Chobe is a firm favourite for its abundant assortment of wildlife and birds. Head out to the lush floodplains and grasslands on a 4x4 game drive in the morning and you'll see anything from lions and elephants to buffalos, cheetahs and giraffes. Set off on a river safari in the late afternoon to see families of elephants, hippos, all sorts of antelopes, reptiles and primates up close, not to mention the bonanza of birds.
Chobe is one of the best place to see elephants in Africa, hosting the world's largest population. About 120 00 elephants roam freely in Chobe with high concentrations gathering along the Chobe River.
Chobe is also renowned for its lion population, especially in the Savuti Marsh region where the lions are notoriously ferocious hunters. The large pride of lions in Savuti has brought down buffalos and even elephants, battling hyenas for survival all the while. Other predators often sighted in Chobe include endangered African wild dogs and leopards, as well as cheetahs, jackals and other small carnivores. Chobe Park is also home to the summer migrations of plains game, which include Zebra, Giraffe, Warthog, Reedbuck, Lechwe, Sable, Roan, Oribi, and Bushbuck. Other wildlife commonly sighted includes hippo, buffalo, crocodiles and baboons.
Chobe National Park is a birding haven, home to around 500 species of birds including African Fish Eagle, Long-toed Plovers, Pink-backed Pelicans, African Skimmers, Pell's Fishing Owl, Saddle-billed Storks, Bradfield's Hornbills and Carmine Bee-eaters.
A unique aspect of Chobe is that you can do game viewing by riverboat and by road. You can go game viewing by boat in the Northern areas near the town of Kasane, or by 4x4 vehicles in the rest of the park. Chobe National Park is truly a magnificent park and a must-see for any visit to Botswana.
Chobe offers some of the best river safaris in Africa, setting it apart from other top wildlife destinations in Africa. A river safari in Chobe Park delivers excellent wildlife sightings as well as outstanding birdwatching. Water-based game viewing in Chobe is also perfect for taking in the beautiful scenery of Botswana at a laid-back pace. Even better, Chobe river cruises typically take place at sunset so you can catch one of Chobe's spectacular sunsets over the unspoilt bush.
You'll also find that you can get up close to the animals and birds on river safaris in Chobe. Animals and birds are drawn to the river which is why you'll get to see them at close range from your boat, especially when you cruise along slowly.
Chobe National Park is Botswana's first established National Park. It's Botswana's third-largest park (11 000km2) but boasts one of the highest concentrations of game in Africa. The reason for this is the parks ability to sustain large quantities of Game due to the permanent water sources of the Chobe and Savuti Rivers flowing throughout the year.
Use the Google map to explore Chobe National Park.