Safari

Why You Should Go on a Boat Safari in Botswana

Chobe National Park is often overshadowed by the Okavango Delta, but there's good reason to head to this corner of the country.
Chobe National Park Botswana.
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A lush river plain, where the Chobe flows into the Zambezi, is where the corners of Namibia, Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Botswana intersect—the only place in the world where four countries meet. This same lush river plain also acts as the boundary of Chobe National Park, which covers an area of about 4,500 square miles in the northeastern-most corner of Botswana.

And while many adventurers looking for the ultimate safari rightfully head to Botswana, most visit the Okavango Delta, where the vast savanna floods seasonally and creates labyrinthine waterways that attract a bevy of wildlife. But just 124 miles away is Chobe National Park, another world-renowned Eden known for having one of the highest concentrations of elephants in the world, as well as an abundance of other animals.

“It’s probably the only place in Southern Africa where you see such large concentrations of game, particularly in the dry season,” says Don Louw, a South African guide who frequently travels to Chobe National Park with Collette Tours. “That, and the incredible beauty of the river, make it a must for any safari enthusiasts.”

Unlike most African safaris, from that very river is also one of the best vantage points for spotting wildlife. It's also a more tranquil experience compared to the bumpy ride in a jeep: You’ll have a cool breeze coming off the water instead of kicked up dust in your eyes, and you can rely on the onboard bathroom instead of scrambling to find a discrete spot in the bush. “Because of the all-year-round water, many species of animals make this riverfront their home," says Tshepiso "Vivian" Diphupu, a guide at Chobe Game Lodge. "So it is one of the only places in the world where you can experience intense game viewing from your boat on the river."

During a three-hour cruise with excursion company Africa Odyssey, I sipped a chilled glass of South African chenin blanc from a metal chalice as the covered pontoon silently glided across the shimmering waters, with just a handful of other boats visible in the distance. Being free from any big crowds makes for some extraordinary animal sightings: We got so close to a motionless crocodile that I could discern the individual scales on its shiny, mottled skin; meanwhile, an unperturbed hippo stood just a few feet away, munching busily on tall blades of yellowed grass.

Chobe National Park covers an area of about 4,500 square miles.

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Although birdlife is most abundant from November until March, when migrating flocks of red-billed African skimmers and elegant long-toed lapwings pass through the area, enthusiasts still lifted their binoculars to observe imposing African fish eagles soaring high in the sky and colorful kingfishers perched on the reeds lining the shore. The rest of the 15-passenger boat kept their eyes (and cameras) focused on antelope and giraffes. In one dramatic moment, a herd of Cape buffalo in search of better grazing opportunities plunged into the water and crossed the river in a tight, snake-like formation, swimming together almost as one giant being, carefully keeping their snouts, horns, and blank, inky eyes above water. As Louw tells me, these animal crossings during the dry season distinguish Chobe from other African river cruises in Namibia, Malawi, or even the Okavango Delta.

Even more impressive than the buffalo are the hulking Kalahari elephants who dominate the park. Chobe sustains a population of about 50,000 of these giants, who stay in the southeastern end during the wetter months, when daily rains create pools of water that dot the savanna. As those watering holes dry up during the Southern Hemisphere's winter, the herds change their daily routine and start marching across the floodplains in search of a water source. When they reach the Chobe river, the matriarch dips her trunk into the water and estimates its depth before stepping in to make the crossing. The rest of the group follows, encouraging struggling calfs. Over the course of that one, three-hour outing, we observed several herds swim in single-file lines right in front of the bow of the boat.

On that trip to Chobe National Park, my lion and leopard sightings came only during jeep rides through the interior of the park—the many lions that populate the park avoid swimming whenever possible, and their golden-colored coats blend into the surrounding vegetation so well that even experienced guides can miss them. The sublime sunset during that evening’s boat cruise, however, more than made up for the absence of any big cats. The shiny gray of the elephants’ wet skin was the perfect foil for cobalt waters against a backdrop of yellows, pinks, and purples that flashed across the darkening sky. As the red sun began descending toward the horizon, the massive animals lumbered across marshy Sedudu Island in the middle of the river, seemingly pondering a trip into Namibia. It was a reminder that these animals roamed these waters long before we decided to put up national borders.

A hippo grazes in the Chobe River.

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When to Go
Along the river, the wildlife is most abundant during the dry season, which lasts from April until October.

How to See It
Tour companies Globus Journeys, National Geographic Expeditions, Collette, and Intrepid Travel include a boat cruise on trips to Chobe National Park. Independent travelers can also book the activity through their lodge.

How to Get There
Most visitors to Chobe National Park arrive via Victoria Falls International airport in Zimbabwe or Livingstone Airport in Zambia. Bypass tedious border crossings by flying directly into Kasane on Airlink, which operates one flight daily from Johannesburg.

Where to Stay
Chobe Game Lodge: This resort, a luxurious oasis within the bush, is where Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton stayed when they married for the second time in 1975. In fact, it's the only lodge located within the confines of Chobe National Park. Cool off with a dip in the year-round outdoor pool after a long day of safari-going.

Chobe Marina Lodge: Located just outside the park, this lodge is a convenient location in the center of the town of Kasane. The expansive deck, evocative of a treehouse, lies right on the banks of the Chobe River. The lodge even has access to its own boat launch.