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.