The Chobe River rises in the northern Angolan highlands and travels enormous distances through Kalahari sands before reaching Botswana where it is known as the Linyanti and then the Chobe
CHOBE NATIONAL PARK

The Chobe River rises in the northern Angolan highlands and travels enormous distances through Kalahari sands before reaching Botswana where it is known as the Linyanti and then the Chobe. Like the Okavango and Zambezi, the Chobe’s course is affected by fault lines, which are extensions of East Africa’s Great Rift Valley. These three mighty rivers carry more water than all other rivers in Southern Africa and naturally attract a huge quantity of wildlife.

The Chobe National Park is bordered by the Chobe River and the Moremi Game Reserve and encompasses 11,000 sq km (4,500 sq miles) of river flood plains, open pans and riverine woodlands. The good grazing land and the plentiful supply of water attracts exceptionally large herds of elephant, buffalo, wildebeest, kudu, impala, zebra and of course the predators that follow in their wake.

In such varied habitat bird life is prolific and there are 440 bird species found in the river area, including many rare and unusual species. Keep an eye out for the African skimmer, the tiny and exquisitely coloured malachite kingfishers and Pel’s fishing owl.

Where the Chobe River is known as the Linyanti, great trees dwarf swampland, lagoons, reeds and papyrus – the perfect habitat for the handsome roan antelope with its chestnut coat and curving horns. During the dry season, from May to October, huge quantities of game shift from the Chobe area to the Linyanti area. In the south west of the park the Savuti plains are famous for the numerous & much studied lion, hyena, cheetah and leopard, you may also be lucky enough to see wild dog.

Chobe really is one of the great African national parks. Elephant, buffalo and lion are numerous, many rare animals and birds are to be found, animal behaviour is specialised and therefore particularly fascinating, and the sunsets are spectacular. The best time to visit is from May to September, the dry season; be aware that during the wet months even 25,000 elephant can disappear into a park this size.