A year round destination for safari lovers, an Okavango Delta Safari has the abundant wildlife and scenic wetlands to make adventurous travelers want to stay and see more!
This outstanding river flows into northern Botswana and creates a huge oasis for Africa. It then stretches to reed beds, floodplains with palm-fringed islands. Here, you will find camps, competing against each other for the opportunity to wow their guests with world-class wildlife viewing extravaganzas. Each camp has its own character, attractions and professional guides.
Okavango is shaped like a splayed hand with its wrist featuring a narrow stretch area called Panhandle, in between the delta proper and Shakawe. A third of the delta is part of the Moremi Game Reserve, which is home to the Chief’s Island. The island is known for its 400 square miles of dry sand, and its mopane woodland that resembles a cathedral.
The other parts of the delta is occupied by a number of private reserves housing lodges and camps providing five-star accommodation and service. If you are staying with one of these camps, they will arrange all the safari adventures you desire. Some of the top game-driving areas include Chitabe, Vumbura and Duba Plains. Jao Island and Eagle Island are also favorite tourist destinations due to their diverse water-based activities, including memorable canoe trips.
Okavango Delta can be visited year round, but the best time to visit this amazing attraction is undeniably between June and August, as this is high water or flood season, giving you the best chance to watch animals migrate to the delta. The floods that occur in the delta during this time are usually not human life threatening; they instead fill the swamps, lagoons and floodplains, attracting animals like buffalo, elephants and hippopotamus. This dry winter period is also perfect for boating and canoe safaris. Consider exploring the delta in a traditional dugout canoe called mokoro. This special and unique canoe is usually poled along a gondolier so you don’t have to gather all your strength just to get to one place in the river. All you have to do is sit back and relax and watch Mother Nature at its best.
If you can’t visit from June to August, try to make it in September or October when the temperature is hot and dry and a huge number of animals tend to congregate on the fringes of the delta. These months also favor avid anglers as it is the season for the barbell run. If you have no idea what this event is all about, try to picture the river filled with shoals of barbel and tiger fish. At this time, Okavango becomes every fisherman’s dream!
The small Kalahari town of Maun has been the main gateway to Okavango for decades. Despite its size, it is considered the safari capital of the Delta. From Johannesburg, you can take a flight to the Maun, which takes only 90 minutes. Some tourists opt to take a light aircraft from Maun to fly into the delta. This is a fantastic way to see Okavango’s beautiful landscape. Most camps operating in the delta maintain their own landing strip. However, you also have the option to reach the delta by land via a five-hour drive on decent roads. Several mobile-camping safari operators offer that option.
