Dos and Dont's On An African Safari

It is essential to behave properly near wild animals, to respect the environment and avoid potentially dangerous situations. If you are camping on safari for the first time you may feel some anxiety by the possibility of elephants, lion, hyenas or other animals roaming freely around the campsite.

This does take some getting used to, and your first reaction may be to flee. It would be wise to discuss the best reaction response to an aggressive animal encounter with an experienced guide or animal expert -- preferably before you are out on safari. Different behavior is recommended for different animals, and it is important to get it right. However, in the unlikely event of an animal becoming aggressive towards you, do not panic, but stay calm and keep quiet. Whatever you do, don't run.

When visiting or staying in the animals' habitat, remember these rules:

• Always sleep in your tent or vehicle. Make sure your tent zips up completely.
• Do not sleep with legs or arms protruding from the tent.
• Carry away or burn all rubbish. Many areas do not have rubbish disposal facilities.
• Cigarette butts should be well extinguished and placed in a rubbish bag, not thrown out.
• Make sure the campfire is well extinguished at the end of the evening, and cover it with sand.
• Bury all fecal matter and burn all toilet paper.
• In most parks and reserves you should camp in designated camping areas where basic amenities are provided. Outside the parks, reserves and wildlife management areas, you are free to camp anywhere you like.
• Do not sleep on bridges or animal paths, particularly those of elephant or hippo.
• Do not bathe in or drink from still bodies of water, as there is the danger of bilharzias.
• In the Okavango, it is tempting to dive into a lagoon or stream, especially after a hot, dusty drive. This is forbidden. Not to mention there is the obvious danger of crocodiles or hippo.
• Do not go near the water at night. If you want to wash or refresh yourself it is best to go to the water with another person. Have him or her stand near you and be on the lookout while you wash. Watch out for eyes or nostrils protruding from the water.
• Be wary of animals with young. Never feed the animals or try to touch them. The feeding of monkeys, baboons and mongoose at various campsites has led to these animals' atrocious, and at times aggressive, harassing behavior.
• In the Okavango and Chobe, where animal density is high, do not stray far from the campsite or walk in the bush, unless you are accompanying an experienced guide.

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Best Times To Go On A Safari

April through early November offer the best times to view large numbers of animals as they migrate towards the waterways of the Okavango Delta. It is during this dry season period that the big game, wildlife and birds congregate around water sources - the natural waterholes and the borehole-fed dams - and are at their most visible.

But Botswana is truly a year-round tourist destination. The landscapes change dramatically with the seasons, and wildlife roams freely across the game reserves and parks, providing unique safari experiences year-round.

November and December - the calving months - are an excellent time to witness nature's own timetable of regeneration.

December through February/March is the wet summer season. Temperatures during these months can be quite hot and rain may make some roads muddy and impassable. During the rainy summer season, animals in many game areas disperse, offering a different safari experience for the visitor.

The wet season, from January to March, sees the migration of large numbers of game into the summer grazing areas, while the delta comes alive with sounds of hundreds of bird species.

In March and April thousands of zebras and other animals migrate towards the Savuti area of Chobe National Park.

Experience The Unforgettable Botswana Safaris

For more information contact Falcon Safaris on +2631341841 or email us on info@falconsafaris.com

Want To Explore Botswana On A Safari? Fast Facts

Botswana Fast Facts

Official Name: Republic of Botswana

• Area: 582,000 sq. km. (224,710 sq. mi.), about the size of Texas.

• Capital City (2001 census): Gaborone (pronounced ha-bo-ro-neh), pop. 186,007.

• Other Urban Centers: Francistown (pop. 105,000); Lobatse (pop. 60,000), Selebi-Phikwe (pop. 50,000), Ghanzi, Mahalapye, Maun, and Kasane.

• Terrain: Desert and savanna. 

• Climate: Mostly subtropical; semi-arid.

• Nationality: Noun and adjective--Motswana (sing.), Batswana (pl.).

• Population (est.): 1.84 million.

• Annual population growth rate (2008): 1.434%.

• Ethnic groups: Tswana 79%; Kalanga 11%; Kgalagadi, Herero, Bayeyi, Hambukush, Basarwa ("San"), Khoi, whites 10%.

• Religions: Christianity 70%, none 20%, indigenous beliefs 6%, other 4%.

• Primary Languages: English (official), Setswana (widely spoken)

• Education: Adult literacy--81%.

• Independence: September 30, 1966.

• Type: Republic, parliamentary democracy.

• Head of State: President Ian Khama Seretse Khama..

• Nominal GDP (2007): $11.9 billion.

• Real GDP growth rate (2007 est.): 4.8%.

• Per capita nominal GDP (2007): $6,742.

• Key Industry Sectors: Precious minerals mining, Tourism,. Agriculture, Construction, Beef processing, Chemical products production, Food and beverage production.

• 220-240 volts AC, 50Hz. 

• Pula. One pula = 100 thebe. 

• Private sector: Monday to Friday 8am – 5pm

• Government offices: Monday to Friday 7:30am – 4:30pm

• 1 January: New Year's Day

• 2 January: Public Holiday

• March/April (variable): Good Friday and Easter Monday

• 1 May: Labor Day

• May (variable): Ascension Day

• 1 July: Sir Seretse Khama Day

• July (variable): President Day and following day

• 30 September: Botswana Independence Day 

• 1 October: Public Holiday

• 25 December: Christmas Day

• 26 December: Boxing Day

Location: Central southern Africa.

Time: GMT + 2 hours

International Dialing Code: +267

Geography

People

Government

Economy

Electricity/voltage

Currency

Business Hours

Public Holidays

Contact Falcon Safaris on +263 13 41841 or email info@falconsafaris.com

Game Safaris in Botswana: Wildlife in Savuti

The Savuti Area is a rich game area in the Chobe National Park. To the north the winding Linyanti River gives way to Namibia.

There is mopane veld, the dry Savuti Channel and a number of spectacular and very busy waterholes. As you might expect with such diverse environments the game is both prolific and varied.

Savuti's elephant population

The entire area is superb for elephant but they are possibly at their most spectacular besides the waterholes. Huge breeding herds numbering hundreds can be heard trumpeting their way through the bush coming to drink. As the sun sets, watching elephant immerge from the water then trundle up the yellow plains to the forest in a cloud of dust is one of the great sights of Africa.

Savuti's diverse fauna and flora

There are tall shady forests of jackalberry, leadwood, bird plum trees and knobthorn. Particularly large troops of baboon seem to frequent these areas, feeding in the trees, the sound of their crunching and barking echoing in the air.

Then, there are kudu, roan, sable, impala and buffalo. Warthog can be seen emerging from burrows in termite mounds early in the morning, francolins scuttle off the sandy roads and tiny bushbabies can be seen leaping from tree to tree at night.

Places to visit on a Botswana Safari: Linyati Concession

The Linyanti Concession covers 120,000 hectares of pristine wilderness.

It encompasses the winding Linyanti River, iridescent green papyrus swamps, shady forests and open grasslands. With such diverse habitats, the game is varied and prolific.

Wildlife of the Linyanti Concession

The concession area is superb for elephant, at their most spectacular along the Linyanti River, where breeding herds in their hundreds can frequently be seen crossing. They emerge, black and glistening, before trundling into the forests, trumpeting, cracking branches and leaving a cloud of dust in their wake.

There are some particularly pretty drives along the floodplains where red lechwe, impala, zebra, waterbuck and giraffe can be found, amongst a myriad of colourful birdlife including little bee-eaters, glossy ibis and wattled cranes.

Away from the river, forests of jackal berry and bird-plum trees are alive with large troops of baboon. Roan, sable, kudu, impala and buffalo can be seen shading under apple-leaf trees, and warthogs forage in the grass.

Finally, predators are ever-present with large resident prides of lion, hyena, leopard, cheetah and several packs of roaming wild dog.

Contact us for more information or to book a safari in Botswana.

Botswana Safaris: Khama Rhino Sanctuary

Affording the opportunity to see both black and white rhino - as well as an abundance of other wildlife species – the Khama Rhino Sanctuary (KRS) is a delightful stopover for tourists travelling by road to Botswana’s northern reserves, or an ideal weekend getaway for Gaborone or Francistown visitors or residents.

A mere 20 kms from the historically important village of Serowe, the accessibility of KRS is also a draw. This community tourism project, managed and staffed by local village residents, offers game drives, birding, bush walks, and arts and crafts shopping. It also has an education centre where many young children from all over Botswana come for environmental education, as well as a fun time in the bush.

KRS was established in 1989 due to growing concern over the then escalating rhino poaching situation in Botswana. Both black and white rhino – once abundant in Botswana – were during the early 1980s on the brink of local extinction, despite their having been granted protected status as far back as 1922.

Led by the Bangwato paramount Chief, the then Lt. Gen. Seretse Khama Ian Khama, and other conservationists, the people of Serowe conceived the idea to form a sanctuary to protect the remaining rhinos in Botswana, and hopefully give them safe haven to reproduce and gain numbers.

The first four white rhinos were reintroduced into the sanctuary from the Chobe National Park in 1992. Eight
more rhinos came from the North West National Parks in South Africa.

The highly endangered black rhino was re-introduced in 2002.

The gamble paid off , and both species are doing well, under the watchful eye of sanctuary staff as well as the Botswana Defence Force (BDF), who assist with the constant patrolling of the sanctuary’s borders.

To date, KRS has 35 white rhino, and is serving as a source for their re-introduction back to the Moremi Game Reserve, the Makgadikgadi, the Northern Tuli Game Reserve, and elsewhere. And - much to the credit of KRS staff – the male and female black rhinos have mated, and the sanctuary’s first baby black rhino was born in 2008!

Contact us for more information or to make a booking for a Botswana Safari