Best Time to Visit Botswana
Botswana has two seasons: it has a hot, wet summer and a cooler, dry winter. The presence or absence of water governs wildlife viewing. This obviously affects the peak and off-peak seasons. The best time to visit Chobe and the Okavango Delta on a safari is during the Southern African winter, which is from May to October. This is winter and you experience cool mornings with pleasantly warm days. Rainfall is non-existent and there are no bugs. It is a time you see the movement of herds, which animals search for water and is the best time to see them by boat cruise safari. Elephant herds make a boat cruise here not to be missed.
The best time to visit the Central Kalahari, which is further south, is during the summer months from November to April when the rain transforms the parched landscape. Migratory birds arrive and animals give birth. The summer rains are unlikely to trouble you. The period immediately before the rains is the hottest and driest of the year making the surviving waterholes a big attraction for the animals.
Average Temperatures
Jan |
Apr |
Jun |
Aug |
Oct |
|
| Gaborone | 32 C/90 F | 27 C/81 F | 22 C/72 F | 26 C/79 F | 30 C/86 F |
| Chobe | 27 C/81 F | 26 C/79 F | 20 C/68 F | 23 C/73 F | 29 C/84 F |
NOTE – All quoted temperatures are daytime average highs unless otherwise stated and can vary.
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