Greater Okavango Delta

The Greater Okavango Delta

Central and Southern Okavango

The permanently and seasonally flooded areas within the central and southern Okavango hide within their cloak of beautiful lagoons, backwaters and forested islands some of the finest safari camps in the world. Down the length of the Delta these safari camps offer visitors a range of activities. The northern and central camps tend to concentrate on aquatic activities such as fishing and mokoro safaris, while the southern camps offer terrestrial activities, such as game drives and walks. Some camps outside the Moremi National Park boundary offer night boat rides to see the crocodiles and birds. The eyes of the crocodiles are highly reflective and it is terrifying to see just how many there are out there.

Elephant-back Safaris
Specialized establishments can be found in the Okavango offering anything from bird watching to elephant-back safaris. These elephant safaris, reputed to have been the first of their kind in Africa, were started at Abu’s Camp.

The Panhandle, Tsolido and Western Okavango

Known as the Cubango, the Okavango River rises in the rain-drenched Bie Plateau in northeastern Angola, also the source of the Chobe, Congo and Zambezi rivers. From here it flows south gaining momentum as it courses across 1300km (800 miles) of Kalahari sand before changing its name to the Okavango when it crosses Namibia’s Caprivi Strip and enters Botswana at Mohembo. The Okavango River flows between two parallel faults which form a shallow valley just over 10km (7 miles) wide. Within this constriction, aptly known as the Panhandle, the river flows straight for 95km (59 miles). Then just beyond the tiny village of Seronga on its northeastern bank, the river crosses the Gomare Fault, which releases it to spill its waters into the huge Delta.

Shakawe
Since the early 1990s, the Panhandle has become more accessible with the tarring of the Maun/Shakawe road and with the establishment of numerous camps and lodges along the riverbank. With the Panhandle being deep and fast-flowing it is ideal for both the fighting tigerfish and delicious bream. Seventeen species of fish can be caught here, and they are all prized by anglers. Bird watching is also outstanding in the region’s tall, shady, riverine forests, and many resident and migratory birds can be seen along the river. A visit to the Panhandle would not be complete without an excursion to the Tsodilo Hills, and most of the camps in the Shakawe and Panhandle area can arrange either fly-in or fourwheel- drive day or overnight excursions to this incredible archeological gallery.

Tsodilo Hills
In the flat barren landscape of the western Kalahari, some 50km (31 miles) west of the village of Sepupa on the banks of the Panhandle, the sheer quartzite cliff faces of the four Tsodilo Hills rise abruptly out of the sand. In this haunting place evidence of ancient human habitation is rich. There are well over 3500 paintings charting 25,000 years of occupancy, making this one of the most important rock art sites in Africa. There are four individual hills at Tsodilo. The tallest is known as the Male Hill and reaches up almost 400m (1310ft). Next to it is the Female Hill, behind which is a small hill called, predictably, the Child Hill. Beyond these three is a much smaller unnamed knoll, which legend has it was the Male Hill’s first wife who was discarded when he met and married the taller Female Hill. The track to Tsodilo Hills is extremely rough and suitable only for four-wheel-drive vehicles. The turning off the main Maun/Shakawe road is just south of Sepupa and is indicated with a National Museum signpost. There are no designated camp sites in the area and camping is permitted anywhere, but again, be sure to treat Tsodilo with respect. There are several small villages on the main Maun/ Shakawe road, some of which were settled by Hambukushu refugees who fled the war in Angola in the late 1960s. These people brought with them the skill of weaving and this area is now the centre of Botswana’s most important craft industry – basket weaving.

Gumare
The traditional village of Gumare is 260km (160 miles) from Maun. Because of its central location it was chosen as the site for the region’s small hospital, and it is well worth stopping here on your way through to see the weavers and to buy their wares.

Lake Ngami
Like the Makgadikgadi pans to the east, Lake Ngami is a relic of the superlake that once covered much of northern Botswana. There are vast reedbeds on the edges of the lake, which die down to crumbling debris during the dry periods, only to regrow once the rains return. This cycle causes a bed of rotting vegetation to accumulate, making the waters of the lake extremely nutritious and attracting an array of birds. In good years the number of these water birds swells dramatically, accounting for the lake’s reputation as the most prolific birding area in the world. There are no tourist facilities at Lake Ngami, but for those with four-wheel-drive vehicles it can be an interesting excursion on the way to the Panhandle. There are various unmarked turn-offs to the lake, veering south off the main Maun/Shakawe road between Toteng and Sehitwa, which is 95km (58 miles) from Maun.