Introducing the Okavango Delta
Experience at first hand the immense Okavango Delta in Botswana. Surrounded by the sands of the Kalahari Desert, the Okavango Delta is the world's largest inland delta (18,000km²).
Known locally as ‘the river that never finds the sea,’ the largest freshwater wetland in Africa is home to a rich concentration of wildlife.
Discover Chief's Island, the largest island in the Delta, marooned from the mainland by mostly inaccessible wetlands and a permanent dry home to big game. Look out for lion, spotted hyena, leopard and cheetah.
Walk or ride an elephant to see rare birds and large herds of buffalo, kudu, oryx and sable antelope. Explore the maze of sparkling lagoons, meandering channels and overgrown islands in an open 4WD vehicle, or pole silently through the reeds of the Delta in a traditional mokoro dugout canoe to view crocodiles, hippos and tiny painted reed frogs.
The Delta is also home to zebra, giraffe and many species of antelope and is one of best areas to spot the endangered African wild dog.
Safari departures Year round
Usual duration From 10 to 30 days
Accommodation A mix of hotels, lodges, luxury tented camps and mobile camps
Best time to go visit Okavango
Game viewing is best during the winter dry season from May to October when the days are dry and sunny and daytime temperatures average 20°C to a high of 30˚C.
Watch out for cool evenings; the temperature can drop to 5°C at night. Bird watching is best during summer, between November and March. The days are hot and sunny in the morning with thunderstorms in the afternoon. Daytime temperatures have a high of 38°C while night time temperatures can drop to 20°C.
Location – Located in north-west Botswana. Maun Airport is the gateway to the Okavango Delta, with daily flights from Johannesburg. From Maun, most lodges in the Okavango are best reached by light aircraft.
Top attractions of an Okanango travel safari
Moremi Wildlife Reserve – 0ne of the world's most beautiful wilderness areas, the Moremi Wildlife Reserve is a 3000km2 wildlife paradise located in the central and eastern parts of the Okavango Delta. Moremi is a colourful montage of lily-covered wetlands, waterways, floodplains, open grassland and forests.
Chobe National Park – Home to the mighty Chobe River and what is arguably the world's largest concentration of elephants.
Matsieng Rock Carvings Discover what the local Batswana people regard as one of the four 'creation sites'. According to legend, the footprint and rock carvings belonged to Matsieng, who marched out of a hole followed by wild and domestic animals.
Mokolodi Nature Reserve – See giraffes, elephants, zebras, baboons, warthogs, hippos, kudu, impala, waterbucks and klipspringers, as well as cheetahs, leopards, honey badgers, jackals and hyenas and more than 300 different species of bird.
Nata Bird Sanctuary – A 230km² community-run wildlife sanctuary that protects antelopes, zebras, jackals, foxes, monkeys and squirrels, as well as a large population of water birds. Discover more than 165 species of birds, including pied kingfishers, carmine and blue-cheeked bee-eaters, martial and black-breasted eagles, secretary and kori bustards. When the Nata River flows in the rainy season, the sanctuary also becomes a haven for Cape and Hottentot teals, white and pink-backed pelicans and flamingos.
Victoria Falls – Discover one of Africa's best-known natural wonders. At their highest, the Victoria Falls drop a distance of 108m (almost twice as far as Niagara Falls). Take in a sunset cruise or flight-see one of the world's most impressive waterfalls, made known to a wider world in 1855 by the famous British explorer Dr David Livingstone. |