Last updated: 15 June, 2023
The Okavango is the largest inland delta in the world: a maze of grasslands, indigenous forests, islands, channels and lakes covering 17,000 square kilometres that teems with all the big game and spectacular birdlife (more than 400 species). Even if you’re not a twitcher, the feathered creatures here are captivating.
The variety of ecosystems in the Okavango make it a fascinating place to safari; one might spot an elephant swimming, see a malachite kingfisher diving, or bump into a lioness.
Thanks to the Botswana government policy of high-revenue, low-volume tourism, there are very few camps or tourists. Nearly all are based near water, on the mainland – in private concessions or in the Moremi National Park – or on islands, and the real draw of the Okavango is the unique water-based safari opportunities it provides: mokoro (dugout canoe) or speedboat excursions through channels and papyrus reedbeds.
Walking (a real treat near water) and night safaris (when cats mostly hunt and nocturnal creatures come out) are only permitted in private concessions – so not the Moremi National Park.
Even flying into the Okavango on a small plane is one of the best things about the holiday; the views over the vast areas of water are breathtaking.
The delta is located in north-east Botswana, surrounded by the Kalahari Desert – and almost entirely flat.
Rainwater flows from more than 1,000km away in Angola to the Delta, at its peak covering more than 16,000sq km of land, and 7,000sq km less then this in the dry winter (May to October).
At the heart of the Okavango is the Moremi Game Reserve, where most game grazes all year, in grasslands and thick indigenous forests.
There are five main ethnic groups in the Okavango, as well as a small group of San Bushmen; most camps will be staffed by villages from these tribes.
The Botswana safari industry has been regulated to ensure money goes back into communities, so many camps are often closely linked to a local village and offer visits for guests who want to learn about local traditions.