Cocoon Safaris and Tours offers tours to the following countries:

Below are some of the best Countries in Southern Africa where Cocoon Safaris will take you. All this offered to you with great Safari Packages to meet your budget but surpass your excitement.

Zimbabwe (Including custom tours to all parks & accommodations)

Zimbabwe is a great tourist destination and prices are competitive, the main parks are still cared for and well worth visiting. Hwange is not to be missed, and Mana Pools offers great canoeing safaris on the Zambezi.

Wildlife

Hwange and Mana Pools are Zimbabwe’s prime sites for wildlife watching. The most commonly spotted animals are the elephant and hippo, while the giraffe, zebra, lion and hyena are also present in good numbers. When it comes to the leopard or other cats, however, sightings can prove rare. The beautiful sable antelope and the bat-eared fox are two lesser-known highlights of the local animal population.

Weather & Climate

Zimbabwe’s temperate climate is characterized by a moisture-less Dry season (April to October) and a sodden Wet season (November to March). The drier months are cool to warm, although the temperature shoots up in advance of the rains. In the wetter months, the temperature climbs to an afternoon average of around 30°C/86°F, but high levels of humidity give the heat more bite.

Best Time to Visit

Wildlife can be viewed in Zimbabwe year-round. But the generally beautiful weather and high visibility of animals in the Dry season (April to October) make this the best time of year to hitch a ride on a game drive. Note, though, that views of Victoria Falls are often obscured by a veil of spray from March to April because of the amount of water tumbling down its face. You’ll have a much clearer view of these famous falls if you visit from May to September, when the Zambezi River calms down.

Premier Parks & Reserves
  • Hwange – Classic safari
  • Mana Pools – Walking, canoe and classic safari
  • Victoria Falls Game Park (Zambezi) - Walking Safaris, Game Drives.

Namibia (Including custom tours to all parks & accommodations)

Namibia is characterized by its desert habitat. This harsh environment forms a magnificent backdrop for a different kind of safari. Animal populations are smaller, but sightings in this sparse setting tend to be rewarding. Not to be missed is Etosha Pan, a seasonal wildlife magnet.

Wildlife

The open, arid landscape of Namibia doesn’t support animals in great numbers, but you’ll certainly have no trouble seeing the ones that do live here. These include plenty of wildebeest, zebra, lion and elephant, with large groups congregating in Etosha. The country is particularly good for seeing cheetah, which are widespread, while the more elusive black rhino and brown hyena confine themselves to coastal locations.

Weather & Climate

A subtropical desert climate is the norm in Namibian parks. In the winter (May to October), this means barely any rain and afternoon temperatures that hardly ever rise above 28°C/82°F. The rain finally arrives a few months into summer (November to April), accompanied by humidity, and fierce heat in the desert areas that approaches 40°C/104°F. It also gets cooler the higher you climb in Namibia, which refers mainly to the country’s central plateau.

Best Time to Visit

The sunny, virtually cloudless days of the Dry season (May to October) are a very pleasant time to visit. Although from June to August it can get very chilly overnight and in the early morning. The Dry season also happens to be the best time to go wildlife watching, as the animals gather around any water and so are easy to find. It’s harder to get up close to wildlife in the at-times strikingly hot Wet season (November to April), even in Etosha.

Premier Parks & Reserves
  • Etosha – Classic safari
  • Namib-Naukluft – Scenery, animals scarce
  • Skeleton Coast – Scenery and marine wildlife

Zambia (Including custom tours to all parks & accommodations)

A safari in Zambia is not about checking off the Big Five. High-quality guides will share their knowledge on game drives, night drives and walking safaris. A canoeing safari on the Zambezi is not to be missed by the more adventurous.

Wildlife

Across Zambia, you’ll find lots of safari favorites such as the elephant, zebra, hippo and buffalo. Lions and leopards also keep a fairly high profile here. That said, it’ll be a challenge to find any rhino, either white or black, which are confined to a handful of parks. Similarly, cheetah and wild dogs aren’t easy to find. In marsh-dominated regions, keep your eyes peeled for the lechwe, a wetland antelope.

Weather & Climate

During the country’s Wet season (November to April), the rain can pelt down, bringing most outdoor activities to a standstill. Stifling humidity is also an issue at this time of year. In the Dry season (May to October), temperatures remain warm, building to hot just before the season changes. From June, mornings can get quite chilly and you’ll need to wrap yourself up in plenty of thick clothing to ward off the cold.

Best Time to Visit

The rainfall that can pour down during the Wet season (November to April) has a habit of cutting off road access, which makes getting around difficult. For this reason, and because of the generally soaked conditions, many of the country’s parks close – though a notable exception is South Luangwa. Wildlife watching is more pleasant in the Dry season (May to October), when there’s hardly any rain to be seen, and animals are easily found at local rivers and waterholes.

Premier Parks & Reserves
  • South Luangwa – Walking and classic safari
  • Kafue – Classic safari
  • Lower Zambezi – Canoe and classic safari

 

 

Botswana (Including custom tours to all parks & accommodations)

Botswana is the leader in low-impact, upmarket tourism. This eco-friendly approach promotes a true wilderness experience in this unspoiled country. The beauty of the Okavango Delta is best discovered by mokoro canoe, while abundant wildlife can be encountered in Chobe and Moremi parks.

Wildlife

Botswana has an abundance of big African animals such as the elephant, giraffe, hippo, buffalo and zebra. Wild cats aren’t as prevalent, but there are still plenty of lions to spot. The rhino is also making a comeback here. If you’re keen on seeing rarer animals, you can find endangered antelopes and African wild dogs in some of the country’s northern parks, whose water sources are more reliable than those of parks in the south.

Weather & Climate

Humidity won’t trouble you in Botswana, but there are big changes in temperature from day to night. Winter (May to October) is a very dry period that starts off cool and gets very hot towards the end. From June to August you’ll need to rug up at night, when it can be freezing. Summer (November to April) is wet and hot, with the rain pouring down in January and February. The Kalahari is where you can expect temperature extremes to be at their greatest.

Best Time to Visit

The Dry season (May to October), when wildlife congregates around the remaining sources of water, is the best time to explore Botswana’s parks. A lack of rain and relatively low numbers of tourists, with the exception of Chobe, are other reasons to visit at this time. You can still see plenty of animals in the Wet season (November to April), but they can be hard to see in the thick vegetation, and the heat can be intense.

Premier Parks, Reserves and Wildlife Areas
  • Okavango Delta – Canoe and classic safari
  • Moremi – Classic safari
  • Chobe – Boat and classic safari
  • Central Kalahari – Classic safari, animals scarce
  • Makgadikgadi Pans – Classic safari, animals scarce
  • Nxai Pan NP – Classic safari