Chobe National Park

Chobe National Park, named after the Chobe River on its northern boundary, is home to an exciting variety of large mammals and over 450 bird species. Chobe is best known for having the highest concentration of elephants in the world with truly impressive herds gathering during both the wet and dry season. Buffalo also gather in tremendous herds and big prides of lion track them wherever they go.

This is one of the oldest safari areas in Africa; Dr David Livingstone visited in 1850 and it has had more than its fair share of visitors since then due to its proximity to Victoria Falls. It has a river which appears to flow both ways as well as the curious disappearing Savuti Channel. Most of the area is covered with thick scrub thorn trees rooted in deep sand which is typical of the arid northern Kalahari. Game is forced to follow complicated migration routes to stay in touch with any available grass and water.

Chobe comprises four main areas: the Chobe river-frontage, the central pans around Nogatsaa, the Linyanti Swamp and the famous Savute region that includes the Mababe Depression.

From December to March the plains in the south and the east are green with lush plains of grass but as the bush dries out between April to November, the game migrates to the deeper waters in the north and west.

The Chobe River Front
The stretch of river from Ngoma in the west, including Serondela and extending towards Kasane is a rich riverine forest with a marginal floodplain. This northern section is very good for short safari drives - an area renowned for its elephant and buffalo during the dry season and a birder's paradise year round. The Kasane/Chobe area is unfortunately prone to overcrowding during regional school holidays (we head for the Chobe Forest to miss the crowds); however the whole area is ideally suited as a short stay safari add-on to a trip to Victoria Falls.

Further options are two lodges in Namibia on the opposite banks of the river. The area is much more secluded and offers activities along the Chobe as well as the Zambezi river.

Nogatsaa and Tchinga
The pan speckled grass woodland approximately 3 hours drive south of Serondela is a hardly known area that holds water well into the dry season and attracts a profusion of game between August and October. This area is particularly good for viewing eland and be warned the lion are very bold in this region!

Scenically this area is somewhat boring with mainly mopane and mixed combretum veld. Many of the pans have hides to view the game which offers unbeatable excitment wherever there is water but is not that interesting across the rest of the landscape.

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