Okavango Delta

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500px Photo ID: 137355261 - After the first rains in the Okavango Delta, the mist lays low on the fertile soils of of the Mombo Floodplains. New life for all that have travelled the dusty road waiting for the rain.

Deon De Villiers / 500px

Overview

Welcome to one of Africa’s most extraordinary places. There is something elemental about the Unesco World Heritage–listed Okavango Delta: the rising and falling of its waters; the daily drama of its wildlife encounters; its soundtrack of lion roars, saw-throated leopard barks and the crazy whoop of a running hyena; and the mysteries concealed by its papyrus reeds swaying gently in the evening breeze. Viewed from above on a flight from Maun, the Okavango is a watery paradise of islands and oxbow waterways. At ground level, the silhouettes of dead trees in the dry season give the delta a hint of the apocalypse.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

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    Moremi Game Reserve

    Okavango Delta

    Moremi Game Reserve, which covers one-third of the Okavango Delta, is home to some of the densest concentrations of wildlife in Africa. Best of all, it’s…

  • Wet Lion cub (Panthera Leo) in Okavango swamp, Chiefs Island, Moremi National Park, Botswana Chiefs Island, Lion, Moremi Wildlife Reserve

    Chief's Island

    Okavango Delta

    The largest island in the Okavango Delta, Chief’s Island (70km long and 15km wide) is so named because it was once the sole hunting preserve of the local…

  • Krokavango Crocodile Farm

    Krokavango Crocodile Farm

    Okavango Delta

    It’s difficult to know what to make of this place, not far south of Drotsky’s Cabins (the turn-off from the main Sehithwa–Shakawe road is at GPS S 18°26…

  • Mboma Island

    Mboma Island

    Okavango Delta

    The grassy savannah of this 100-sq-km island, a long extension of the Moremi Tongue, contrasts sharply with the surrounding landscapes and provides some…

  • Third Bridge

    Third Bridge

    Okavango Delta

    Literally the third log bridge after entering the reserve at South Gate (although First Bridge and Second Bridge were, at the time of writing, easy to…

  • Dombo Hippo Pools

    Dombo Hippo Pools

    Okavango Delta

    The drive between North Gate (including Khwai) and Xakanaxa Lediba follows one of Botswana’s more scenic tracks, although the exact route changes with the…

  • Xakanaxa Lediba

    Xakanaxa Lediba

    Okavango Delta

    With one of Africa’s largest heronries, Xakanaxa Lediba is renowned as a birdwatchers’ paradise. In addition to herons, potential sightings here include…

  • Paradise Pools

    Paradise Pools

    Okavango Delta

    One of the prettiest corners of Moremi, the area known as Paradise Pools is as lovely as the name suggests. In the dry season, trails lead past forests of…

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Articles

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Okavango Delta, This delta in north-west Botswana comprises permanent marshlands and seasonally flooded plains. It is one of the very few major interior delta systems that do not flow into a sea., License Type: media, Download Time: 2025-01-27T15:58:43.000Z, User: Ppeterson948, Editorial: false, purchase_order: 56530 - Guidebooks, job: Global Publishing WIP, client: Global Publishing WIP, other: Pia Peterson Haggarty

Destination Practicalities

A first-time guide to the Okavango Delta

Mar 4, 2025 • 10 min read

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