The Chobe National Park

A guide to Chobe with details of Chobes Lodges

Within one hours drive from Victoria Falls Chobe National Park is the perfect place to start or end a safari in Botswana. Known as one of the most beautiful areas of Botswana and with some of the largest concentrations of animals in Africa, Chobe is an area of outstanding natural beauty.

With habitats ranging from the waterways and floodplains of the Chobe River itself to the dry sands of the Kalahari desert and dense acacia woodlands, Chobe is Botswanas second largest park covering an area of 10,566 square kilometres stretching from Northern Botswana to the Okavango Delta.

Chobes star attraction is the Parks huge herds of elephant. There are an estimated 60,000 elephants living in Chobe, thought to be the largest surviving elephant population in Africa. Herds are often sighted numbering in their hundreds and their constant interaction with humans over the years has meant that it is not uncommon for guests to get within touching distance. The chance to see a herd crossing a river is very real; there is nothing quite like seeing an elephant fully submerged, using his trunk as a snorkel!

The huge herds of elephants often overshadow the remaining resident game which is definitely not to be underestimated. Chobe is also well known for large herds of buffalo and good numbers of plains game such as impala, wildebeest, kudu, waterbuck, the rare puku antelope and the endemic Chobe bushbuck.

Such an abundance of species attracts a large number of predators with good prides of lion (that have adapted to hunt elephant) as well as leopard and cheetah. The Chobe River itself is also home to large pods of hippos and crocodiles as well as prolific bird life providing fantastic photo opportunities from the river itself, especially just before and during a sunset cruise.

Game viewing in Chobe National Park is at its peak from July to October as the waterholes dry up and the game moves to the river. It is at this time that herds of elephant in their hundreds will congregate around the river close to Kasane; it is a phenomenal site.

The rains can start in Chobe as early as October peaking in January and February although they sometimes start as late as December, fazing out in April.

Click here to download video of the Wildlife and Scenery of Chobe (.wmv file)