Climate & Wildlife

Weather

Okavango Delta, Kalahari & Thamalakane: Warm/hot during the day with morning rides in a breeze – pleasantly warm at night. Possibility of a little rain. Bush is green and lush – grass tall and green and salt pans likely to be wet.

Temperature

Okavango Delta, Kalahari & Thamalakane: Day: temps can reach 35°-45°C in the middle of the day. Night: 10°-20°C.

Water

Okavango Delta: Rain pools in the Mopane forests and on the open plains – but floodwater very unlikely at this time.

Game

Okavango Delta: Plains game such as small herds of buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, impala and kudu. Breeding herds of elephants passing through and many solitary bulls. Excellent birds with all the migratory species in residence. Hippo concentrated in the permanent lagoons.

Kalahari: A true spectacle as the world’s largest zebra migration is in residence. With the arrival of the rains, thousands of zebra and wildebeest make their way to the Makgadigadi Salt Pans in search for the nutritious salty grasses. And then there are the desert adapted species including brown hyena, bat-eared foxes, aardwolf, and if you are lucky…aardvark! And of course, the habituated meerkat clan which is a real highlight and lots of fun!

Thamalakane River: There are 9 species of plains game within the Royal Tree Lodge Private Reserve that can be seen throughout the year.

Clothing

Lightweight riding gear, a raincoat and swimwear.

Weather

Okavango Delta, Kalahari & Thamalakane: Warm/hot during the day – pleasantly warm at night. Possibility of rain. Bush is green and lush – grass tall and green and salt pans likely to be wet.

Temperature

Okavango Delta, Kalahari & Thamalakane: Day: 25°-35°C. Night: 10°-20°C.

Water

(Delta): Plenty of rain pans left over from the rainy season – but floodwater would not have reached the area yet.

Game

Okavango Delta: Plains game such as small herds of buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, impala and kudu. Breeding herds of elephants passing through and many solitary bulls. Excellent birds with all the migratory species in residence. Hippo concentrated in the permanent lagoons.

Kalahari: A true spectacle as the world’s largest zebra migration is in residence. With the arrival of the rains, thousands of zebra and wildebeest make their way to the Makgadigadi Salt Pans in search for the nutritious salty grasses. And then there are the desert adapted species including brown hyena, bat-eared foxes, aardwolf, and if you are lucky…aardvark! And of course, the habituated meerkat clan which is a real highlight and lots of fun!

Thamalakane River: There are 9 species of plains game within the Royal Tree Lodge Private Reserve that can be seen throughout the year.

Clothing

Lightweight riding gear, a raincoat and swimwear.

Weather

Okavango Delta, Kalahari & Thamalakane: Cooler at night, but still pleasantly warm during the day. Unlikely to rain. Bush still green but grass getting shorter and salt pans drying up.

Temperature

Okavango Delta, Kalahari & Thamalakane: Day: 20°-30°C. Night: 5°-10°C.

Water

Delta: There are permanent water pans and lagoons, however these will be slowly drying up.

Game

Okavango Delta: Elephant and buffalo start to appear in larger numbers as the rain pans dry up in the mophane woodlands. Large cats more prevalent and increased chance of wild dogs as the settle down to den for the year. Hippo concentrated in the permanent lagoons.

Kalahari: Small family groups of zebra remaining, but wildebeests still in their thousands and of course, the desert adapted species including caracal, brown hyena, bat-eared foxes, aardwolf, and if you are lucky…aardvark! And of course, the habituated meerkat clan which is a real highlight and lots of fun!

Thamalakane River: There are 9 species of plains game within the Royal Tree Lodge Private Reserve that can be seen throughout the year.

Clothing

A jacket, a fleece/sweater for evenings and swimwear.

Weather

Okavango Delta & Thamalakane: These are our winter months and can be chilly/cold in the early morning and evenings but warm up towards the middle of the day. The bush starts to get drier and grasses shorter.

Kalahari: These are our winter months and the desert can be particularly cold in the early mornings and evenings but can warm up drastically by midday. The pans are usually dry and we able to ride out across them for some lovely gallops and to sleep out on the pans under the stars!

Temperature

Okavango Delta, Kalahari & Thamalakane: Day: 20°-30°C. Night: 0°-5°C.

Water

Okavango Delta: Floods arriving, spreading out and rising so more chance of water canters.

Game

Okavango Delta: Large numbers of breeding herds of elephants, buffalo in ever increasing numbers, and large numbers of lechwe moving down with the flood waters. Wild dogs still denning and cats numbers increase as more plains game also come in with the flood waters.

Kalahari: Groups of bull elephants have arrived in to the area. Good numbers of remaining zebra and wildebeest can still be seen at water holes. Lions and cheetah in attendance. Daily activity by aardwolf and aardvark more likely and of course, the desert adapted species such as black backed jackals, brown hyena, caracal and the habituated meerkat clan which is always such fun!

Thamalakane River: There are 9 species of plains game within the Royal Tree Lodge Private Reserve that can be seen throughout the year.

Clothing

Warm Jacket, a warm fleece/sweater for evenings.

Weather

Okavango Delta & Thamalakane: Winter is over and it starts to get progressively warmer as we build up to the first rains. Skies are spectacular with clouds forming. Trees come into flower and then leaves go green and fruits grow. Evenings are warm and the bush is dry and grass short.

Kalahari: Winter is over and it starts to get progressively warmer. The pans are still dry and we able to ride out across them for some lovely gallops and to sleep out on the pans under the stars!

Temperature

Day: 30-45°C. Night: 15°-25°C.

Water

Okavango Delta: Depending on the rain the floodwater generally starts to recede slightly– but this, of course, depends on how big the flood was to start with. Drinking pools of water remain – hopefully until the next rains come!

Game

Okavango Delta: The game now tends to concentrate as the water sources lessen – big herds of buffalo and elephant can be seen and with shorter grass more plains game can also be seen including kudu, zebra, wildebeest and impala. It is also more likely to see wild dog as well as the cats who favor dry savannah. Young giraffe, lechwe and warthog can also be seen cooling off in remaining waterholes.

Kalahari: Elephant bulls remain in residence in the area and take advantage of the waterholes. Smaller herds of zebra and wildebeest remain. Oryx and springbok can also be seen in the open grasslands. And, of course, the desert adapted species such as black backed jackals, brown hyena, caracal and the habituated meerkat clan which is always such fun!

Thamalakane River: There are 9 species of plains game within the Royal Tree Lodge Private Reserve that can be seen throughout the year.

Clothing

Lightweight riding gear, a fleece/sweater and swimwear.

Weather

Okavango Delta, Kalahari & Thamalakane: The rainy season is any time from November – but impossible to say exactly when and how much. Normally the rain comes for an hour or so every day and then often goes away for a week or more before it rains again.

It is warm to sticky hot before the rain and cooler after each rain. Bush turns green with the rains and many of the trees and flowers come into bloom while the sunsets become increasingly dramatic.

Temperature

Day: 30°-40°C. Night: 15°-20°C.

Water

Okavango Delta: Depending on the rain the floodwater generally starts to recede slightly– but this, of course, depends on how big the flood was to start with. Drinking pools of water remain – hopefully the rains have arrived and top up the waterholes!

Game

Okavango Delta: The rains arrive often with a dramatic thunderstorm leading the animals to disperse to eat on new vegetation and drink from the seasonal pans. This is the birthing season which begins with the tsessebe, followed by impala and lechwe. Predators seek out these vulnerable young. With much action, great visibility and colour with big clusters of cloud, fresh sprouting grass and trees bursting into life – all dependent on rain.

Thamalakane River: There are 9 species of plains game within the Royal Tree Lodge Private Reserve that can be seen throughout the year.

Clothing

Lightweight riding gear, a raincoat and swimwear.