Botswana Photo Tour Chobe and Okavango Delta

Chobe National Park

Located in Botswana’s far north, Chobe National Park is world-renowned for its variety and concentration of wildlife. While it is the third largest park in Botswana, everyone agrees it is the most diverse. The idea of classifying the area as a national park emerged in the 1930’s, to protect the native wildlife in this unique region. The country created the Chobe Game Reserve in 1960, and in 1967 the reserve was officially declared a national park....

Chobe National Park

Located in Botswana’s far north, Chobe National Park is world-renowned for its variety and concentration of wildlife. While it is the third largest park in Botswana, everyone agrees it is the most diverse. The idea of classifying the area as a national park emerged in the 1930’s, to protect the native wildlife in this unique region. The country created the Chobe Game Reserve in 1960, and in 1967 the reserve was officially declared a national park. The park can be divided into four distinct areas, each with a corresponding ecosystem. The Serondela area (or Chobe riverfront) is in the northeast section of the park and includes the Chobe River and its floodplains. Due to the herds that come here for watering during the dry season (and probably also due to this region’s proximity to Victoria Falls), this is one of the most visited regions of the park. The Savuti Marsh area is primarily rolling savannas serving as the homeland for most of the park’s wildlife. But large concentrations of wildlife also reside in the Linyanti Marsh area, including the park’s most well known inhabitants, the huge herds of elephant. Lion, hyena, zebra, cheetah, leopard, wild dog, wildebeest, warthog, kudu, impala, hippo, and antelope are just a few of the large land mammals to be found in this wildlife paradise.

Okavango Delta

As the largest inland river delta on earth, Botswana’s Okavango Delta is surely one of the seven wonders of the natural world. The delta is formed as the seasonal flooding of the Okavango River, flowing from the Angola highlands, empties into the Kalahari Desert basin. The flood waters cover an area of over 35,000 square kilometers and rise and fall as the intense heat of the region cause rapid evaporation only to have the delta resupplied by newly arriving flood waters. Landlocked and surrounded by higher altitudes, Botswana is a dry country, so the Okavango Delta truly is an oasis. However, contrary to what the foliage might indicate, this is not a tropical paradise. Rainfall is sparse most of the year and temperatures soar to about 100F during the summer. However, the winter floods (that peak from June to August) are sufficient to make permanent large swathes of lakes, channels, and lagoons. Not surprisingly, this oasis attracts some of the world’s highest concentrations of wildlife, including all the quintessential African mammals from lion to elephant to hippo to giraffe to rhino to zebra. The delta is also the permanent or seasonal home of hundreds of bird species as well. This diversity and concentration of wildlife make the Okavango Delta an absolute must-see for any serious African visitor!

Accommodations

Stay in the only permanent game lodge situated within the famous Chobe National Park. It is Botswana’s premier venue for guests looking for a perfect base from which to explore the National Park and the Chobe River. This five-star lodge has full eco-grading by Botswana Tourism Board. Includes air-conditioning, featuring overhead fans, complimentary mini bar, en- suite bathrooms and a private terrace.

Your Savute Lodge is located in the  western section of Chobe National Park. There are  twelve thatched chalets built of local timber. The chalets feature expansive private decks, a combined bedroom and lounge area and en suite facilities. The main lodge offers a shaded viewing deck, an al fresco dining area and swimming pool with spectacular pool loungers—ideal for watching the varied wildlife—including the resident elephants—as they make their way to the Channel to drink, bath and play.

Your last lodge is on the edge of the Xakanaxa Lagoon, well known for its spectacular game-viewing opportunities. Guests enjoy the luxurious seclusion of East African style safari tents, each one set on a raised teak deck, with en suite bathroom. Traditional foods served in a thatched boma or ebony canopy dining room, and nightcaps beside the warmth of the glowing fire pit.