Interview with one of our local experts in Botswana

If you’re curious about a trip to southern Africa, why not let Botswana catch your eye? With a formidable wealth of landscapes, undisturbed wildlife and rich cultural pursuits to dive into, it’s one for great voyagers, seekers of exclusive experiences, and keen observers of the natural world. Here we speak to Jonathan, our local expert in Botswana, who shares enthusiasm and love for his home country through wonderful stories, top tips and recommendations.

What’s your favorite thing about living in Botswana?

Botswana gives you many varying landscapes and habitats right on your doorstep. Living in Maun, within a short charter or helicopter flight or even driving distance, you can find yourself in the Okavango Delta, the open plains of Savuti, on a mokoro boat or exploring the grasslands in the heart of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Wild experiences are so close!

You live somewhere where wildlife rules (at least in a large part of the country!) Do you have a top animal encounter that you love to share with people?

Some of the best wild animals sightings are the ones you least expect. I recall being on a game drive in Savuti, driving through the Savuti Marsh with carmine bee-eaters swooping right next to the vehicle to catch fleeing insects, and stopping to debate what kind of goshawk was perched on a small tree.

After a few minutes of flicking through the bird book, a spurfowl made an alarm call to alert us to a huge male lion sat 10m behind us, that was rather well camouflaged and was watching us debate which goshawk we were looking at. That sighting was truly meant to be!

What would you say is the best dish or foodie experience for anyone to try?

Dinner in the bush always brings its own wow factor to a safari, but mobile safaris who prepare all meals on fire and coal is what really blows my mind! From freshly baked bread, cookies and cakes to three-course dinners all made on fire and coal – it’s a next-level safari experience!

As a local expert in Botswana, what is one thing you would recommend a visitor should do?

A guided bush walking safari for sure! It is one thing, watching animals from a game viewer, but being on foot with a professional guide who slows down the pace and shows you the smaller things is a hugely immersive experience. Learning how to identify and follow tracks, and really be in their world, brings you that bit closer to the flora and fauna!

What’s one piece of advice you would give someone visiting Botswana?

Try to spend three nights per location, as this gives you two full days to explore that area before moving on to the next. The green season is one of the most underrated times to travel to Botswana, but offers beautiful birdlife, lush vegetation, wonderfully discounted rates, and lots of baby animals to see. We all know big cats dislike walking in wet grass, so they can be found right on the dirt roads!

Great tip about the green season! When traditionally is the best time to visit your country?

Botswana is an all-year-round destination, with each season having its pros and cons.

Winter (the dry season from June to October) boasts cooler weather (particularly June to August) and minimal chance of rain. The bush is less dense and dry, making animals easier to spot as they congregate around remaining water sources. The Okavango Delta receives its annual flood from Angola, that has taken six months to flow from its catchment area and slowly fills the delta. It’s an amazing spectacle to see some bone-dry channels start flowing with water and life! The game viewing during this time is amazing but will be at its highest price! September and October are very hot, but also very dry, so if you can bear the heat, it pays in game viewing!

November to March is the wet season. Temperatures are still rather warm but the rain drops the temperature a bit, and also brings migratory bird species as well as mammals dropping their young to coincide with the abundance of new grass to eat. More prey means more predator action. The green or emerald seasons offer great discounted rates, too!

As a local expert in Botswana, what are your country’s top three highlights?

The Okavango Delta – explore it by boat, game drive vehicle, mokoro (dugout canoe), and on foot!

Scenic flights over the delta: there’s no better way to get a scenic bird’s-eye view than from a doors-off helicopter. Throw in an island stop with champagne, craft beer or gin… it’s the icing on the cake!

Central Kalahari and Makgadikgadi: a completely different landscape to the delta, with different animals like brown hyena, oryx and eland! A sleep out deck here or on the Makgadikgadi salt pans is a popular experience! Wake up to the sounds of the bush and the sun between your toes!

Make it happen

Feeling ready for an adventure? Get in touch with a local expert in Botswana to begin planning a wonderful adventure – they’re ready and waiting to help make your trip unforgettable.