Tailor-made Safari Destinations - Botswana

The Chobe River Front, situated in the extreme Northeast of the park, is a major watering spot. Especially so in the dry season, between May and October, when large breeding herds of elephant descend from the surrounding woodlands to quench their thirst. Giraffes and Sable graze the open flood plains, and enormous herds of Cape Buffalo attract Lions in equally healthy numbers. The Chobe River flood plains are the only place in Botswana where the Puku Antelope can be seen. Birdlife is prolific here: large numbers of carmine bee-eaters are spotted in season and when the region is in flood, Spoonbills, Ibis, various species of Stork, Duck and other waterfowl flock to the river front.

The vast Savuti Marsh area is the remnant of an ancient inland sea. The marsh is fed by an erratic water supply which flows intermittently between long dry periods. In January 2010 water reached Savuti Marsh for the first time in 28 years, re-awakening a lush, beautiful ecosystem that attracts wildlife from hundreds of miles around. The region is well known for its annual migration of zebras, but in the dry seasons visitors can also see Warthogs, Kudus, Impalas, Wildebeest and Elephants.

The Linyanti Marsh is located at the Northwest corner of the park, adjacent to Linyanti River. This remote area has rich bird life and healthy concentrations of Lions, Leopards, Wild dogs, Roan & Sable antelopes, Hippo and Elephants.

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 Fish, frogs, terrapin and aquatic plant species thrive in the waterways and on land the rising waters act as a magnet, attracting all manner of wild life to the region. The variety and share volume of animals found in the Okavango is astounding; Lion, Leopard, Buffalo, Elephant, Hippopotamus, Giraffe, Antelope including the Red Lechwe, Tsessebe and Sitatunga, Otters, Honey-badgers, the shy Pangolin, and a variety of smaller wild cats such as Civets, Servals and Genets are amongst the many mammal species that call the Delta home. Then of course there are birds; well over 450 species bring the forests, rivers and flood plains of the Okavango to life.

There are a variety of methods used to explore this extraordinary wilderness: 4x4 vehicle, plane, powerboat or simple human propulsion. To glide gently through Lilly filled channels in a traditional dugout canoe (mokoro) propelled with skill by your experienced guide; to wander freely on foot across magical islands or to simply sit on the trunk of a fallen tree and observe wildlife without barriers is the most basic, but one of the greatest, delights of visiting the Okavango Delta.

With fine lodges found throughout the Okavango, Wildlight safaris recommend exploring more than one region to greater appreciate the subtleness of nature found in this captivating paradise. 

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Game viewing is at its peak from July to October when the rain filled pans dry and wildlife concentrates around permanent water. During this period the reserve is home to nearly 500 species of bird including Pel’s Fishing Owl and the Slaty Egret, and a vast array of other species of wildlife including buffalo, giraffe, lion, leopard, cheetah, hyaena, jackal, impala, and red lechwe.

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Although arid, the Kalahari supports an interesting variety of fauna and flora. Huge tracts of grazing emerge after good rains, attracting wildlife including brown hyenas, lions, meerkats, giraffes, warthogs, jackals, eland, gemsbok, springbok, hartebeest, steenbok, kudu, and duiker, as well as many species of reptiles and birds.

In addition to the spectacular wildlife, several of the lodges we recommend also offer the opportunity to meet with and learn from the San Bushmen.

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… the emptiness and silence of the pans give rise to a wealth of stories, ancient and modern renditions of mans journey through this vast wilderness .

Very little wildlife inhabits the pans during the harsh dry season. But when the annual rains arrive the pans are covered with water and the fresh grasslands around it’s fringes become a refuge for birds and animals. It then becomes the setting for one of Botswana’s great wildlife spectacles: the annual Zebra migration. The wet season also brings migratory birds such as ducks, geese and Great White Pelicans, and the pans are home to the only breeding population of Greater Flamingos in Southern Africa.

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