BOTSWANA HIGHLIGHTS CHOBE NATIONAL PARK


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hobe National Park is located in the north- west corner of Botswana, stretching over


11,000 sq kms.


Established in 1968, the park encompasses floodplains, swamps and woodland. It is the most accessible and frequently visited of Botswana’s national parks, with the Chobe riverfront being noted for its huge herds of elephant and Cape Buffalo, which converge on the river to drink during the dry winter months.


During this season, it is possible to see


hundreds of elephants together at one time. Most of Botswana’s varied wildlife can be found in the park, including zebra, lion, giraffe, African wild dogs, kudu and wildebeest. However it is the Chobe's prolific elephant population that draws many visitors, estimated at over 155,000.


THE RIVER RUNS THROUGH IT Whether arriving by air or road, the first glimpse of the Chobe River – deep and dazzling in the sandy terrain – is always breathtaking. It appears as a swathe of brilliant peacock-blue ribbon, winding its way through the tiny town of Kasane and the ensuing wilderness of Chobe National Park. One of Africa’s most beautiful rivers the Chobe supports a diversity and concentration of wildlife unparalleled anywhere else in the country. Chobe is also renowned for its scenic and tranquil river cruises, which usually set out in mid-afternoon. Seeing hippo, crocodile and other animals at the water’s edge provides visitors with a truly unique and memorable experience.


Chobe National Park and its equally famous Chobe River are known for their immense beauty and amazing variety of wildlife and birdlife


SELLING TIP CHOBE HAS AROUND 155,000 ELEPHANTS, THE LARGEST NUMBER OF ANY AFRICAN PARK


BIRDLIFE Over 460 bird species have been recorded in the park, making it one of Africa’s premier venues for bird safaris. Species on show include the Sacred Ibis, Egyptian Geese, Spur Winged Geese, Pel’s Fishing Owl, Carmine Bee-eater and Fish Eagle. The Chobe River rises in the northern Angolan highlands and travels enormous distances before it reaches Botswana. Annually, around March/ April, the flood waters reach the Chobe area and transform the flood plains into one huge riverfront. On leaving Kasane the river joins the Zambezi and flows over Victoria Falls. Visiting the Falls is an


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easy day trip from Kasane by road, to view it either from the Zimbabwean or Zambian side. Government public campsites are situated in the park at Ihaha, Savute and Linyanti, with toilet and shower facilities available. Approximately 70km from Kasane, the Ngwezumba Pans are less travelled and more remote, yet offer another dimension to the park. Linyanti, located in the furthest southwest corner of Chobe, covers an area of about 900 sq kms. It is a wilderness of islands, lagoons, reed beds, towering trees and swampy river frontage and is one of the most beautiful areas in the Chobe.


Clockwise from top: Spotting elephants is rarely a problem in Chobe; A watchful buffalo; Giraffes and zebras enjoy a symbiotic relationship in the wild; A pied kingfisher


The dry winter months bring large movements of elephants and buffalo to this area. The Linyanti river feeds the Savute area. The Savute Channel has a history of flooding and drying up over the past several decades due to tectonic movement underground. The Channel has begun to flow again (for the first time in the past 30 years) and has changed the landscape and movement of the wildlife giving the area an untold beauty. •


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