Magical Okavango Delta through our eyes

Okavango Delta, Botswana

The Okavango Delta, part of the great East African rift valley, formed as the Okavango River flows into the Kalahari Desert from the Angolan highlands. This process of the waters flowing from the Angolan Highlands in the months between November to March (dependent on weather patterns) is magical. As the water has no outlet into the sea, it drains into the large delta swamp that’s known as the Okavango Delta. Animals, whose senses are more heightened than ours, have learned to expect this, and to say the migration of these creatures as they head to a water source in an otherwise arid area is magical is an understatement: it’s magical! The Okavango Delta is the safari jewel of Africa.

With the ecosystem that it is, this magical area of Botswana has molded and made the plants and wildlife adapt to the circumstances, and watching the survival game at this magical oasis is beyond explanation. It is not strange to see lions and leopards swimming in the waterways between one Island to the next. Nor is it strange to see a huge herd of lionesses hunt down elephants. This is the Okavango at its finest. It is wild and surprising; gentle as you meander through the waterways and eye-opening as you watch birdlife so rich. It is unlike any other safari you will have on this continent of Africa.

African Bush Elephant, African Buffalo, Hippopotamus, Lechwe, Topi, Blue Wildebeest, Giraffe, Nile crocodile, Lion, Cheetah, Leopard, Brown Hyena, Spotted Hyena, Greater Kudu, Sable Antelope, Black Rhinoceros, White Rhinoceros, Plains Zebra, Warthog, and Chacma Baboon. The endangered African Wild Dog still survives within the Okavango Delta with one of the richest pack densities in Africa.

The best way to see the Okavango Delta is to make sure the season is right.

The dry winter season, from May to October, is the best time for wildlife viewing. It is “dry” because there is very little rain, but this is when the floodwaters have made their way from the highlands in central Angola thousands of kilometers away, swelling the Delta to double or triple its size. The water generally reaches its highest mark between July and September.

When planning your safari you will want to take into account the seasonal effects on certain activities and experiences. Some areas are affected more than others and with us, all you need to do is inform on dates and we shall do the rest, advising on what will work best. The Okavango Delta offers a wide variety of accommodation in three broad categories – water, land, and mixed camps, depending on the activities they offer. Water camps focus on the delta itself, its unique waterways, birds, and aquatic creatures. Land-based camps focus on the extraordinary game attracted to this oasis in the desert. Mixed camps provide both land and water activities. Visitors generally combine a water and land or mixed-use camp. Mokoro is generally available unless the water levels are too low, and the camps will always inform beforehand.