bigcountry

hi lin,
i think julian just meant that high pricing season in botswana doesnt start until july. the weather will be very similar to july and mosquitoes will be low at that time of year. i travelled to kwando and sabi sands in june before and it was cold in the morning and warm during the middle of the day. the ground will not be green much any more like it is in dec-feb. it will be more golden in general like the drier months. the water level in the delta will be near its highs.

Roccco

High season pricing starts on June 01st, at least at Kwando. Prices jump from a rack rate of $450 per person per night sharing up to $675 per person per night sharing...a 50% jump.

The very best pricing for Kwando is "secret season" and for the next upcoming secret season between December 01, 2006 - March 31, 2007, rack rates are about $325 per person per night sharing, with no single supplement, making this an excellent option for single travelers or trios of travelers.

Wilderness Safaris does start its high season pricing on July 01st, so there would be an advantage to staying in the 5 paw Wilderness Safaris camps in June as they would offer lower pricing than Kwando. Wilderness Safaris does have yearround single supplements but for longer bookings, all things are negotiable, especially in low season.

mv

Lin

at that time of year there will be very few mosquitoes because of the combination of "cold" weather and dry season. If you encounter mosquitoes it will be at dusk and dawn and typically near water. Most doctors would still recommend you to take malaria precautions

Michael

jasher

Hello,

Bigcountry is right -- I was talking in terms of pricing (green season = low season) although the environment will be greener than it is later in the season.

I know some people have said it can be cold, but personally I've chosen late June/early July for my Botswana trips as this seems to offer the best combination of weather and pricing. The days are warm, nights are crisp (nothing a hot water bottle and a duvet can't cover), and mosquitos are a non-factor. The green in the environment is very nice for photography, and there is little dust (later in the year it can be quite dusty).

If you travel in June, the only camps charging high season rates will be the Kwando camps. Wilderness Safaris (who run most of the camps which have been mentioned here, e.g. Little Vumbura, Duma Tau, Savuti, Kwetsani, Tubu Tree) will be charging green season rates, which are pretty reasonable. If you stay 7 days or more, you'll also qualify for a long-stay discount.

CCAfrica's camps, Nxabega and Sandibe, are also very nice, and their prices are lower than Wilderness's. You can get the long stay discount starting at 4 days rather than 7 (though the discount increases if you stay for 7 or more). It sounds like you are travelling with a companion, but if you are solo another factor is that CCA does not charge single supplements.

Hope that clarifies things!

Cheers,
Julian