In the north of Botswana forming part of the country's border with neighbouring Namibia lies one of the most renowned national parks in Southern Africa - Chobe National Park. Named after the Chobe River which runs along its northernmost border, this is Botswana's oldest national park and its third largest, with some of the highest concentrations of wildlife in the country.

The Chobe River itself is an enigma. It begins its life as a spring in the Angolan highlands before moving south, fed by annual rains, where it becomes the Kwando River. As it meanders through an area of swampland it changes its name to the Linyanti before taking the name Chobe close to the border post of Ngoma, becoming swollen with backwash from the mighty Zambezi which it joins near the town of Kasane - the gateway to Chobe National Park.

It's this last stretch of river that provides the park's most spectacular wildlife sightings, especially where elephants are concerned. Chobe is legendary for its huge herds of elephants which move freely across the river onto islands in its main channel and over to neighbouring Namibia. The river's floodplains here are wide and lush, filled with grasses and its banks are flanked by forests of tall riparian trees. 

All along the river life is abundant, with hippos and crocodiles aplenty, large herds of buffalo and plains game such as zebra, wildebeest, kudu and impala as well as apex predators like lion and leopard, with lots of spotted hyena as well. 

This is also the most busy area of Chobe, thanks to its proximity to Kasane, with a lot of activity along the river up until the border of the national park where things quieten down as only certain operators are allowed to use the river inside the national park itself.

One of these is the beautiful Chobe Game Lodge, located inside the national park with unrivalled access to stretches of the river not available to day visitors. Using solar powered game viewing boats, this wonderful resort-style lodge is a champion of sustainability and offers an amazing entry point to this incredible national park.

In the northwest of the park lay the Savute and Linyanti regions which are famed for their cheetah and painted wolves (African wild dog). Savute Safari Lodge is located in the heart of the Savute region and offers an immersive experience in this unique and startlingly beautiful area of Chobe, which is more arid and dry than the region along the river's banks. Likewise, the Linyanti area and private concession are renowned for their predators and phenomenal birding, with more than 450 species to see.

Wherever you go in Chobe National Park you are guaranteed of pristine wilderness filled with a rich diversity of wildlife species offering some of the most exciting safari experiences in Africa. It's made up of a cornucopia of different eco-systems and biomes that make each region of the park unique and special.

Talk to us about including Chobe National Park in your Best African Safaris Botswana adventure or click here for more info on our current special offers...