Mapula Lodge is open all year round. We’re always asked which is the ‘best’ time of year to visit, and our answer? There isn’t one. It all depends on your preferences, what you would like to see and do, and how you like to safari.

April to October in the Delta are the dry, winter months. Confusingly, this means the water levels are at their highest and it’s the best time of year for water and mokoro safaris when you’ll be able to access remote areas and go where no elephant has gone before. Game viewing at this time of year is exceptional (it always is) and this combined with the pleasant, mid-20s temperatures and sunshine-filled skies, makes it a great time to experience the Delta.

October to March are the green season months. Rain comes in the form of short, sharp thunderstorms and the dramatic skies make for even more dramatic sunsets. Water levels are slightly lower at this time of year, but there is always permanent water around Mapula Lodge and mokoro and boat safaris are still possible. It’s also the best time of year to spot breeding animals and the migrant birds.

Seasonality

• Green season: 10 January – 31 March
• Shoulder season: 01 April – 31 May | 01 November – 19 December
• High season: 01 June – 30 June | 01 September – 31 October | 20 December – 09 January 2022
• Peak season: 01 July – 31 August

• Game drive through vast tracts of pristine wilderness in search of lion, leopard, cheetah, elephant, hippo and the rare sitatunga antelope.
• View the wildlife at eye level on a boat or traditional mokoro safari through the lily-filled channels (NB water activities are subject to water levels in the Delta and may be limited in low water season from October to January).
• Try your hand at a spot of fishing (01 April – 31 December; fishing is not permitted from January to March due to breeding season).
• Tick off some of the Okavango specials from your bird-list – the slaty egret, Pel’s fishing owl and the African skimmer to name a few.
• Pour a G&T, pick your spot, and watch in awe as the sun sinks below the watery plains – the perfect sundowner.
• Cruise over the vast landscapes on a soaring helicopter flight (at an additional cost).
• Take to the skies on an evocative hot air balloon flight (at an additional cost; only available if combined with a helicopter transfer; 01 April – 30 September).

Landscape

This enormous, 220,000-acre concession is slightly to the north of the renowned Vumbura and Duba Plains concessions on the northern side of Botswana’s Okavango Delta. Despite its vast size (and the abundance of game), the area is home to only a handful of camps, making it a prime destination for those looking for an exclusive experience in a blissfully uncrowded area. The camp itself occupies an enviable position on a large, treed island at the edge of seasonal floodplains along the upper reaches of the famous Selinda Spillway, the river that connects the Okavango Delta to the Linyanti.

The landscape is iconic in all its Delta-esque beauty. It’s a pristine wilderness of floodplains and grasslands, lagoons and palm-strewn islands, and the diverse habitats support an extraordinary range of wildlife. It truly is one of the most unique wetland areas in the world, unchanged for centuries, and, in our eyes (and many others!) one of the best safari destinations there is.

Wildlife

We’ve already established that this incredible concession in the Okavango Delta is a true wildlife stronghold and whether this is your first time on safari or you’ve traversed the continent with your binos, you won’t be disappointed by what’s on offer. In fact, those in the know (and who’ve been around the safari block more than a few times!) say that the area has the highest concentration of lion anywhere in the Okavango Delta. But the allure isn’t simply in the number of animals you’ll see, but in the diversity of species in the reserve. Yes, there’s lion, leopard, cheetah and wild dog, but you’ll also spot elusive and lesser-known predators like caracal, serval and mongoose. On the edge of the water, buffalo congregate en masse and trunk-swinging elephant bathe, watched beadily from the channels by sun-basking crocs and hippo. Antelope dot the floodplains in every direction, and zebra and giraffe appear at the flash of a camera. The birdlife here is especially noteworthy, with the endangered wattled crane, carmine bee-eaters, and the African paradise flycatcher all regularly spotted to the delight of many a twitcher.

50 years ago, the legendry hunter Jack Bousfield made Botswana his home. When he wasn’t pioneering adventures into the great nothingness of the Makgadikgadi, he was exploring the Okavango Delta. Sadly, Jack died in a plane crash in the Okavango in 1992, on a trip looking for the perfect site to open a safari camp with his son, Ralph. Ralph honoured his father’s legacy and created the iconic Jack’s Camp in the Makgadikgadi, but now, 25 years after his father’s death, the perfect spot has been found in the Okavango to continue Jack’s legacy.

And what does that mean? It means a quirky and characterful camp, drawing on decades of safari experience. Ralph has brought the iconic styles and standards he pioneered at Jack’s Camp to the Okavango, making Mapula Lodge an unreal adventure in real style! And let’s not forget the guides. Ralph’s guiding team has been winning awards for years, and they can’t wait to show you what they can do in the Okavango, the greatest wildlife experience in the world.