Chobe National Park, Botswana

Chobe National Park has the highest density of elephants in Africa. During the dry season, herds of thousands gather along the Chobe River, the only permanent water source for hundreds of kilometres. Standing on a boat on the river at dusk watching a herd of 200 elephants wade in to drink is the specific Chobe experience that photographs approximate but cannot replicate; the scale of it becomes physical rather than representational.

The Park

Chobe covers 11,700 square kilometres in northwest Botswana, where four countries meet: Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. The primary access point is Kasane, a border town with airport connections from Johannesburg and Nairobi. The park divides into several distinct regions:

The Chobe Riverfront near Kasane is the most visited area and the easiest access for the boat cruises and game drives that combine elephant viewing with hippos, crocodiles, and the park’s 450-plus bird species. The sunset boat cruises departing from Kasane are the standard introduction.

Savuti, deep in the interior, is a different landscape: a seasonal marsh that fills during wet years and drains in dry ones. The drama of Savuti’s predator-prey dynamics, particularly lion and wild dog activity, attracts visitors who specifically want to go beyond the elephant-focused riverfront experience. Savuti requires either a fly-in or a multi-day drive.

Linyanti in the northwest is another area of permanent water supporting large wildlife concentrations, generally less visited than the Chobe Riverfront.

When to Go

May through October is the dry season: game concentrations around water sources are the highest and viewing is the most productive. July and August are peak season; book months ahead. November through April is the wet season, greener and less crowded, with bird diversity at its highest.

Combining with Victoria Falls

Victoria Falls is 70 kilometres from Kasane, across the Zimbabwe border. Combining Chobe with a Victoria Falls visit is the standard southern Africa itinerary pairing; the two sites complement each other and the logistics (both served by Kasane airport) are straightforward.