Chobe National Park

Introduction

Proud Impala, Chobe NP, Botswana

© Utrecht

Chobe National Park is located in the northeast of Botswana, between the Okavango Delta/Moremi Game Reserve and the main gateway to Chobe, Kasane. The park is well over 10,000 square kilometers big and is best known fur huge flocks of elephants which roam the area and come to drink water out of the Chobe river during the afternoon. There are also large herds of buffalos near the edge of the river, as well as hippos, lechwes, kudus, impalas and roan antelopes. Although from Kasane it is possible to reach the park and the first part of the park by normal vehicle, if you want to travel further and cross the Chobe National Park towards Maun, this will mean you have to travel by well equipped 4wd. As a consequence, many people visit the park from lodges in or near Kasane, and some parts get very crowded, mainly during the high season.

Opening Hours

Park entrance fees apply. Often these are included with the tour price, if you are on a guided tour.

Getting There and Around

There are a multitude of tours operating from Kasane and from both sides of the falls at Victoria Falls and Livingstone.

Tours operating from Victoria Falls will transfer you to the common river border between Zambia, Zimbabwe and Botswana. A short boat crossing puts you in Botswana, only five minutes drive from Kasana and the Safari lodges.

The day-tours are often half a day by boat and half a day on land. The boat trip will allow you to see some crocodiles, and elephants and close quarters. The boat operators tend to keep their distance a little more from the hippos. You can expect to see a far greater variety of wildlife on land.

The roads are poorly developed, and a 4-wheel-drive properly equipped vehicle is essential if you want to drive yourself. There is a one-way system for getting around the park near Kasane. Read the signs at the entrance.

There is an abundance of safari-vehicles that will drive you around from Kasane or the safari lodges.

Sleep

• Chobe Chilwero Lodge borders the Chobe National Park and is situated above Chobe River, offering some good views. It is luxury accommodation and therefore not really cheap, but this is the case with most establishments in Botswana.
• Chobe Game Lodge is overlooking the Chobe River and the Caprivi floodplains, it is the only permanent safari lodge within the Chobe National Park.