Chobe in August

Winter - It’s still cold enough to really need warm layers for early mornings and evenings. Wild dog puppy season! (The Linyanti concession areas are the best place to see them.) And the numbers of elephant at Chobe Riverside proves why Chobe is rated one of the best places in the world to admire the giants. It’s still high season, which means more park visitors as well as more elephant – so if you want peace, it may be worth paying extra and heading to the further reaches of the park or the private concessions of Linyanti. The Selinda Spillway may have enough water for mokoro paddling. Fishing alert: there’s a barbell run in the Kasai Channel, and it’s still a good time for tigers…

Affordable Chobe holiday

Travellers lucky enough to be armed with strong international currencies should be able to explore Chobe in perfect comfort (sometimes top-end comfort) for a reasonable price – but do remember this is a destination where low-volume, high-income tourism is promoted. As such, some may need to look for ways to keep costs down. Most lodges and camps in Chobe Riverside, Savuti and…

Chobe in November

Summer - Weather is still mostly hot and clear (lows average 20°C; highs 33°C), but “Green Season” begins. The first rains settle the dust (wet, hot African soil smells better than just about anything else on earth). Acacia trees, baobab, sausage tree and apple leaf begin to flower and nutritious grass sprouts up soon after the first showers, triggering calving season. It’s a baby…

Nogatsaa and the Southern Private Concessions

There are two more areas within this 11,700km2 wilderness to explore, both very distinctive and far more remote than the bustle of the Chobe Riverfront. These are Nogatsaa, and Linyanti. Nogatsaa, an off-the-beaten-path sweeping expanse of grasslands with mopane and deciduous woodlands, is only 80km south of Kasane, but feels like another world. There is just one lodge in the area (at…

Why should you visit Chobe?

Fast facts: Chobe and its animal inhabitants have been protected since 1968 The park stretches over 11,700km2 Four of the Big Five roam the bush (and rhino have been reintroduced to Botswana, so chances to see them will increase in years to come) Eyes on the sky: 450+ bird species can be seen More wise and wonderful elephant than anywhere else on Earth Located in a country that has…

Chobe in December

Summer - Humid, with rain. The wetter weather can bring cooler temperatures, so pack a jacket or jersey. The antelope baby boom peaks: by mid-month, most wildebeest, impala, tsessebe and warthog will have dropped their offspring. Good rains will have soaked the earth and termite alates (the ones with wings, often called flying ants) erupt from the ground, sparking bird feeding frenzies.…

Chobe in May

Winter - Some say Botswana is the most beautiful country in Africa this month – and it’s still shoulder season, so specials can be found. Temperatures are definitely cooler in mornings and evenings, take layers. Kasane and the Chobe Riverside will be getting busier as high season approaches. Game of all kinds will start to be drawn to water sources and is easier to see, but it’s…

Popular Chobe National Park Safaris

These popular itineraries can be customised to match your budget and travel dates