Chobe National Park is a must-visit attraction during your travels around Botswana. This enormous conservation area stretches for 11 000 square kilometres bordering the Chobe river close to the Namibian, Zimbabwean and Zambian borders.
The area is blessed with an extraordinary diversity of animals and lauded as the best place in the world to see vast herds of elephants. Some 100 000 of these enormous beasts call Chobe National Park home and the best place to see them is on the stretch of river between Kasane town and Serondela campsite.
Unsurprisingly, the park gets very busy at times and is best enjoyed on private safaris hosted by the small intimate camps on the edge of the park. These inclusive safaris include game drives under the auspices of an experienced safari guide who will lead you on driving and boating safaris into the wilderness.
Chobe National Park Accommodation
The top pick for luxury lodge accommodation inside Chobe National Park is Chobe Game Lodge. This plush, eco-friendly establishment is the only private lodge within the confines of the park and manages to deliver exceptionally personal experiences despite having 43 rooms to choose from.
Private dining, open spaces and exquisite experiences create the impression of intimate seclusion. It’s no surprise that this exceptional lodge has hosted the likes of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, and more recently, Prince Harry.
Across the river, Chobe Chilwero is another top choice for exceptional hospitality. Located in a private concession, this tiny lodge has just 15 suites and boasts the only full spa on the Botswana safari circuit, complete with a Treetop Treatment Room.
At Chobe Chilwero, you’ll enjoy elevated views over the Chobe floodplains and islands that extend all the way to Namibia. A split-level pool and gourmet dining complete the picture of elegant safari extravagance.
Wildlife of Chobe National Park
The park comprises 4 distinct eco systems, each with their own attractions.
Serondela including the Chobe Riverfront
With lush plains and dense forests along the Chobe River, Serondela is home to vast herds of plains game, buffalo and elephants. It’s the only place you’ll see puku (a medium sized antelope) in Botswana, and you can also look forward to tallying up the most of the park’s 460 species of birds. Lion, cheetah, wild dog, jackals and leopard are also regularly seen around these parts. With a little luck you may even get to spot an elusive honey badger on a late afternoon or early morning outing.
Linyanti Swamps
The north-western realm of the park delivers picturesque private safari boating excursions among beautiful channels, lagoons, papyrus stands and reed beds. Many of the species from the Chobe riverfront make their way here during the dry season.
Savute
Home to the mysterious and erratic Savute channel, this remote area is the driest part of the park yet delivers exceptional game viewing since the river made its reappearance in 2009. Wildebeest and zebra flock here in their thousands every winter, making this one of the best places for unobstructed views of predators like lion, cheetah and hyena.
Nogatsaa
This little-utilized part of the park is filled with clay pans and thousands of elephants during the summer. There are no permanent camps in this part of the park, and it is best enjoyed on a private safari with one of the mobile camp operators.
Book Your Safari at Chobe National Park
While winter remains the best time to see game in Southern Africa, Chobe National Park delivers exceptional game viewing experiences any time of the year. Get in touch to book your luxury safari to Africa’s richest accumulation of treasured wildlife.
