Here I am again. Our quest has broadened and we are at an impasse. So more input would be helpful. Choosing between a trip in early June vs early October; set itinerary of Linyanti, Moremi, and Okavango Delta. While I know this is a personal preference to some degree, have you found the heat in October more uncomfortable than the cold in May?

I prefer the weather in October but for photography, I prefer the light in May/June. The cooler weather can also mean the animals stay active a bit later, so if you see lions (for example) you are more likely to catch them up and walking around rather than comatose under a bush.

The last line of my post should say June not May. We're talking first two weeks on June or first two weeks in October.
Thanks for your quick response, Stokeygirl.

I prefer being cold to hot. June also has longer nights so you get a good nights sleep - I think I've posted about that before.

Stokeygirl - isn't it windy in October or does that end in September (generally)? Wind effects viewing a lot.

I've heard August described as the windy month. I've not been in Botswana in August, but I did a canoe safari on the Zambezi in August and the wind was quite an issue. The prevailing wind in Southern Africa is from the East so we were canoeing into it, and it was making the water quite choppy.

Yes, thank you, Christabir.

Hi samcat!

Since flooding starts from about April, June is excellent to see the Delta in all its glory and beauty. October is better for game viewing as this is the peak of the dry season so animals migrate to regions that are flooded, as well as to rivers like Chobe. Each time lends something a little different.

I love going on safari so much that honestly, there's no real bad time ever!

Enjoy your travels!

Best
Dianne
Africa Direct USA

Thank you.

I was in Botswana in October 2005. I think it was the most miserable I have ever been. (Except maybe when I was in Churchill in Manitoba, Canada in the winter and froze to death. ) But I got the most amazing photos and if I could repeat that trip again with the heat and misery and the same sightings I would do it in a heartbeat.

I've also been there in August and it was cold in the early morning. But not as miserable as the heat in October.

But I do think the weather has changed some in the last 10 years so who knows. Before I went in 2005 I did look at weather websites to see weather in past Octobers and they showed the temperature was never over 100. When we were there it was 110-120. I looked at weather websites after I got back to see if they reported weather over 100 degrees and they did not. Not sure what's up with that.

Photos from that trip are here if you are interested http://www.pbase.com/cjw/botswana_africa_2005 Okay, I just looked at Aug, 2007 pics again and they reminded me of how great that trip was. Maybe you can't go wrong. http://www.pbase.com/cjw/botswana_aug_2007

We leave May 30 for the June trip!

Maybe not!

????