Best time to visit Makgadikgadi Pans – When to visit the Makadikadi Basin in Botswana – when to go for a wildlife safari
Best time to visit Makgadikgadi Pans – Nowhere in Africa does the climate have such a profound effect on the movements of wildlife as in the Makgadikgadi, another place in Botswana where the forces of nature seemed to have rewritten the rules. As in much of southern Africa, there is a wet season and a dry season in the Makgadikgadi but it is in the physical attributes of each season where the attractions of this fascinating region lie.
When planning a trip to Botswana, choosing the best time to visit the Makgadikgadi Pans, National Park, in Botswana and its surroundings is important. Guests should be aware of the differences in climate, availability, activities, and pricing when choosing between the various months and seasons.
Best time to go to Makgadikgadi Pans:
Makgadikgadi Pans is a beautiful park to visit regardless of the season and popular with international visitors. Understanding not just when the best time to visit Botswana but to travel to the dry, arid pans is useful during the right season is useful depending on the nature of your visit.
- March – October: Dry Winter Season
Sunny and warm daylight hours are matched with extremely cold nights for those going on a Botswana safari. With October being the hottest month, the zebra and wildebeest herds migrate in their thousands to the Boteti river to access the water.
The Makgadikgadi Pans National Park is a harsh, dry environment, suited to Oryx and Kudu, but the river provides a life-giving source of water for the Zebra and Wildebeest utilizing the eastern grass plains.
- November – March: Wet Summer Season
Witness the desert area teeming with wildlife as herds of Zebra and Wildebeest graze to their hearts’ content on the wide-open green grassland plains of the Makgadikgadi Pan National Park. This is the only time to witness the second largest migration in Africa.
Best time to visit Makgadikgadi Pans for wildlife
The Pans can be visited throughout the year however it should be noted it is a seasonal park and wildlife migrates through it. The actual pans attract wildlife in the wet summer months, from December to May.
