Okavango Delta Botswana.
The Okavango delta in Botswana is an incredible marvel of nature. It is a wild place but everyone needs to visit this beautiful swamp. Yes it is a swamp. Found in the Northern part of Botswana it is an oasis for African animals.
The Okavango Delta Botswana is a swampy inland delta and all the water reaching the delta does not flow into any sea or ocean. The area was once part of Lake Makgadikgadi, an ancient lake that had mostly dried up now. Sometimes in the rainy season it gets water on it which makes driving there impossible.
The Moremi Game Reserve, a National Park, is on the eastern side of the Delta. On February 11, 2013 the Delta was named as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of Africa, and on 22 June 2014, the Okavango Delta became the 1000th site to be officially inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. A good few years for the Okavango.
Over 2 million years before the Delta was formed, the Okavango river slowly flowed and drained into a massive lake in what is now the Makgadikgadi Pan region. Humans have inhabited the Okavango Delta for at least 100,000 years.
Approximately 50,000 years ago an earthquake caused the Okavango river to spill out into the desert as huge cracks deep in the sand opened. The river had no where to go so it petered out in the desert. Of course all the animals are happy.
There is a huge variety of wildlife which makes the delta a great place to visit.
However most of the estimated 200,000 large mammals in and around the delta are not year-round residents. They leave with the summer rains to find renewed fields of grass to graze and trees to browse, then make their way back as winter approaches. Buffalo and elephant can get up to 30,000 animals so you will probably see a few.
When is the best time to visit the Okavango?
Click here to see when we are going to the Okavango delta in Botswana again. The Delta is not green and wet because of rain. The average annual rainfall is 450 mm (approximately one third that of its Angolan catchment area) and most of it falls between December and March in the form of heavy afternoon thunderstorms.
December to February are hot wet months with daytime temperatures as high as 40 °C From March to May, the temperature becomes far more comfortable with a maximum of 30 °C during the day and mild to cool nights. The rains quickly dry up leading into the dry, cold winter months of June to August. Daytime temperatures at this time of year are mild to warm, but the temperature begins to fall after sunset. Nights can be surprisingly cold in the delta, with temperatures barely above freezing.
The September to November can get quite hot and dry with daytime temperatures often push past 40 °C . I still think that if you want to see lots of African wild life then October is the best but hottest month. What a decision. Click here to see what vehicles we use. Of course you are welcome in your own 4×4 vehicles too.