Chobe National Park

Chobe National Park, in the far north of Botswana, is famous for hosting one of the greatest concentrations of elephants in Africa, with tens of thousands roaming the park. Along the life-giving Chobe River, which forms its northern boundary, great herds of elephant, buffalo, hippo and antelope gather to drink and bathe, watched by lions and crocodiles, and the classic and magical way to experience it is on a boat safari at sunset, gliding among the wildlife as the sky blazes over the water.

History

The first people here were the San, whose paintings survive in the rocky hills of the park, and in 1931 a national park was first proposed; the next year 24,000 square kilometres around Chobe were declared a non-hunting area, enlarged to 31,600 two years later. Tsetse fly delayed the plan in 1943, Chobe Game Reserve was created in 1960 and became Botswana's first national park in 1968, and the timber settlements at Serondela and elsewhere were moved out until in 1975 the whole park was free of human activity, with small extensions in 1980 and 1987 (Wikipedia, Chobe National Park).

What's there

• The elephant herds - the huge numbers gathering along the river.
• The boat safari - the sunset cruise among the wildlife on the water.
• The riverfront wildlife - the buffalo, hippos, lions and antelope.
• The birdlife - the abundant birds of the river and floodplain.

When to go

The dry season, May to October, is best, when the wildlife concentrates along the river as inland water sources dry up; the boat safaris are magical at sunset, and the elephant numbers along the Chobe are at their most spectacular late in the dry season.

Good to know

It is more accessible and less exclusive than the Okavango, near the town of Kasane, so it can be busier, with more vehicles and boats, especially the popular sunset cruises. It combines easily with a visit to Victoria Falls just across the borders. The elephant numbers and the sunset boat safaris, though, are genuinely spectacular and among the best in Africa.

Nearby

Victoria Falls, on the Zambia-Zimbabwe border, and the Okavango Delta are within reach.

Key facts