy down pours in the evening, days are still mostly sunny. Landscapes are lush and there is plenty of wildlife activity as the new-borns flourish.