CLIMATE - BOTSWANA & OKAVANGO DELTA - BEST TIME TO VISIT

Botswana has a mainly temperate climate. The hottest time of year in Botswana is also the wettest. The rainy season occurs in summer between November and March. Dry and cool weather, with cold and often frosty nights, occurs between April and October, when the average daytime temperature is a pleasant 25ºC (77ºF

The area that is really unique in Botswana is the Okavango Delta.  This is the largest inland delta in the world.  The annual flood of fresh water flows inland, spreads over 15,000 kilometers of the Kalahari sand in lagoons and channels. There are countless island that develop from the waterways and there are diverse ecosystems that create a home for a vast number of birds, animals and the waters support many kinds of fish. The flood comes to the Delta after the rainy season - it takes months to make its way into the Okavango area. It can reach it peak anytime between February and April.  The delta is at its most impressive in August when the water level is at its deepest.

The delta is accessed  primarily by air and as it is an exclusive destination, it remains relatively unpopulated and wild

MAUN - CLOSE MAJOR AREA TO THE DELTA

April to October:
This is the dry season when there is a concentration of game along the permanent rivers.  October is the best month for game-viewing although it is getting hot by October.  A consideration since most parks do not have air conditioning available.  September and October are the best for bird-watching as that is the time when the migrants arrive and when herons and other water-birds breed in the Delta.

November to March
These are the rainy season months. Temperatures and the humidity rise.  January and February are the peak of the rainy season. During this time most of the roads are difficult to navigate some impossible. Temperatures and humidity is very high.  This is the peak Malaria season.  A visit here during this time is only for the truly adventurous. The plant life is abundant and the animals have their young at this time so those are the advantages of visiting at this time.