Chobe National Park
The Chobe River in the National Park is renowned for some of the best game viewing in the country. A Chobe National Park safari gives visitors a chance to see the largest elephant herds in Africa, watch magnificent african sunsets on a boat cruise and enjoy a true Big 5 safari. A combination of Victoria Falls and Chobe Safari is a popular choice.
Chobe National Park Highlights
Chobe National Park is Botswana's second largest national park and is one of Southern Africa's finest game sanctuaries. The Chobe River is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful and unspoiled rivers of Africa and it is a hub of wildlife activity.
The park spreads over 10,566 sq km of grassland, mopane and acacia terrain in the far north. It is home to a breath-taking variety of animals and birds; a combination of resident and seasonal species. Elephants dominate the land, while a whole host of water-loving wildlife flock to the riverbanks to drink.
Due to its close proximity to Victoria Falls (90 min drive), a Victoria Falls and Chobe sfari is a popular combination with visitors doing a day trip to see the FAlls. A variety of activities in Chobe National Park offer excitement for all sorts of guests, whether 4x4 game drives, or sunset river cruises are your thing.
Pods of hippo, herds of buffalo and a range of antelope are almost as frequent as the famous elephants, while top predators like lion and leopard are never too far away.
Chobe is best visited in the winter months from July to October when the animals flock to the river as the last remaining water source. During this time guests can expect to see huge herds of elephants.
Most of the safari lodges are located outside the borders of the park, and for game drives, guests will enter through the Chobe Park gate.
The Chobe National Park is easily accessible from Victoria Falls and it is recommended that guests allow us to combine a Chobe and Vic Falls experience, to take full advantage of the area.
One of the best areas of Chobe is the Savute Marsh area where the renowned Savuti Channel has recommenced flowing after over 30 years of dryness. Here, lions are known to have specialised in killing elephants.
The areas within the Chobe National Park that we encourage our guests to visit include the riverfront area and the Savute Marsh.
Chobe Game Lodge is the only lodge at the riverfront and within the borders of the national park. Guests can enjoy game drives, as well as boat cruises along the Chobe River where they stand the chance of seeing huge herds of elephants coming down to drink.
Savute Safari Lodge is a superb option in the Savute Marsh area. The lodge is located in an area renowned for excellent predator game viewing, and there are always huge bull elephants around. Another beautiful Botswana Lodge in Savute is Ghoha Hills Savuti , perched on a hill with magnificent views accross the Chobe National Park.
In the Green Season guests can access the Savute Marsh area where huge herds of zebra migrate in search of the new grass, which of course brings the predators in search of food of their own.
How to Get There
Sun Safaris agents will arrange for guests heading directly to Chobe from South Africa to fly to Kasane Airport in northern Botswana. Chobe National Park is such a large park and has lodges and camps dotted throughout its wilderness; some camps may require an additional flight from Kasane Airport to a nearer airstrip. In such cases, Sun Safaris will have arranged for guests to connect with their light air transfers to the camp.
For destinations in parts of Chobe that are near enough to Kasane, guests will have an arranged road transfer from the airport. Roads are not in great condition in Botswana and we prefer to arrange transport for guests, instead of self-drive tours. Guests also arrive in Victoria Falls and spend a few days there before enjoying a road transfer to start their Chobe National Park safari tour.
Once guests arrive at their lodge or camp, they may enjoy a variety of land and water tours with the trained guides.
Chobe National Park Game Viewing and Activities
Epitomising a Chobe safari is the elephant experience. One of Botswana's biggest and oldest national parks, Chobe is also home to a recognisable elephant population that has been referred to the largest in the world.
Huge herds of these grey giants can be seen ambling along dry land, as well as frolicking in the Chobe River. The park has an abundance of wildlife, not only a paradise for elephants. The ever flowing Chobe River attracts huge herds of buffalo, large pods of hippo, and a varietal number of antelope species.
Game drives and boating activities offer an exploration of Chobe from both land and water, taking full advantage of the park's wilderness.
During the wet months (December to March), most animals congregate on the open plains and as the land dries out and the heat builds from April to November, the animals migrate back to the Chobe River's fertile flood plains.
