Africa’s largest oasis extends across sands and swamps, creating forested islands as well as winding channels over 22,000km2 otherwise desert landscape. The Okavango Delta is Africa’s most important waterhole. It supports one of the 122 mammal species that enjoy its lush vegetation, reed-filtered water and elephant herds. The papyrus is home to buffalo that are stalked by lions, while antelope raise their babies here. This remarkable area offers game viewing opportunities, but it’s a bit out of the way.
The Okavango Delta was born in Angola and shaped over the millennia. It carries millions of tons of Sand and ends its 1,300km journey at the Kalahari Desert.
It is not common for bush walks, offroad safaris, and nighttime game drives to be allowed in large parts of the delta. Mokoro canoe rides are also permitted. This is a rare opportunity to see the ecosystem from water level, face to face with herons and hippos. It’s also a great way to interact with the BaTawana, who live at the Delta’s edges. You can chat to your guide while he guides you through the swamps and learn more about African life in this last great wilderness.
Okavango Delta map & highlights
Avoiding the peak season
The water levels drop between November and March, which means you won’t see the many elephants or buffalo that follow the water. However, year-round residents can be seen. Black rhinos, lions, hippo, and smaller herds than elephants are still present. Birders will also enjoy this time as red-billed Hornbills and African fish Eagles fly back to the Delta. You’ll see more elephants than you would with a Jeep in your viewfinder, due to the low tourist numbers.
Walking safaris
A Okavango delta safari by foot, in big cat country seems like a terrible idea. It would be a good idea to order take-out for the lions. Botswana, and the Okavango Delta in particular, is the best place to see wildlife at their level. Botswanan guides have been trained to be experts: bushwalking guides and mokoro captains are able to spot hippos, while mokoro captains can tell where they might lurk.
Wild dogs
Although wild dogs can be difficult to find, you will likely find them with the rest of their pack. Sometimes there are even 50. Wild dogs are full of personality, so you can see their social hierarchy as they hunt and fight. Wild dogs are constantly on the move so expect to bump along with them like Mad Max.
Botswanan guides
Botswana’s guides are among the most highly decorated in Africa. It can take many years to earn the necessary qualifications to partner up with a lodge/tour company. You will have the opportunity to meet a variety of guides. These include those who have spent years in training as well as those who have lived and loved Okavango Delta. Your guide will be able to show you how to spot a red lechwe or detour around an hippo using a mokoro boat.
Border hopping
The Okavango Delta is close to Namibia’s borders and Zimbabwe’s. While you don’t need to travel for too long, a side trip at Victoria Falls (Mosioa-Tunya – ‘the smoke which thunders’) can be worth a few hours of driving. Some itineraries begin in Johannesburg, South Africa. You might consider adding an extra day to your visit to the Museum of the African Diaspora. Also, you could pair up with a guide for a chance to meet the residents of Joburg who are regenerating their neighbourhoods.
Little lodges
Botswana is well-known for its luxurious lodges. But the true luxury lies in staying in small B&Bs or campsites with minimal amenities. You’re more likely than not to see the blue-browed jacana pacing through the gardens, or hear the elephant roar from your tent flap. People who live off the large tour companies’ circuits are also supported. Without the brochure gloss, the lodge owners will be able to tell you about their personal experiences living in the Okavango Delta.
Rapid safaris
The Okavango Delta was made to be explored… but slow. The animals and floodwaters decide the speed of your journey. You can’t control them. Mokoro canoe rides provide a great example. Your guide will steer you through the reedbeds while you take in the small details such as electric-blue kingfishers or luminous frogs.
Shopping lists for wildlife
It is helpful to know what animals you would like to see. Guides can adjust safaris to suit avid birders and wild dog lovers, but not everyone has the same preferences. There are many other animals in the Okavango Delta that are as spectacular as the Big Five. Lechwe and sable antelopes have magnificent horns. African fish eagles can be spotted hyenas at night and are bald eagle doppelgangers.
Hunting elephants
Botswana was the headline country in 2020 after President Mokgweetsi Maisi lifted an elephant hunting ban. It is worth considering the differences in arguments. Botswanan farmers point out their barren fields while conservationists are concerned about declining elephant numbers. It seems that the Botswanans are not being helped by the revival of hunting. Permits are often sold to trophy-hunting tourists, who travel with out-of-town guides or stay in chain hotels. Your guide will inform you about better ways for government to manage elephant-human conflict, such as responsible tourism investing.
