Chobe National Park Guide
The Chobe National Park is famous for its abundance in wildlife. The park has no boundary fence. Part of it is located in the town of Kasane and wild animals from the park at times roam into the outskirts of Kasane.
The northern part of the park is bordered by the Chobe River. The abundant water supply makes the Chobe national park a haven for animals and bird life.
What You Can Expect To See
- Plants The rich soil and abundant water supply provides the Chobe park with a large variety of plants.
- Bird life Over 400 species of birds have been recorded in the area, making the park an ideal place for a birding safari.
- Animals At the Chobe National Park you will see: Elephants (lots of them), Zebra, Impala (these guys are all over the park), Lions, Giraffe, Warthog, Hyena, Buffalo, Kudu, Hippos Leopard, Wilderbeast, Crocodile, Chobe bushbuck, Cheetah ....actually there are just too many animals to list here!
Safaris in the Park
The best way to view animals in the Chobe National Park is to take a game drive or boat cruise in the Chobe River.
The boat cruise are organized by the Safari Lodges and you can make your booking with any one of them.
For the game drive you have two options.
- Self Drive Safari - This is where you can drive in the park in your own vehicle. Don't worry , you wont get lost!...maps are available at the park entrance. 4 wheel drive cars are a necessity . If however your vehicle is not a 4 wheel drive, you have the option of renting out one at Avis...located at the Kasane airport. Or make a rental via your the safari lodge . This can usually be done at the reception area.
- The second option is to use one of the Botswana safari tour operators. Simply make your reservations at the safari lodge where you will be staying.
Safari Tips
Below are a few tips that will ensure you get the best possible safari game drive in the Chobe National Park.
- For a view of the Chobe River birds, take the route that runs along the river(the riverfront).
- If you want to see a lot of animals the best time of the year to visit is during the dry months. That is between May and October. This is when rain is scarce and animals are forced to drink at the riverfront. They come in large numbers and can be photographed at close range. During the rainy months you will spot some animals but not as easily as in the dry winter months since.... Animals are scattered throughout the park. The reason for this being that they no longer need to gather at the river as there are many waterholes within the park which serve as alternative sources of water. Its hard to spot the animals in the thick bush that forms in the rainy season. The trees and tall grass hide the animals , especially the lions, leopard and other big cats.
- If you do decide to visit in the rainy season then the best time of the day to do a game drive is either midday or afternoon when temperatures are high. This is when some of the animals will leave the bush and go drink at the river. So to spot them you just have to check out the river front areas....
