Chobe National Park

Summary

Botswana’s Chobe National Park is a well renowned safari destination that offers a wildlife experience all year round. Large concentrations of wildlife use the Chobe River as a permanent source of water throughout the year. Chobe is famous for its large numbers of wildlife boasting the largest elephant population on earth with numbers estimated to be as high 80,000 during the dry season. Buffalo and other plains game are also prolific keeping predator numbers healthy. Large prides of lion can be seen throughout the park all year round and leopards are often seen during the day.

The Chobe River offers fantastic boating activities with large numbers of wildlife seen on Sedudu Island and the rivers shoreline, this makes for incredible photographic opportunities. Kasane, the adjacent town is located just outside the park on the banks of the Chobe River it is only an hours drive from Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe. Both locations have international airports making access easy linking these destinations with major airports in Southern and East Africa. The Kazangula border post is worth mentioning as it is the only place on earth where 4 countries meet, Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe all join at the confluence of the Zambezi and Chobe Rivers.

In the southern end of the park is the Savute Channel which is a wildlife haven in its own right. This adds a great dimension to the park and one does not have to travel to far to get a change of scenery and a different safari experience. The Chobe is a very popular destination which can be busy during the peak periods.

Time of year to travel

The wildlife in Chobe is seen year-round with viewing best during the dry months when waterholes filled by the rains have dried up and animals come to the Chobe River to drink. June through to October is the dry period with cool winter temperatures from May to July. It starts warming up in August reaching a peak in October before the rains when it is at its hottest. There is always a good chance of seeing quality wildlife sightings at anytime of the which makes Chobe a popular destination for tourists.

Activities

Game drives and river cruises are the main form of activities in the Chobe National Park and there are camps which are located just outside the National Park area which offer walking safaris and night drives on their private concessions. This can often make for a quieter experience whilst still giving you access to the park itself. Our experienced team can point you in the right direction if you are looking for these experiences.

Wildlife

The Chobe National Park boasts some of the largest concentrations of wildlife on the planet. If you are fortunate enough during the dry season, you can see over a 1000 elephant on the banks of the river at one time, it is truly a sight to behold. With large numbers of lion and leopard and herds of buffalo up to 500 strong, the Chobe rarely disappoints. The park is also home to many other species of plains game and is on the Botswana zebra migration route which is the longest migration in Africa. The birdlife during the green season is phenomenal with many species endemic to the area.