Okavango Delta July 2015

[African Adventures]

Hi All, I am planning a trip from Gauteng to Okavango Delta.

I would appreciate any info. I would like to spend most of my time in the Delta. How many days are sufficient for such a trip? Do we need 2 vehicles or will my hilux be fine?

Thank you

[zepplin]

Good luck getting anywhere in the delta at that time of the year. Winter is when it fills with water so I'd say your second vehicle should be a mokoro.

[GI Jane]

Good luck getting anywhere in the delta at that time of the year. Winter is when it fills with water so I'd say your second vehicle should be a makoro.

Was going to say something along those lines as well. Many places flooded out and inaccessible.... also a very large area to cover on the outlying areas. How much time do you have.,,,,,

[African Adventures]

Thank you. So what would be the best time to visit? From what I have read they reccommend the winter months for game viewing.

[GI Jane]

Thank you. So what would be the best time to visit? From what I have read they reccommend the winter months for game viewing.

In the drier seasons the animals gravitate towards the limited water resources so it is better to go when its drier, and easier to drive... Weather patterns of course are weather patterns. Have a friend that booked a photography trip for the migration in the Serengeti, when it is usually the "right" time to be there, and because weather patterns deviated from the "norm" he went to the Serengeti and missed the migration.

Been in the Delta in late August, September and saw lots of animals. Mahangu, Mamilli, Moremi, Savuti, Kwai River, and Chobe... Saw massive herds of elephants moving into Chobe River from the south... Took this excerpt from a website on the Delta...

"The Okavango Delta is situated in Botswana, but its water source lies in the western part of Angola. The Cubango River flows into Namibia - where it’s called the Kavango River - and then into Botswana, where we know it as the Okavango River.

The ecology of the delta is fragile and depends on Angola’s annual rain season from October to April. Because the terrain is relatively flat, the floodwaters arriving from Angola takes its time to get across the Okavango Delta. These waters only reach the lower part of the delta, near Maun, in July. Eventually the water reaches the Botetle River and ends up in the Kalahari Desert, where most of it evaporates.

The floods puts the life back in the Okavango Delta. Elephants, lions, wild dogs, hyenas, buffalos, rhinos, hippos and crocodiles, as well as antelope such as sitatunga and red lechwe, join the smaller animals (bush babies, monkeys, warthogs, tree squirrels and spotted genets) on the mainland and on the various little islands of the Delta. The best time for game viewing in the Okavango Delta in Botswana is from May to October, while birding is at its best from November to April. See the African Fish Eagle (with its evocative cry), crested crane, sacred ibis and many more in their natural habitat. The Okavango Delta is also a fisherman’s paradise, with approximately 71 species occupying its waters. Here you can land a prize tiger fish or bream and experience the annual barbel run."

From another website....

" planning when to go to the Okavango Delta should take into account its seasonal nature: June to August is high water season with the best opportunities for boating and canoe safaris. Many animals migrate to the delta at this time and the resulting game viewing plus the mild, dry and largely mosquito-free winter climate make this period the best time for an Okavango Delta safari.Hot and dry September and October are also particularly good months to visit the Okavango Delta as thirsty animals are concentrated in enormous numbers on its fringes (the Moremi Game Reserve is particularly rewarding at this time) while the November to April rainy summer season sees the Okavango Delta transform from an excellent bird watching destination to a sensational one."

Just something to think about...

[African Adventures]

Thank you very much.

So was the drivig in late August and September fairly easy? How do you think late April and May would be like?

[African Adventures]

Assuming the water from Angola will reach the Delta again in June

[GI Jane]

Early August there was still some water around and so reaching some of the places, we had to drive through some swampy sections. But not too bad. I think it is the luck of the draw. On the trip into Moremi in August a friend that was driving the other vehicle, in our 2 vehicle convoy, was in front of me and he drove through what we thought was an easy river crossing and landed up nose diving into a very deep hole. I just saw the nose of his vehicle disappear under the water, and he had to floor it to get out the other side... His Ctek thingie that was mounted somewhere in the engine bay packed up, had mud up to his windscreen... being just behind him and getting ready to drive through the crossing, I decided to cross a bit further up the river, managed to find crossing that was not as bad as his... You can't always get out and walk crossings when you need to because of the wildlife, hippos and croc's... I think he entered the river at a hippo pool. Had brilliant animal sightings that year.

I suppose it is better to go with at least 2 vehicles if you go in the high water time. I don't have mud's on my vehicle, if you have mud's you would obviously be a lot better off. Not sure about April May,

[African Adventures]

Any suggestions on where to sleep? Can I sleep in one place and travel from there each day?