A quick guide to the Okavango Delta

With a sea of enthusiastic adjectives to wade through (all of which it is), and a dazzling array of safari accommodation, how do you know if you’re making the right choices? Not to mention, that this is very likely a once-in-a-life-time holiday, so it’s imperative to get it right!

As a lucky lady who’s been several times, explored much of the Delta and its fabulous lodges, I can help you plan your Botswana safari. It’s often quicker and easier to pick up the phone, so please do! However, if you like to do your own research first these are a few pointers to get you started.

Botswana is a year-round destination with two main seasons, in which the safari experience and price differ.

The dry winter months from mid-June through to October are Botswana’s 'peak’ game viewing season, for the simple reason that there is less water around, so wildlife is forced to gather around the diminished water sources. Animals are easier to spot and herd animals like elephant congregate in much greater numbers. The game viewing generally improves the further you are into the dry season, but the temperatures start to climb too, and October can be seriously hot!

December to April are warm, rainy months and this green summer period is considered the ‘low’ season. It shouldn’t be dismissed though, as there’s still good game viewing in select areas. Moreover, these are the best months for birders as summer migrants swell the already impressive resident bird population. They also offer very attractive price gains!

To see the Delta when it is flooded, visit between May to August when the water levels are usually at their highest, from mid-September they start to drop quickly.

Zoom in on Google Earth's fan-shaped image of the Delta and you'll see a mosaic of greens and browns representing channels, lagoons and islands of dry land. What does this mean for your safari? Well, each area has its own unique characteristics which influence the wildlife you see as well as the activities you can do.

Choose a ‘dry area’ to boost your chances of seeing the big cats and other big game like elephant and buffalo. For example, the Chitabe Concession and Chief’s Island. These areas are typically explored by vehicle on traditional game drives.

To get closer to this magical watery paradise and glide through the papyrus-lined channels on a mokoro (dugout canoe), then include a ‘wet area’ too. Camps in wet areas such as the Jao and Nxabega Concessions offer water-based activities which are great for birdlife. They can also be a blissful opportunity to press pause and slow down the pace of your holiday after the early morning starts on game drives!

‘Mixed’ areas such as the Kwara and Vumbura Concessions offer the chance to see most species and do a mix of safari activities (water levels permitting). They are a good choice, especially if you’d like to combine the Delta with some of Botswana’s other wonderful wildlife areas.

The beauty of a Botswana safari is that most are fly-in, so you’ll hop from camp to camp in a light plane and can completely tailor your trip to discover the diversity of this incredible area.

National Park vs Private Concession. This may seem like a dull geographical distinction but it impacts on your safari in two key ways – the first is ‘crowd control’ and the second is the flexibility of activities.

National Parks like the Moremi Game Reserve in the heart of the Okavango, are open to the public and have both campsites and safari lodges. These areas tend to be busier with more vehicles at sightings. Strict park rules ban night drives and walking safaris. They also prohibit driving off-road - vexing if the lions you’ve just spotted lazing around by the roadside suddenly spring into action on a hunt…

Surrounding the National Parks are huge private concessions, often with just 2 to 3 small safari camps. There are no campsites, no public allowed and access is by air, so in these areas when you get a sighting you will likely have it all to yourself!

Camps in concessions can offer unconventional safari experiences like horse riding, star beds, as well as walking safaris and night drives. Off-road driving in these areas is valuable for tracking the more elusive species like leopard and cheetah... It’s also an important consideration for photographers since guides have more scope to position the vehicles to your advantage.

How do you see yourself on safari? Is it on a glamping type adventure, dinning alfresco, paths lit by paraffin lamps, sat around a campfire in the evening? Or perhaps its padding across the hardwood floor of your villa-sized tent to pour an aperitif from the fully-stocked vintage drinks chest before relaxing in the plunge pool on your private veranda?

Safari camps come in many shapes and sizes but if you like luxury you won’t be disappointed. The majority of Botswana’s camps fall into this bracket and include some of very best in Africa, taking the definition of tent to another level and offering a decadent experience with gourmet cuisine, wellness spas, air conditioning, and many indulgent extras…

If you’re more a ‘wild thing’ and looking for more of an immersive, ‘striped-back’ safari adventure then a good value traditional tented camp or even a private mobile safari might be a better fit.

The guiding in Botswana is generally of a very high standard, style however does differ across camps. Some favour a fast-paced safari focusing on predator sightings, while others have a more holistic approach that includes the smaller wildlife and birds too. For keen photographers, it’s worth thinking about privately guided game viewing.

When it comes to the bottom line - this is a high cost safari destination, but it’s expensive for the right reasons. Botswana has taken a strong stance on sustainable tourism and since the 1990s has led the way on high-value, low-volume, low-impact tourism.

To give you a rough idea of costs, in peak season for two people sharing: a 10-day safari will cost from £9,000pp in good value lodges all the way up to £30,000pp plus in some of Botswana’s most renowned camps.

The intentionally limited amount of accommodation and small camp sizes, means that demand outstrips supply, and the camps book up very quickly. To get exactly what you want, it’s important to plan and book as far ahead as you can.