Summer - the season of plenty

Don't be fooled by the rumour that our summer season - from December to March - is a no-no for a great safari. Far from it, the "green" or "emerald" season is one of the best times to stay with us, especially if you're a keen birder or want to take amazing photos of baby animals! Read on to find out more...

There's a popular misconception that summers in Botswana should be avoided. While the winter, or dry season is largely regarded as the best time for game viewing in Southern Africa, our rainy season is just magnificent, offering one thing the parched, dusty landscapes of winter doesn't - colour! And every shade of green imaginable!

The summer skies are filled with migrant bird species, the grasses are tall and lush, the trees in fruit and the waterlilies in full bloom... And there's new life everywhere, with baby animals aplenty at every turn. The emerald season is a photographer's dream, with fabulous light and rich colours making it just superlative. Add in the treat of spectacular summer storms and the chance to capture lightning on camera and you have a real winner.

Yes, it's the rainy season, which is the cause of all this marvellous lushness and verdant explosion of life, so you'll most likely get the odd downpour and nature's amazing light shows when storms brew. It can get a little on the hot side of things as well, especially when it's building up to a storm, but the bonuses far outweigh the negatives.

The afternoons often see the build-up of expansive cumulonimbus clouds, a prelude to impending rain. Cascading downpours are to be savoured as they are considered a blessing - this is "pula" - life-bringing rain and it comes with its own unique scent - petrichor - the fragrance of African summer, produced when rain falls on parched earth. 

As night falls, you are treated to a fireworks display, African-style, where lightning illuminates the wilderness, accompanied by resounding thunder and a rhythmic dance of raindrops.

Lots of predator action

Of course, because the bush is so thick and lustrous, it can make game viewing more challenging, but that doesn't mean that the wildlife isn't there to be seen! Indeed, predator action during the summer months is exceptional, with the downside being that baby animals are often top of the menu. 

As rain breathes life into the Kalahari, its dry surface bursts with vitality. Teeming with diverse life forms, the desert becomes a prime destination, featuring green, grassy panoramas adorned with abundant newborn antelope. Large gatherings of zebra, springbok, and gemsbok, accompanied by the ever-watchful presence of predators, especially lions, are commonplace. 

The rainy season also invites a myriad of birdlife to the Kalahari, including migrant species as well as flocks of flamingos that descend upon newly formed pans. 

The Okavango Delta is adorned with hundreds of wattled cranes and African skimmers, offering breathtaking moments for birders and photographers. These experiences, unique to the Okavango and Kalahari during this season, create memories of a lifetime.

Time to relax

By March summer is in full transition to autumn as temperatures cool, and rains diminish. Afternoons become moody with scattered showers, providing an ideal backdrop for scenic photographers. Zebra dazzles persist in the Kalahari, and huge herds of elephant move into the Okavango Delta in search of ripened marula tree fruit. 

Of course, the longer days of summer mean more time to enjoy your safari and experience what Feline Fields Vintage Camp and Feline Fields Lodge have to offer in between activities. In the Okavango this can mean sitting with a pair of binoculars on the verandah of your tent indulging in some serious birding, or curling up in the lounge to read that book you've had for months but not had time to read. 

In the Kalahari there's so much to do you're spoiled for choice. Whether it's cooling off in the refreshing lap pool, hitting a few golf balls to keep your swing in top condition or indulging in a rejuvenating spa treatment. Or just laying back on a lounger and watching clouds form in the brilliantly blue summer sky. 

So chat to us about a summer safari - we promise you won't be disappointed!