Botswana has chosen tourism with few camps and few visitors: no big hotels in the parks, light-aircraft flights from one airstrip to the next. In the Okavango Delta the water arrives in the dry season and is explored by mokoro, the traditional canoe; along the Chobe River lives the largest population of wild elephants in the world.
When to go
The safari season runs from June to October: it is dry, the vegetation thins and animals gather near water. The Okavango’s water, which comes from the Angolan highlands, fills the Delta in exactly those months, peaking between June and August. From December to March it rains: everything is green, prices drop and the young are born. Month by month: when to go to Botswana.
Documents and entry
Italian citizens do not need a visa for tourist stays of up to 90 days. The passport must be valid for at least six months and have two blank pages. Travellers coming from Victoria Falls cross at the Kazungula border. FCDO travel advice for Botswana. Full details: visa and documents for Botswana.
Health
In the Okavango Delta and Chobe malaria prophylaxis is recommended, especially in the rainy season. The camps are far from hospitals: insurance with medical evacuation is essential.
What to see
Okavango Delta: channels, islands and lagoons to explore by mokoro, by boat and by 4x4. Chobe: elephants coming down to the river, also seen by boat. Moremi: the reserve inside the Delta, with lions, wild dogs and leopards. Makgadikgadi: endless salt pans and meerkat colonies.
