hi everyone,

this may be crazy early, but my fiance and i have been thinking about doing a delayed honeymoon to africa, in 2011. i've always wanted to go the botswana. we are marrying this may, so it could be nice to have the honeymoon around our 1-year anniversary. also, it seems the costs would be much cheaper. however, we are both huge nature and wildlife fans (i have been to safari in tanzania) so would wait/spend the extra money if the game-viewing is significantly better in September (or whatever month you think is best. it seems from what i've read that september is optimal, but that may be incorrect).

would love to hear your thoughts, thanks!

september is a great time

I've gone to Botswana between May and Sept, but not in those months. I know you can have some haze from fires in Sept.

July is good, so is Aug. Can get some wind in Aug.

Where are you interested in going in Botswana, which may make a difference? For example, in Chobe the eles may be disperesed in May, making Sept better. In the delta, I'd be more inclined to take advantage of the better May pricing.

Sept is optimal for Duba Plains with lion-buffalo interaction, but it was great early Aug too.

I'd ask to have itineraries costed for both months so you have a dollar difference to compare.

Hi Aestuo

September is a wonderful time to go to Botswana from a game viewing point of view( seeing thats what you have stated as important to you).
Its the heading toward the end of the dry season so most of the game is concentrated close to water sources (rivers of permanent water holes)
I would suggest you start with allocating a budget , then decided which lodges fit your budget , the game viewing is awesome everywhere at that time of the year so it much up to your budget that will determine were and for how long you go.
personally I would go for a mid range price so I can have more Safari days for my money as opposed to super luxury but fewer days on safari

hope this helps

Storm

we went in June 2005, and it was wonderful.

In normal years, I would say that gameviewing is better in September than in May.

In 2009 higher flood levels and erratic rainfall were responsible for the fact that in general gameviewing was not as good as in previous years.

This year, they expect very early floods which means that certain areas can't be accessed in May. Higher flood levels also mean that driving conditions are still very challenging in September.

Also in September you can expect big fires in parts of Northern Botswana.

I've been/am travelling frequently to these areas and I find it more difficult in recent years to time my visits due to the changing weather conditions. You also have to pick your camps more wisely these days ...

Regular visitors who haven't been to Botswana in 2009, would have been surprised by the transformation of the different areas.

If I want good value for my money, I wouldn't go to most permanent camps in high season as at the moment they are asking too much money for it. You have to understand that the pricing of the lodges is not always linked with the quality of gameviewing you can expect.

My advice would be the following:

- if you want to travel to Botswana: travel to Botswana in late March and enjoy the green season rates and choose your camps/areas carefully. You can still have some rain at that time of year.
- if you want to travel in May/September: I would go on safari in neighbouring countries which offer better rates and the same quality of gameviewing.

If you feel comfortable with a mobile safari, that can also be an option for a visit to Botswana in high season. But as it is your honeymoon, I don't know ...

Johan

Mmm! I was doing a mobile safari in Bots in September last year, and the quality of game viewing we experienced was outstanding. Many of the operators in the delta areas reported some of the most exceptional game activity in the region, and certainly the Chobe areas were mind-blowing. Some of the sightings we had were "once in a lifetime one's" ...

At the end of the day, it takes many safaris to many different locations before anyone can make "best" judgements. Most folk think that their own personal experience reflects the "best" safari experience. And that's exactly the way it should be.

I prefer game viewing in September to any other time of the year (in most regions in Botswana and its neighbours), but that's a personal preference. Every region has its own charms.

I agree that it would be best to choose a mid-range lodge and get more safari for your bucks, rather than more bling.

Bushkid0,

Do you have a trip report+ pictures posted somewhere? I would like to have a look at it. Glad to hear you had a good time.

Have a look at my report from August 2009: http://www.aardvarktravel.net/chat/v...ic.php?t=42719


Greetz,

Johan

Hey Johan,

I've just had a quick look at your link. Absolutely stunning! I'll have a more detailed look later this week (actually on a trip at the mo, so just stopped in quickly).

Your trip report is incredible. Unfortunately, I don't have the turn of phrase to put reports like that together. Sadly ... And your photos are magnificent!

I didn't manage to put any type of trip report together. But I did manage to lose a vehicle in the Okavango on that trip (not quite, but almost) - one of the "challenging" situations you alluded to in your earlier posting (man, some of those rivers were a bit hectic last year). LOL! Most of my trip reports are about the antics my two-legged companions get up to!

But thanks for sharing your report. It's given me a serious sense of homesickness. I'll only get back there in July ...

I was in Botswana, in end September 2009, into early October 2009. The biggest problem for me was the unseasonal early rains that started towards the end of September. The light was really bad for photography and the big herds had disappeared into the mopane veldt. That said, I still had a super trip, as I went to Little Kwara and Lebala - wild dogs everywhere and no surprises, I was in good hands!!!!!

I was also in Bots during Botswana day 2008, which was a lot lot better than 2009 in terms of the game viewing and sightings. I would never risk unchartered terrain ........ I would stick to what I know best, if I was to return during the same time frame in question.



Cheers
Hari