Does the Great Migration live up to all of the hype? It depends what kind of experience you are seeking.
The Great Migration will see over 2 million Wildebeest, zebra, antelope, and other species travel between the Maasai Mara in Kenya and the Serengeti in Tanzania.
You can see video footage of The Great Migration below.
Which camps are the best for watching the Great Migration?
To best observe this, points like Kusini Camp, and Serengeti Serena Lodge and offer the perfect view.
Which months are ideal for catching the Great Migration in Kenya?
April to July marks the transitional periods between the rainy season and the dry one.
July to October marks a four-month wildebeest trek to the Masai Mara River
The November and December short rains bring the herd back to the Serengeti.
One of the most magical experiences that you can tick off your life’s bucket list is a safari in Botswana. If you’re one that’s bold to venture into the unknown to discover vast landscapes and wildlife, then the safaris of offer in Botswana won’t disappoint.
Is Botswana good for safaris?
Yes. You get the option to stay at camps (some of the most beautiful lodges) that are scenic and authentic. Depending on where you stay, you will gain access to wildlife and may even receive additional dining and guided experiences.
Safari in Botswana prices
Ballpark Price per Night All-Inclusive
Moderate Camps (or Private mobile camping)
Premier Camps
Top-end Camps
Green Season
$500-$600
$625-$825
$775-$1,000
Shoulder Season
$700-$750
$900-$1,125
$1,000-$1,250
Peak Season
$825-$950
$1,175-$1,325
$1,650-$2,200*
Chobe, Okavango Delta and Moremi
What kind of safari trips can you expect in Botswana?
All inclusive safaris
The majority of Botswana safaris are all inclusive and should only require you to pay for any gratuities (tips) and possibly some additional food and drinks that’s not already included in the package.
The tours are designed to have all of the administative items done for you so you can focus on enjoying your safari holiday in Botswana.
Luxury safaris
Botswana is known for its luxury lodges in the most amazing locations to see game whilst on safari.
Cheap safaris?
Botswana safaris tend to be on the expensive side. Whilst tour operators can work to provide you with the cheapest safari quotes, you should still expect to fork out a few hundred dollars for the experience.
When going on safari, you want to wear head protection that will reduce as much exposure to the sun on your skin. Good safari hats will limit the amount of direct sunlight exposure on your skin.
In this post, we’ve shared some of the hats that you should consider buying and wearing during your safari.
Additionally, you should also consider the following functions with a safari hat.
Best Safari Hats Functions
Provide complete coverage from the sun.
You want the safari hat to provide all round shielding especially in the back of the neck area which is where a lot of them come up short. The African sun has the ability to burn even when it’s low on the horizon.
Wearing a full-brim hat that also covers your neck will minimize your skin’s exposure to direct sunlight.
The safari hat should allow your head to “breathe”.
You don’t want your head to overheat and lead to heatstroke or discomfort. So you want to have a design that will allow the heat to escape from your head.
It should be gas permeable so that the heat generated can escape and allow you to cool off.
Must be water absorbent on the inside and waterproof on the outside.
Your body will regulate its temperature by sweating. It’s likely that sweat will drip into your eyes, which will make your experience unpleasant.
Invest in a safari hat that will absorb the sweat.
Additionally, you want to be prepared for rain and a well designed hat will protect your face from the rain, as well as prevent any absorption that can make your head uncomfortable.
The Tilley Endurables hats have a very good reputation. Full brim, but designed with a cooling mechanism. Check the hats to see which ones are waterproof vs water resistant. And then purchase the one that’s ideal for the type of safari trip that you plan to go on.
When you are out on safari trying to take photos, you want to have a point and shoot camera that won’t force you to change lenses in the dusty conditions. The suggested cameras below are convenient to carry, and will help you get crisp shots.
The quality of the cameras on the iPhone are amazing. They are also convenient since you can keep it in your pocket or bag, and quickly whip it out to point and shoot photos that are fairly close.
The lens on the iPhone should be able to give you good photos of up to 30m. So they are really suited for close-ups.
The newer iPhones can also capture photos in a lower light setting.
Also, due to the design, you can film and take photos while you are filming. And the battery life should last you for a while as well.
You can watch the video below which shows the camera quality on an iPhone XR.
This is a good, yet inexpensive option. If you are a casual photographer, then this will be a convenient option for your safari trip.
One setback with this camera is how it responds in low light. The camera’s settings may want to bump up the ISO when left on auto mode, which can affect the image quality. So this could affect any photos that you take during the early mornings or late afternoons.
It’s likely that you will need to play around with the manual ISO settings at 800, 1600, and 3200 if lighting becomes an issue.
The camera tends to perform well in normal sunlight.
Avid photographers are excited at the chance to take amazing photos during their safari trip. However, they’ll be advised to pack as lightly as possible.
A safari can be challenging, yet rewarding for a photographer. The challenge in changing lenses given the hot and dusty conditions can put their photography equipment at risk getting damaged.
Secondly, the photos that the photographer may want to capture may require long-range shots. The standard lenses on smartphones and most point and shoot cameras won’t have the zoom length, or even produce a high-quality photo from a long distance.
So a photographer needs to carry the right set of camera lenses that will allow them to get the best photos and switch the lenses according to the type of shot needed.
This lens will give you the versatility to shoot subjects that are fairly close and subjects that are in the distance with good quality.
When you’re travelling on safari, it’s important that you have a lens that will allow you to adjust the focus and distance quickly depending on your photo subject. Additionally, the flexibility in the zoom means you can avoid constantly changing between lenses.
Tamron produces great lenses that aren’t really, really expensive, but they aren’t cheap either. You can get crisp, quality long-range images using their lenses and with this one in particular, it provides a very versatile range for long shots and fairly close shots.
Ideal for safari. However, you will need to carry another high-quality point and shoot for any shots that are close-ups.
This is similar to the Tamron lens and will also provide you with the type of images that you’re after across the long and short range. The cost of the lens can be on the cheaper side depending on the supplier.
You want to enjoy your safari experience as much as possible. This will see you get out of your safari vehicle and walk through the bush or savannah to spot the game and wildlife.
It’s great to walk through and find what you are looking for. However, you do need to err on the side safety due to the risk of bugs, animals, and fauna exposing yourself to injury.
What are some things that you should consider before deciding which shoes to buy for your safari?
The weight of the shoe.
You want to carry shoes that are lightweight when walking. If you carry multiple shoes in your luggage, you will want to minimize the amount of weight that shoes will contribute to your luggage.
The design of the shoe.
You want to wear shoes or boots that will minimize the amount of sand, rocks, or debris that will enter the shoe. The water resistance and grip/traction will also factor into the type of safari trip that you plan to embark on.
Scree collar
The design of the scree collar that combines comfort and the prevention of debris from entering the shoe.
In this post, we share some of the best safari walking shoes that you should consider for a safari trip.
If you plan to join a safari that will be mainly 4wd based and that may include a couple of nature walks, then you’ll want to consider investing in a pair of Merrells shoes for your safari trip.
They will offer enough traction and protection. But they will be comfortable and breathable for the feet during the drives.
When you purchase the shoes, make sure you wear them to break them in before you embark on your safari.
You want to make sure the shoes are comfortable for your safari trip.
It’s very hard to go wrong with these boots since they tick the boxes with comfort, protection, traction, and durability. It’s a shoe that can perform well in both warm, cold, humid, and damp environments.
More on the expensive side, but built to withstand the toughest of environmental elements.
Although they will be comfortable, while you are in the vehicle, it won’t be ideal for walking. If you must, carry them to wear inside the vehicle during the long rides.
Be aware that there can be ants and bugs inside the vehicle that you are riding in, so it may help with attracting bugs that may bite your skin.
We suggest wearing closed shoes to avoid getting eaten alive.
Additionally, they may not be suitable to the local environment since there are sharp thorns that may penetrate the sole of the sandals that you are wearing.
Safari comes from the Swahili word “journey”. Safari experiences have changed over the centuries. Originally, safaris involved a small army that would hunt big game animals.
Nowadays, the majority of safaris focus on animal spotting, and photography.
You can expect to see wildlife in their natural habitats, as well as amazing landscapes.
How much does it cost to go on safari?
The pricing differs among the different tour providers. Tours can start from as little as $500 from local operators and go to over $60,000.
What is a safari habitat?
Safaris take people on a tour of the African wilderness. Two common habitats are the grassy plains of the savanna, like the Serengeti, and the flooded wetlands, such as the Okavango delta.
What are the best safaris?
Masai Mara, Kenya. Masai Mara, Kenya.
Serengeti National Park and Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania. Ngorongoro Crater, Tanzania.
Kruger National Park, South Africa.
Chobe National Park & Moremi Game Reserve Botswana.
One of the essential items that you need on safari is a set of binoculars. You never know how far or close the animals in the game reserve will be. If you are lucky, you will be able to them with the naked eye. And if you are really lucky, you will be able to get close to them.
However, it’s likely that you will spot them from afar and you will either need to view the animals through a zoom lens on a camera or through binoculars.
Should you take binoculars on safari?
Safari binoculars are one of the most important pieces of equipment that you will need to take with you when going on a safari.
You will be able to get a closer view of the wildlife, and you will be able to see more especially when there are low-light conditions.
Although guides may have their own set of binoculars for the tour group, they may not be in the best condition and you will be forced to share the binoculars with others in the travel group. This can put you at risk of missing certain experiences on the safari such as cheetahs running in the distance.
What is the best magnification for safari binoculars?
8 x 53 is ideal. You don’t want something too powerful because it will be very difficult to keep still as handheld binoculars.
How do you choose binoculars for safari?
The essential characteristics for binoculars for safaris include:
Magnification: 8 x 52
Field of View: At least 330 ft at 1000 yards.
Exit pupil size: 5.25 mm or more
Eye relief: 18 or more
Prism and Coating: BAK-4 prism and Fully Multi-Coated surfaces
Weight: Not more than 30.1 oz. lbs.
What are the best binoculars for safari?
These are also the best binoculars for game viewing when you are on safari.
Going on a safari guarantees an experience that will leave you with lifelong memories. You can capture those memories with photos. When going on safari, it’s great to see the live game in the reserves, however there may be times where you are limited to what you will be able to see.
To do the safari justice, you want to have the right equipment that will not only allow you to see, but to capture the photos and images of your safari trek as they happen.
A superzoom camera will be one of the ‘must have’ items that you should have during your safari trek.
Never miss a magical moment. And capture those moments in timeless photos that will last forever.
Why should you consider a superzoom camera for a safari?
The safari trek that you take will be bumpy and dusty. Although the DSLRs provide several options for long and short range shots, you don’t want to risk damaging your camera’s lenses given the dusty conditions that you’ll be facing. Especially since you may have to react quickly to get the shots that you want.
A superzoom camera gives you the convenience to take longer and shorter range shots on your safari, especially when you need to react and get into your photography position quickly.
Below, we’ve listed a range of superzoom cameras that you should consider taking with you on your safari.
This is a good, yet inexpensive option. If you are a casual photographer, then this will be a convenient option for your safari trip.
One setback with this camera is how it responds in low light. The camera’s settings may want to bump up the ISO when left on auto mode, which can affect the image quality. So this could affect any photos that you take during the early mornings or late afternoons.
It’s likely that you will need to play around with the manual ISO settings at 800, 1600, and 3200 if lighting becomes an issue.
The camera tends to perform well in normal sunlight.
Depending on where you want to visit and the type of safari experience that you want to do, the best month will differ depending on the location.
However, you should factor in the specific locations and experiences for your safari trip.
Which is the best month to go on safari in South Africa?
Early September will be the ideal month to travel if you plan to visit Kruger National Park.
You can expect fewer mosquitos than usual during September due to the dry climate. Additionally, you can expect to have better game viewing due to it being around the end of the dry season, which means the bushes should be lower.
There may be a chance of rain. However, the rain shouldn’t spoil your safari experience.
You can also expect the night temperature to not be as high as well.
If you are planning to go to Cape Town, you will have better weather in March.
