Boasting Africa's largest population of elephant, and an incredible abundance of wildlife and birdlife, the Chobe National Park is the oldest game reserve in Botswana.
Established in 1968, the Chobe National Park is the third largest game reserve in Botswana. Most notably, it boasts Africa’s largest population of elephant, and as such, is fondly known as ‘The Land of the Giants’.
Covering an area of approximately 11700km² in northern Botswana, the Chobe National Park features a number of different mesmerizing landscapes, from lush floodplains and dense mahogany woodlands, to rolling grasslands, vast savannahs and verdant marshes.
The park is home to an unparalleled abundance of wildlife and birdlife, most of which congregate around the mighty Chobe River, from which the park gets its name. Large herds of buffalo, giraffe and sable can be found along the lush riverbanks, while large numbers of impala, wildebeest, zebra, kudu, and warthog are regular features of the extensive grasslands.
An impressive list of predators in the Chobe National Park includes lion, cheetah, hyena and leopard. What’s more, the reserve is a sanctuary for the endangered like African wild dog and rhinoceros, and rarely-spotted antelope such as puku, sitatunga and red lechwe.
Aside from the extraordinary array of wildlife, a standout feature of the Chobe National Park is an enormous population of over 70,000 Kalahari elephants. Large herds are most visible during the dry season, from April to October, as they gather around various water sources. During the rainy season, from November to March, these gentle giants make their way to the southeast section of the park, spilling over into north-western Zimbabwe.
A paradise for bird lovers, as well as general wildlife enthusiasts, the Chobe National Park is home to over 560 species of birds. As with much of the game species, a vast majority of the birds can be found clustered around the Chobe River in the northeast corner of the park. Species include carmine bee-eaters, spoonbills, giant kingfishers, African fish eagles, green-backed herons, malachite kingfishers, white-fronted bee-eaters, African skimmers, and pied kingfishers.
There are two distinct seasons in the Chobe National Park, and both offers a completely different, yet equally spectacular safari experience. The dry season is best time of the year to view Chobe’s incredible elephant herds along the Chobe River, while the rainy season is the perfect time of year to view the park’s amazing birdlife.
Chobe features a fantastic variety of accommodation options, from picturesque campsites and luxury lodges, to mobile bush camps and houseboats. In addition, getting to the park is a breeze, as the town of Kasane on it’s border has a small international airport.
For more information regarding the Chobe National Park, get in touch with our Botswana travel experts at Kiboko Adventures.