When to go to Chobe

The Chobe National Park lies within Botswana's semi-arid climatic zone - it's essentially hot and dry. There are however 2 distinct seasons and you'll need to choose carefully to maximise your experience.

The dry season begins around May and runs until the rains begin in early October. It's the easiest and most comfortable time to visit as there's very little rain, the vegetation is thin and trampled, making wildlife easier to spot, and there are very few mosquitoes.

Note that temperatures at night can plummet in mid-winter (June and July) and the build up to the rainy season makes September and particularly October very hot.

The rainy season begins around November and ends in late April. January and February are very wet, and roads or airfields may become flooded. Temperatures are high but mitigated somewhat by the lush vegetation and standing water. Mosquitoes are sometimes encountered in large numbers towards the end of the rainy season.

When to go to the Chobe River for game
viewing

Go in the dry season - May to October - and the later the better as game concentrations build up along the river banks. Avoid December to February as much of the game - and nearly all the elephants - disappear into the wooded hinterland.

When to go to Chobe: the Savute region

Savute is good at any time of year - visit this area in the dry season for concentrations of game around water sources but November/December and again in March/April is when the zebra migration rolls through the now-green Savute Marsh.

When to go to Chobe: the Linyanti, Kwando & Selinda
regions

These areas are good at any time of year but we'd recommend a visit during the dry season when game concentrations at the Linyanti River will be higher.

When to go to Chobe for bird watching

Chobe is a great birding destination at any time of year but the presence of intra-African and Palaearctic migrants from November to April onwards makes it an exceptional one. Anywhere is good but make sure you include the Chobe River and Savute.