Chobe National Park
I loved Chobe National Park in Botswana. Part of this may be attributed to the fact that we had really nice campground facilities at Chobe River Lodge (a four star luxury resort) which added to the serenity of Chobe.
A family of elephants at sunset
I’d love to come back to Botswana and spend more time here. Even though the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park are only two small pieces of Botswana, they are firmly lodged in my heart and I can’t wait to come back and explore more of this beautiful country.
So utterly content during golden hour on the Chobe River
Here are the highlights of my time in Chobe
MORNING SAFARI GAME DRIVE
Highly recommend clicking on each photo to enlarge it and learn more about each animal..
Early morning start with our guide Webby, who grew up near Chobe. It was quite chilly in the morning with the extra breeze provided by the moving 4x4, so Webby gave us blankets to wrap ourselves in.
The game drive started out with tracking leopards who had left clear paw prints in the sandy road. We didn’t end up spotting them but it was cool to follow the leopards’ tracks around the park - I felt like a real safari explorer!
We saw a pride of lions! The excitement was tampered a bit by my first experience with the realities of tourism - once the lions were spotted, ALL the 4x4s came barreling to that spot jostling for the best view.
Webby had an incredible amount of knowledge about the biology of every animal. Some of the most interesting facts:
Impalas (a type of antelope) can hold off on giving birth if the conditions aren’t right or even self-abort if they think there won’t be enough food to help their child survive. They can control their gland that releases oxytocin, which induces labor.
When female baboons are ready to mate, their bums became red and enlarged, signaling to males that they are ready.
Certain hawks don’t fly until the weather gets hotter so that they can ride the thermal winds and save their energy for a hunt
Warthogs have callouses on their front knees so they can kneel on their front legs to better access food on the ground
My favorite animal might be the “Chobe chicken” which is actually called the guinea fowl. They are quite funny to watch and stand out with their blue heads.
AFTERNOON RIVER BOAT CRUISE
Highly recommend clicking on each photo to see the animals up close
In the afternoon I embarked on a river boat cruise on the Chobe River, and it was magical. The highlight was seeing elephants playing in the water and viewing this scene up close
Other animals spotted included crocodiles, hippos, cranes, and birds.
Watch until the end - moments like these were magical and filled me with wonder at how precious and beautiful Mother Nature is
I ended my day in Chobe not just with a beautiful sunset, but also with the moon rise! It was magical to have the sun setting on one side, and the full moon rising on the other, colored in pinks and reds from the sunset.
Peace and serenity in Botswana’s Okavango Delta
Known as the Kavango in Namibia and the Kwango in Angola, the Okavango River is the fourth longest river in Africa and ends in the Okavango Delta in Botswana.
The Okavango Delta was one of my “must-see’s” when creating my Africa itinerary. The landscape is beautiful - stunning blue waters and skies, acres of reeds and papyrus that sway and rustle gently with the breeze, and yellow, purple, and white water lilies that dot the river’s surface.
I spent one night actually camping in the Delta which meant true camping in the bush! Oh boy the mosquitos were EVERYWHERE. They ot me through my pants on my bum and all over my legs but the views and 氣 were (almost barely) worth it.
The Okavango Delta is one of those places that just brings about a feeling of peace and serenity and pureness. I hope you enjoy the view!
