Go to the Okavango This Year

Some years the Okavango Delta is beautiful. This year is extraordinary. Rainfall across Botswana has been more than double the seasonal average in several areas, and the floods flowing south from the Angolan Highlands are arriving into a system already full of water. Guides who have spent decades in the delta say conditions like this have not been seen in over thirty years.

What this means on the ground: channels that have been dry for seasons are open again, islands that were accessible only by vehicle are now surrounded by water, and the full ancient rhythm of the wetland is playing out as it should. Mornings begin with mist rising off the water as elephants wade through lilies. Afternoons drift by in a mokoro, guided by skilled local polers whose knowledge has been passed down through generations. Evenings end with lions calling across flooded plains.

Peak season runs June to August. Camps are filling fast, and they deserve to.