Botswana Safari Seasons
Low season (January, February, March and 1st -14th December)- Most of accommodations are available and most luxurious lodges prices are down.
Shoulder season (April, May, June, November and 15th -31st December)- it is a mid-season prices are medium and most accommodations are available and will be starting to fill up. Book in advance.
High season (July, August, September and October)-almost all accommodations are booked and prices are higher. It is advisable to book six months in advance.
What to Bring and do?
– It is recommended to get travel insurance.
– Vaccinate against Malaria, parts of the Okavango Delta are prune to Malaria. Also buy peaceful sleep or any insect repellent.
– Photography items for you to keep good memories.
– Memory cards to ensure enough space to capture memorable pictures.
– Lens cleaning kit
– Spare batteries and charger
– Binoculars
– Leatherman knife which is equipped with few tools.
– Head lamp/ torch
– Clothes with neutral colors such as green, khaki and brown. Remember 2 or 3 items of warm clothes. Make sure you bring along long pants and long sleeved t shirts to wear when temperatures are extreme.
– Sunscreen
What not to do?
– Do not over pack, light air craft have weight limit.
– Do not wear bright colors e.g. pink, yellow orange, purple, the idea is to blend in.
4×4 Self-Drive
Botswana is a peaceful country one could explore on their own, but navigating on yourself sometimes comes with challenges. We recommend the following:
· Before hiring a 4×4 vehicle inquire about its service history and ensure it is fit to navigate to your desired destinations.
· Make sure it has at least two spare wheels, towing rope, spade, tools for exchanging tires in case of puncture extra.
· Most vehicles are equipped with GPS, we recommend you get the second one like maps.me on your phone.
Always carry along a satellite phone incase you get lost or stuck and may need to call for help.
· Food and fuel supplies can only be obtained in main villages and towns like Maun, Kasane and Nata depending on your route. Carry extra fuel on jerry cans and always have enough drinking water.
· The maximum speed limit in Botswana is 120km/hr on none built up areas and 60km/hr on villages and towns. Always be cautious when using the Gweta- Maun road, as wild animals are prone to appear (it is between Nxai and Makgadikgadi pans), and the speed limit is 80km/hr.
· It is not advisable to drive during the night as there are lot of animals on the road.
· Most parts of Botswana parks and game reserves are sandy and only 4×4 vehicles are recommended. Experts will tell you to deflate your tires to at least 1.5 bar when driving in sandy roads, this greatly helps with traction, do not forget to re-inflate them when driving in solid roads.
· It is advisable to always drive on 4WD high off-road and 4WD low should be engaged on extreme conditions like deep sand and water crossings. Switch to 2WD high on tarred roads.
· If you get stuck do not rev and spin the wheels, the vehicle will sink in deep. Assess the situation and use the high lift jack equipped on your vehicle and lift the car up, add some reinforcement like vegetation, elephant dung or anything that will help with traction underneath the tires. Do not wonder far from your vehicle. Drive backwards and forward to give the car momentum.
· Always inspect water crossings before attempting to cross, engage 4WD low and follow the path of other vehicles rather than creating your own.
· Camping is only permitted on designated areas, if one camp anywhere in the park or reserve, they may be expelled from the park hence ruining their holiday. Such incidents have been recorded in Savuti and Khwai area. Check in time is usually in the afternoon and check out is around 11 o’clock at most campsites. Always arrive before dark at your campsite to set up while there is still time.