The Okavango Delta

The Okavango Delta is an area of approximately 6,000 square kilometres. It is a vast network of lagoons, channels and marshland created where the Okavango River descends from the Angolan highlands and enters a vast delta, created when its original passage to the Indian Ocean was blocked by geological movements thousands of years ago. Here the waters disperse, making the Okavango River the largest on earth that does not run into the sea. It is estimated that over 2,000,000 tonnes of silt per annum are washed down into it, causing the bed of the river to constantly change as it searches for a new path. It is this change that over time have created such a huge wetland. It is estimated that less than 5% of the water that enters the delta flows out the other side, only to evaporate in the arid wastes of the Kalahari Desert.

A visit to the Delta is a must for those who wish to enjoy a true Botswana safari. The Delta offers a unique landscape, best enjoyed by the traditional form of transport, the mokoro, a hollowed-out tree canoe that is poled along the shallow channels and lagoons. It is also excellent for walking safaris with an experienced guide. The nature of the terrain ensures complete privacy and exclusivity, nearly all of the camps and lodges requiring air transfers to reach them.

The Deltas swamps are dominated by two plants; the papyrus and the phoenix palm. Through these over 80 species and an estimated 30 million fish - swim in the crystal clear waters. Hippos wallow in the cool waters and crocodiles feast on the fish and any grazing animals they can catch drinking from the maze of waterways. The forest and grasslands that surround the swamps are home to a diverse range of grazing animals enjoying the lush grazing provided by the natural irrigation. This in turn attracts the large cats; lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dogs and hyena all live here on the more open savannah, as do elephant and giraffe.

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