Don’t be surprised to see elephant and hippo ramble down the roads of the town called Kasane, the northern entrance to the beautiful Chobe National Park region of Botswana. Set in the northern part of Botswana to the east of the Okavango Delta, the Chobe Region, stretching over 11 000 square kilometres, comprises four distinctly different ecological areas. In the extreme north-east lies Serondela, in the north-west the Linyanti Swamps and to the west the Savuti Marsh and then the dry hinterland between them.
The mighty Chobe River runs along the northern border of the Chobe National Park and sustains one of the largest concentrations of game found on the African continent, including the largest population of elephants, and you can choose from a variety of exotic destinations and luxury accommodation options within this region of Botswana. Keep in mind that all of the luxury lodges in this region, except for one, are based outside the Chobe National Park on private concessions and game farms. Most of the lodges based along the Chobe River offer cruises, be sure to take in a romantic sunset cruise while visiting this area.
Spot normally elusive leopards along the Sedudu Valley River road near Kasane on your way to visit the Serondela area with its lush plains and dense forests and keep a sharp eye out for rare and unusual birds such as the African finfoot and the Half-collared kingfisher that like to gather near the Kasane Rapids. Cross the river to find the flat grassy plains of Sedudu Island, a favoured grazing ground for elephant, hippo and buffalo.
Head south to Savuti, one of the best wildlife-viewing areas in the world with excellent game viewing opportunities throughout the year. Spend your days and nights in the midst of Africa’s impressive predators, the famous lions of the Savuti and the clans of spotted hyena that have made this dried up waterway their home. In the rainy season, November to April, they are joined by a migration of thousands of zebra and herds of wildebeest that migrate into the Savuti Marsh as well as masses of impala and warthogs.
Stay a while in the forgotten paradise of Linyanti, just to the north of Savuti in the far western corner of the Chobe region. This secluded, uncrowded region is very rich in birdlife and a recommended destination for avid birders. The papyrus-lined lagoons and towering canopy of trees found in this swamp cover a vast area providing water and shelter to great concentrations of elephant, buffalo and zebra that gather daily along the river while giraffe, impala and roan antelope roam the forest.
Spend time in all of Botswana’s beautiful regions with our ‘Best of Botswana’ tour that takes you from the Okavango Delta into the Moremi Game Reserve and ends at Chobe National Park. Tour packages and luxury accommodation are all options in the Chobe region; contact our experienced Southern Africa Travel team for more information.
Botswana’s Chobe Region is best known for:
The largest elephant population in Africa
You will stay in the midst of one of the largest elephant populations found in Africa numbering almost 120 000, of which 40 000 are found largely in the Chobe region. These majestic and graceful creatures roam over most of northern Botswana and north-western Zimbabwe and boast the largest body size of all living elephants.
Elephant-eating Lions of Savuti
Lions often specialise in catching one species of prey, the lions of the Savuti area are well known for their ability to bring down elephant while 50km away in the Linyanti area, the lion pride specialises in hunting hippo.
Fishing Safaris
The Chobe region of Botswana is also popular as a fishing destination, spend your days catching or trying to catch the fierce Tiger fish or any of the very wide variety of fish species found in the waterways of Kasane.
Off the Beaten Track in Chobe:
Do time in the old Baobab Tree Prison
Just outside of Kasane in the Serondela region find the ancient Baobab tree whose hollowed out centre served as the local prison in the early 20th century. You can still climb inside today to get a feel for what it was like back then.
Spend some time with the locals
Your luxury safari lodge can arrange for a visit to a local village where you can immerse yourself in African tribal life and get to grips with local customs or get up to speed on your plant knowledge with a botanical guided walk.
