Above Photos: Chobe National Park.

Chobe National Park, famous for having Africa’s largest elephant population, is home to an estimated 120,000 elephants. The park’s lifeline, the Chobe River, creates a dramatic setting where hundreds of elephants gather during the dry season. Visitors can witness remarkable scenes of these gentle giants swimming, playing, and crossing the river, their trunks raised like snorkels above the water. The river’s banks become a social hub where family herds interact, youngsters playfully splash, and bulls engage in friendly sparring matches.

Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe’s largest wildlife reserve, boasts a population of approximately 45,000 elephants. The park’s landscape, characterized by vast open plains and teak forests, provides excellent visibility for wildlife viewing. Unlike Chobe’s riverfront focus, Hwange’s numerous waterholes create multiple elephant-viewing hotspots throughout the park. During the dry season (August to October), these waterholes become crucial gathering points where elephants demonstrate their complex social behaviors and family bonds.

Above Photos: African Bush Camps.

Both parks offer unique viewing perspectives. Chobe’s boat safaris provide an intimate water-level view of elephants, while Hwange’s elevated viewing platforms near waterholes allow visitors to safely observe elephants for hours. The parks’ different ecosystems complement each other, with Chobe’s riverine habitat contrasting beautifully with Hwange’s woodland savanna.

Conservation efforts in both parks have been crucial in maintaining these healthy elephant populations, though they face ongoing challenges from human-wildlife conflict and poaching. Visiting these parks not only offers incredible wildlife experiences but also supports vital conservation initiatives.

Fast Facts:

1. Chobe has the world’s highest concentration of African elephants, with over 120,000 individuals.
2. Hwange National Park maintains over 60 artificial waterholes to support wildlife during dry seasons.
3. The best viewing season in both parks is during the dry season (May to October).
4. Adult elephants in these parks can drink up to 200 liters of water and consume 150kg of vegetation daily.
5. Both parks are easily accessible from Victoria Falls, making them ideal for combination safaris.

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A Land Steeped in History

In 1848, explorer David Livingstone described the region as “a country full of rivers – so many no one can tell their number – and full of large trees.” Sadly, the area’s wildlife suffered under colonial exploitation. However, Botswana’s visionary move in 1962 to designate the Okavango Delta as a game reserve changed its fate. Today, the Delta flourishes under conservation efforts and eco-tourism, providing an untouched African experience for travelers while preserving its delicate ecosystems.

Explore Nature’s Masterpiece

The Okavango Delta’s unique geography creates a thriving habitat for diverse wildlife. This vast inland delta seamlessly blends crystal-clear waterways, lush forests, and expansive savannahs, forming one of the richest ecosystems on the planet. Unlike other African destinations, the Delta’s seasonal floods bring life to the landscape, making each visit uniquely magical.

Safari Activities to Remember

• Game Drives: Witness iconic wildlife in their natural habitat, including elephants, buffalo, and leopards. The Delta is home to the “Big Five,” now complete with the reintroduction of white rhinos.
• Water-Based Safaris: Glide through tranquil channels by boat, encountering hippos, crocodiles, and colorful birds along the way.
• Mokoro Excursions: Navigate the shallow waters in a traditional dugout canoe, an intimate way to experience the Delta’s quieter moments.
• Walking Safaris: Embark on guided walks to connect deeply with nature, spotting tracks, learning about flora, and feeling the wild up close.

Wildlife Encounters Like No Other

The Delta teems with life, from herds of elephants splashing in the waters to red lechwe and blue wildebeests grazing on the floodplains. Rare wild dogs roam freely, thriving in this protected paradise, while cheetahs lounge on tree branches. Bird lovers are in for a treat, with over 400 species to spot, including the wattled crane and pink-throated longclaw.

A Safari for the Senses

Every moment in the Okavango Delta is a sensory feast—hear the twitter of birds, feel the gentle sway of a mokoro, and see the drama of predators and prey unfold before your eyes. With its thriving biodiversity and innovative conservation, the Okavango Delta offers travelers an unparalleled safari experience while leaving a minimal ecological footprint.

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Early indications predict that Post Covid-19 many will want to visit destinations that are set in peaceful settings, that speaks to nature and are crowd free, Botswana leads itself to this in more ways than one can imagine!

Undoubtedly one of the most beautiful countries in Africa, Botswana has a landscape like no other. It is home to the Kalahari Desert and the Okavango Delta. That coupled with its majestic wildlife, natural wonders and warm locals makes it a special place to visit.

Here are 5 interesting facts about Botswana:

• The Makgadikgadi Pan, a salt pan situated in the middle of the dry savanna of north-eastern Botswana, is one of the largest salt flats in the world. The pan is all that remains of the formerly enormous Lake Makgadikgadi, which once covered an area larger than Switzerland, but dried up tens of thousands of years ago.
• Botswana has the largest elephant population on the continent. Travellers say the best place to see them is at Chobe National Park, known for their large herds of elephants. This beautiful country is home to 130,000 elephants, making up a third of all the elephants in Africa.
• The Okavango Delta is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is best described as a vast inland river delta in northern Botswana and known for its sprawling grassy plains. June to August is the best time to visit when the water levels are highest.
• Botswana is approximately the size of France, but has only 2 million people living in the country, compared to France’s 66.9 million.
• The rare confluence of a total four nations coming together on one spot only exists in Africa where the corners of Zambia, Zimbabwe, Botswana, and Namibia meet – known as the quadripoint at Kazangula.

Botswana’s vast expanses of wilderness combined with the sensation of limitless space will allow you to forget the restraints of daily life and completely re-connect with nature. Take in the beauty of the Okavango delta, experience the isolation and vastness of the Makgadikgadi pans or enjoy seeing the prolific wildlife of the Chobe National Park or on the Kalahari Plains.

Here are some of Botswana’s unmissable highlights:

- Okavango Delta: Known as “the Jewel of the Kalahari” the Delta is one of Africa’s top safari destinations. A unique attraction where the great Okavango River never finds the sea, but flows into the Kalahari Desert and fans out into a delta formation. The Okavango Delta supports an impressive concentration of animals and birds including the Big 5 and over 400 bird species. A must try is a guided Mokoro excursion through this wetland paradise in a traditional dugout canoe.

- Hot air ballooning over the Okavango Delta: A hot air balloon ride offers an experience of a lifetime, travellers can see the world from a new perspective with the opportunity to see, smell and hear their surroundings. Ballooning offers adventure, mixed with a unique feeling of freedom and, in wildlife areas, often enhances safari experiences.

- Moremi Game Reserve: A pristine and diverse wilderness area, forms part of the Okavango Delta, it ranks as one of the most beautiful reserves in Africa. Covering over 4871 square kilometres, this diverse ecosystem supports a wide spectrum of wildlife. The birdlife is prolific and includes most of the 550 bird species recorded on Botswana’s national bird list. A range of luxury lodges in the reserve offers visitors the perfect base to experience this corner of paradise.

- Chobe National Park and Chobe River: No matter how you arrive, by land or by air, the first glimpse of the Chobe River is breath-taking! Arguably one of Africa’s most beautiful rivers, the Chobe supports a diverse concentration of wildlife unlike anywhere else in the world. Home to more than 50 000 elephants, Chobe National Park is bordered to the north by the mighty Chobe River. It is the second largest national park in Botswana featuring four distinct ecosystems: the Savuti Channel, the Linyanti Swamps, the arid hinterland and Serondela. This diversity of habitats provides a sanctuary to an astonishing array of African wildlife.

- Makgadikgadi Salt Pans: Set in the heart of the dry savanna, the Makgadikgadi Pan is the world’s largest network of salt pans stretching over 3900 square kilometres and formed on the bed of the ancient Makgadikgadi Lake that began evaporating aeons ago. Travellers visiting will enjoy a unique salt desert experience. Visitors can immerse themselves in the beauty of this incredible landscape, experience safaris to spot a host of wildlife and choose from a number of activities. Be sure to keep an eye out for the countless flamingo flocks creating a magnificent pink spectacle dotting the landscape.

- Linyanti Concessions: The Kwando-Linyanti river system is home to a series of private game reserves, known for their exotic animal species and luxury safari options. An abundance of wildlife roams freely between the woodland habitats, ancient floodplains and forests that make up these lush, unfenced reserves. A top tip is to experience a nigh drive which will allow for the discovery of nocturnal creatures such as genets, honey badgers and spring hares. This vast, untamed wilderness is the perfect location for those seeking a unique African adventure in an exclusive and remote big game habitat.

- Central Kalahari Game Reserve: Perfect for adventure seekers looking for a truly remote African safari. The Central Kalahari Game Reserve is the second largest, offer the sheer wonder of exploring this vast reserve with its wild, untouched beauty. The landscape is dominated by sand veld, acacias, and Kalahari apple-leaf, interspersed with grasslands and dotted with occasional sand dunes, pans and fossil river valleys.

If you would like sample packages showing how Botswana can be incorporated into an itinerary or if you would like more information on this exciting adventures in this country or if you would like to book a holiday to Botswana, please contact us.

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With family travel on the rise it is becoming increasingly important for children to be incorporated in the African travel experience. But the question on everyone’s lips is “how old is old enough?” The common feeling among parents who have done it is that kids being old enough to enjoy it is younger than you may think!

Owing to the nature of the environments there are strict rules and regulations when it comes to children at most of the camps and lodges in Botswana… and there is not one hard and fast blanket rule that applies to every establishment, each have their own restrictions! Generally most of the camps in the Okavango Delta will not allow children under the age of 7 and there is a rule that children under 16 are not permitted on walking safaris and children under 12 are not permitted on mokoros. This means that a water-based camp in the Delta is not advisable for families with kids as the activities they will be allowed to take part in will be limited to only boat excursions. Combination land and water camps that offer game drives as well as water activities will be preferable. Another common rule is that families with young children need to have a private game drive vehicle, and this is usually an additional cost. Very often where larger family groups book an entire camp on a private basis the rules regarding children can be slightly more flexible.

When it comes to accommodation, most of the family-friendly camps do have family tents allowing up to two children to share with two adults, but because the total number of tents available in each camp is on average five or six there is usually only one family tent per camp, making early booking essential. Where family tents are not available children are not permitted to sleep in a tent without an adult, therefore a family of four for example will need to be split into two tents, with one parent per tent.

Ker & Downey are recognised as being a great family option in the Okavango Delta, they allow children from the ages of 7 up and their camps do have family tents. Their Footsteps Camp offers a wonderful 4-day Young Explorers program for families. Emphasis is on learning how to track game – both on foot and in 4×4 safari vehicles. Children are taught how to make small animal traps and how to start a fire from nothing more than two sticks. The children learn how to: recognise different animal spoor; identify a range of birds; try their hand at poling a Mokoro (subject to water levels); drive a game drive vehicle; fish; and shoot an air rifle at tin cans. On completion of the safari children receive a Young Explorers certificate, t-shirt and cap.

Wilderness Safari’s Seba Camp is also known as a great family friendly safari option in the Okavango Delta, as are Delta Camp and Oddballs who do not place any age limitations on guests and activities as they believe parents know their children best! Machaba Camp also welcomes children of all ages, however families with children under six require a private game drive vehicle and children under twelve are not permitted on walks and mokoros.

Outside of the Okavango Delta area Chobe National Park is also a very popular Botswana safari destination, regularly sold in combination with Victoria Falls owing to their close proximately. Restrictions regarding children here are less strict than in the delta, although once again each lodge is different with their own set of rules!

Contact us to plan the ideal family safari to best suit you and your children!

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The nine-room lodge is on an island in the middle of floodplains. It looks out over a lagoon and is just north of the Vumbura and Duba Plains. The lodge is surrounded by permanent channels, seasonal floodplains, open grasslands, mopane woodlands and belts of hardwood forests.

The rooms are a combination of canvas and thatch, and have king-size four-poster beds fitted with mosquito nets. All the rooms overlook the lagoon and have indoor sitting areas and private outdoor decks, as well as en-suite bathrooms with outdoor showers.

The open-plan lounge is fitted with sofas, chandeliers and a long dining table. Outside there is a fire pit and a swimming pool with views over the water.

Water activities include traditional mokoro safaris, boat trips and fishing. Other activities include game drives, walking safaris and bird watching.

Guests can also opt for a night under the stars at Mapula’s fly-camp, or dine around a camp fire in the middle of the bush.

Extra activities include a helicopter or a hot air balloon flight.

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