Chobe was Botswana’s first national park and remains its greatest. In fact it’s ranked among the leading parks in all of Africa. Chobe is commonly referred to as the ‘Land of the Giants’ because of the incredible number of elephants here, estimated to be around 120,000. These gentle, graceful, gargantuan creatures have few natural predators and, for the last few years,
protected from hunting and culling, they wander the park in vast herds, causing significant damage to the vegetation in some areas.
The park sprawls across almost 12,000km
2 of extraordinarily diverse landscapes and ecosystems that range from floodplains to marshland and forest, but practically all trips here focus on one key element: the Chobe River. This is the main tributary of the mighty Zambezi, meandering peacefully across the northeast of the park, and boat trips along it – particularly at sunset, when elephants, buffalos and other animals flock down to drink and bathe – are, quite simply, magical.
At the far northeastern point of Chobe National Park, Botswana meets Zimbabwe, Zambia and Namibia. From here, it’s a short drive to Victoria Falls, which people usually visit either immediately before or after Chobe. The largest waterfall in the world, twice the height of Niagara, Victoria Falls is the adventure capital of southern Africa – bungee jumps, rafting and helicopter sightseeing tours are some of the regular optional extras that you’ll find on your itinerary. The spray from ‘the smoke that thunders’ can be seen from miles away in the rainy season, when the sheet of water tumbling down is absolutely torrential. It’s a very popular add-on to a Chobe holiday itinerary.
Kasane is the main gateway to Chobe National Park, and safari holidays here mainly tour the riverside area, known as Serondela, and the Savuti region in the southwest, where the marshes, grasslands and savannah provide habitat for astonishing rates of biodiversity. There are several caves in the hills around Savuti that contain rock paintings thought to have been created by San bushmen in the early 19th century. Game drives are taken in open-sided 4x4s, while accommodations range from chalets to wild camping, with very basic facilities. All camps in Chobe National Park are unfenced, with animals wandering in and out at all times, making for a very authentic experience.