OKAVANGO DELTA
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The Okavango Delta in Botswana is the largest inland delta in the world. Instead of flowing into the sea, the annual flood of fresh water flows inland, spreading over 15 000kmē of the Kalahari sand in a maze of lagoons and channels.
The Okavango Delta, in the midst of the Kalahari sands, is Africa's largest and most beautiful oasis. The River Okavango, which rises in the highlands of Angola, never reaches the sea; instead, its mighty waters empty over the sand of the Kalahari Desert. Here the thirstland of the south meets a blue-green wilderness of fresh water, with emerald reedbeds and towering trees.
Apart from the beauty of this amazing wetland habitat, game viewing is excellent throughout the year. The heart of the Okavango is the Moremi Game Reserve. All the major ecotones of the Okavango are preserved within this reserve. Outside of and around the Moremi Game Reserve are large private reserves (known locally as concessions) that are leased out by the government of Botswana to African safari companies under strict guidelines and carrying capacities (number of guests permitted).
These large private concessions offer the highest quality, exclusive African safari experience, with massive tracts of pristine wilderness and a feeling of privacy almost impossible to find anywhere else in Africa today. One can go out all day on game drive or in mokoro (dugout canoe) in most areas and not see another soul besides the animals in the bush and on the savannah.
Because the Okavango Delta always has a certain amount of water, even in it's 'dry' season, water based activities are on offer at many of the African safari camps here. Botswana safaris using boat and mokoro are an activity that should definitely be experienced by all who visit this wetland paradise. We also suggest walking safaris here as the guides are superb and the feeling of being on foot in Africa's wilderness are like nothing else we've tried.
For big game (lions, elephant, buffalo, etc), the Okavango is hard to beat and ornithologists will be in their own paradise here with over 400 species recorded, including many Okavango specials and lots of migrants during the summer months!
The crystal clear waters support many kinds of fish and it is a birder's paradise. This popular attraction is at its most impressive in August when the champagne-coloured water is at its deepest. Most of the young are born between November and March when the vegetation is lush.
The heart of the delta is accessed by air only and as it is an exclusive destination, it remains relatively unpopulated and wild.
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