10 Reasons for Green Season Botswana

Think of Botswana and maybe images of dusty savannahs with thirsty wildlife clustered around water come to mind. True enough in the dry season, but it couldn’t be further from Botswana’s Green Season landscape.

The Green Season is the southern hemisphere summer – December to April – and in Botswana it’s when nearly all of the year’s rain falls. Don’t let that put you off: the summer rains bring vibrancy and new life to the land and a Green Season safari can deliver a unique wildlife experience. Besides, most of the rain is in the form of brief afternoon downpours instead of long drizzly days; otherwise, the weather in summer is warm and sunny.

Let’s take a closer look at the advantages of a Green Season safari in Botswana.

The emerald season in Botswana

An ocean of green stretches to the horizon during Botswana’s summer months.

1. The Emerald Transformation

A better name perhaps for the Green Season would be the Emerald Season: the rains trigger one of the richest changes in natural landscapes as luxuriant growth emerges from the dry-season brown. Thorn trees are bejewelled in fresh green, standing over thick carpets of grass studded with summer flowers – it’s not the country you thought you knew from the dry season.

2. It’s the secret safari season

Botswana is renowned for its dry-season wildlife but the Green Season reveals the country’s safari secrets. It’s during summer that Botswana’s great zebra migration occurs, when elephants are found in the Kalahari and when the big predators – lions, wild dog, cheetah and leopard – find the most to hunt. It’s perfect for a seasoned safari traveller looking for a new experience.

3. More choice, more time

It’s no surprise to learn that the Green Season sees the year’s lowest occupancy at safari lodges but this gives the advantage to Green Season travellers. Even with the top lodges, there’s usually no problem with availability in summer – even at relatively short notice – and you’ll find it easier to book accommodation at this time of year if you are travelling as a larger family or group.

Dinner set up in the Moremi region

Green Season accommodation rates offer good value at Botswana’s top safari lodges.

4. Green season savings

You’ll also get a better financial deal during Botswana’s Green Season: lodges are keen to get business through their doors and offer the year’s lowest rates in summer (except at Christmas) as well as special offers such as three nights for the price of two. If you are a single traveller then ask around for lodges that waive the single supplement fee in the Green Season.

5. Far from the crowds

Another enjoyable facet to the Emerald Season is the fact that you may well be the only ones out there on your game drive or boat cruise. Botswana’s top destinations such as the Chobe River and Okavango Delta are very busy in peak dry season but visitor numbers plunge as the rain begins in October, often leaving you alone with great wildlife sightings. If you prefer to have your game viewing on the more private side, then go in the green.

6. No blankets required

Botswana’s dry season is the coldest time of year so if you like things on the warmer side, then a Green Season safari is for you. There’s no need to pack woollen hats, feather-down jackets and wrap up in blankets for the early morning drive; in summer you’ll get long hours of daylight filled with mostly warm and sunny weather.

Use the pool on a green season safari

If you’ve paid for a private pool, then this is the season you’ll actually be able to use it!

7. Use the pool

It sounds crazy but do you know how many guests don’t use the pool at their safari accommodation? Because most people travel in the cooler dry season, they never get round to it but it’s exactly what you need in summer. And since many lodges offer a private plunge pool at your suite rather than a large shared pool, the Green Season is the best time to chill out at your private pool; did someone mention room service?

8. The year’s best birding

Whether you’re a beginner or a serious birder, Botswana in the Green Season is unquestionably Birding Season. Food and water are plentiful and migrant species arrive from Europe and Africa to swell the already impressive bird list. Some major events may be underway – flamingos breeding on the Makgadikgadi salt pans for instance – and summer always brings the exquisite Carmine Bee-eater to Botswana’s grasslands, often flying next to the vehicle to snap up insects as you drive.

9. Great photographic conditions

Sure there’s a bit of rain but the Green Season delivers what many photographers think is the best conditions for professional nature photography. The dust clouds and blinding white sun of Botswana’s dry season give way to a softer, deeper perspective. Colours are more pronounced, the air clearer and Green Season clouds make the light easier to work with.

Calving season in Botswana green season

You’ll enjoy better photographic conditions on a Green Season safari.

10. Calving season

Botswana’s summer air rings with the bleating of thousands of young antelope and zebra as the herds give birth en masse, taking advantage of the availability of water and grazing. It makes for great photography and also means an easy kill for Botswana’s predators – big cats, wild dogs and spotted hyenas – and if you’d like to watch the drama of the hunt – the chase, the kill – then the Green Season gives you better chances than most.

Hands-on Expertise

  • We’re based in Africa
  • We regularly do site inspections
  • Knowledgeable team
  • Expect great customer service

Accredited & Bonded

  • SATSA – Bonded Membership (2061)
  • Travel Safe Certificate
  • Fully Independent & Owner Run
  • Travel Support from Start to Finish

Reviews

They kept us fully informed and updated throughout planning, travel, etc.

It was excellent all around. Everything worked out well. An experience of a lifetime! The game viewing rides were fun and very informative.

Karen
Professional, patient, efficient and responsive. Met all our travel needs and requirements spot on

Communication was excellent – I asked A LOT of questions and did a ton of research myself and Walter was extremely patient with me and very responsive. he was straight forward and extremely professional.  Tour itself was excellent – an incredible experience and one never to be forgotten. Everything was spot on.

Neena
Excellent service and support for our Africa vacation

Working with Walter was a great experience. He listened to us and helped us build a vacation that exceeded all of our expectations. We really appreciated his professionalism and attention to detail.

Dan
A great tour operator that was a pleasure to deal with.

We used Safari Online to put together a mid-range Botswana trip for a group of four going to three different camps and then onto Vic Falls. We asked several operators to provide options (through this great safari bookings website) and Walter Kohrs from Safari Online was easily the most responsive and quickest to provide different but realistic options and at good prices. In the end it was a no brainer to go with Safari Online. Walter always responded to my queries quickly, with honest and valuable responses that were clear and made sense. From our perspective he tailored a good mix of places for both our budget and standard of facilities that suited us perfectly, with enough information and links to help us make our decisions. In the end each camp was different and had different aspects and strengths that made each unique. We loved it.

Shane
Perfect

We are six older but experienced travellers who usually do our own planning. Luck led us to Safari Online and Walter. His ideas proved spot on. Throughout our planning Safari Online have been helpful, always answering emailed questions, no matter how basic, straightaway. We’ve had probably our best ever holiday in years of travel, everything went smoothly. Pickups and transfers were on time. Staff in all the places we stayed were friendly and helpful. I can’t think of one adverse remark except maybe seeing a lion that wasn’t asleep, though I think if it could have been arranged Walter would have done so.

Jennifer
Karina was absolutely instrumental to our safari success.

Our experience with Safari Online was excellent. After becoming very frustrated trying to search for a safari destination on our own, we turned to Karina for help and she was a lifesaver. She responded to our requests promptly and gave us several options with links to each option; we ultimately chose Lukimbi. She then coordinated our flights to and from the property, arranged the drivers necessary to get us from the airport to the lodge and back again, and sent the appropriate paperwork to each of us to verify each step of the process. We had an amazing safari adventure at the lodge–the experience of a lifetime–and are so grateful for her help. We literally couldn’t have done it without her!

Chris
Above expectations

Excellent communications and service. We dealt with Sabrina and she is awesome. The safari tour was amazing, i can highly recommend going to Elephant Plains. Its a very special place run by awesome people.

Werner