that we have been growing in. This has come about from people wanting to include it as an add-on to a Zambia or Zimbabwe trip, combining it with Chobe or Okavango. We are slowly working to make Botswana a stand-alone destination and not just an add-on.’
As to what season or the best times to visit, Emma advises, ‘Traditionally, the busiest time of the year for safari is June through to November. The dry winter months of July, August and September tend to be more popular because of the UK and American school holidays. As the bush gets drier and thins out it is easier to see the animals. October is phenomenal game viewing, but it does get very hot, so we have to warn our clients. As we go into November and it starts raining it is a beautiful time of the year because the bush starts to turn green and lush and the animals start to drop their young once the rains start. We find a lot of repeat clients wanting to sample different times of the year for different experiences. The Emerald Season which is through to March/April is a beautiful green and lush season— you have lots of birdlife and new-born animals.’ She adds, ‘The Kasanka annual fruit bat migration is an amazing experience towards the end of the safari season, from October to mid-December. There is the wildebeest migration through the Liuwa Plain National Park which happens just as the rains are breaking in November and December. The wildebeest and other plains game at that time are moving back into the area from the Angolan border and they are followed by the predators. There are also huge bird migrations moving into the area as well as everything starts to bud and flourish all the way through to April/ May.’ Emma’s love of travel and safari is evident in the way she passionately describes her work with People and Places. She is definitely living the dream, doing what she loves and sharing it with others.
TRAVEL & LEISURE ZAMBIA
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