Chobe National Park | (Official GANP Page)

About

Chobe National Park is located in Botswana and has the distinction of being the country’s first national park. Chobe expands across an area of 4,500 square miles (11,700 sq km) making it Botswana’s third-largest protected area. It is a GANP Ambassador Park.

Chobe National Park features four distinct ecosystems, which ends up creating four unique areas of the park for safari travelers. One of the main areas and most frequently experienced is the Serondela area. This is often referred to as the Chobe riverfront.

Victoria Falls visitors often take a day safari trip from Zambia into Botswana spending a half-day on the Chobe River and a half-day on land traveling along the river bed area. Commonly seen are elephants, African Buffalo, giraffes, sable, water monitors, hippopotamuses, crocodiles, and an array of birds.

The Savuti Marsh area is located in the western portion of the park. Cheetah, lion, kudu, warthog, impala, zebra, wildebeest, elephant, rhinoceros, and an array of abundant birdlife are hopeful sightings in this part of the park.

The Linyanti Marsh is located in the northwest corner of the park. Riverine woodlands and open woodlands are part of the make-up of this region of the park. Leopard, wild dog, roan and sable antelope, hippopotamus, elephant, and crocodiles are highlights of this region of the park. Of course, this is another part of the park rich in birdlife.

The dry and hot hinterland encompasses much of the park. It is mostly a Nogatsaa grass woodland, however, it is a place to spot elands that are usually not experienced in other parts of the park.

Photos

Things to See

Chobe National Park is the elephant capital of the world featuring over 50,000 elephants found throughout the park. The Kalahari elephants are the largest species of elephants however the tusks tend to be on the shorter side. Visitors will have a chance to have safari viewing from the water as well as on land.

Travelers arriving at Chobe will quickly get excited when they spot their first herd of elephants. By the end of the day, a typical response sounds something like, “Oh, more elephants.” The enthusiasm for elephant sightings subsides as the day goes on. Elephant sightings in Chobe National Park are the closest thing Africa offers as a wildlife sighting guarantee.

Chobe National Park has one of the greatest concentrations of wildlife found across the entire continent. It is also a bird-lovers paradise with over 460 different species of birds to spot from safari venues offered on land and in the water.

Bird-lovers will appreciate the opportunities that safaris in Chobe afford the bird watching traveler. An array of bird species can be experienced while traveling down the Chobe River and along the river banks such as the Fish Eagle, the Martial Eagle, Kingfisher, pel’s Fishing Owl, and many others. Other birdlife species include Egyptian Geese, Sacred Ibis, and all of the rollers.

Chobe National Park is one of the places where lions can be found hunting elephants. They are usually targeting the younger or weary elephants, but it is more common in Chobe than most any other national park in Africa.

Things To Do

Visitors have an opportunity to explore the wildlife and wildernesss of Chobe in a few different ways. Each offers unique perspectives of both the landscape and the wildlife.

River Safari

The river safari is often part of a full day excursion that includes time on the river as well as on land. The river boats give you a chance to see elephants, hippos, crocodiles, and other wildlife that comes to the river to drink.

Game Drive

Much of the park is explored by 4×4 safari vehicles. A game drive may be combined with a half day of river time viewing wildlife from a boat.

Chobe National Park Trails

Chobe National Park is home to an abundance of predator species. Hiking throughout the park is not permissible. There are no trails. However, there are guided walking safaris which allow you to explore the wilderness and wildlife on foot.

Park Protection

Chobe National Park is a wilderness and wildlife protected area. It is home to one of the largest elephant populations in the world. The park was established to protect the habitat of the elephants and other wildlife speciies living along the Chobe River.

Sources

Chobe National Park, http://www.chobenationalpark.com/, retrieved July 2019
Botswana Tourism, Chobe National Park, http://www.botswanatourism.co.bw/explore/chobe-national-park. retrieved July 2019.
Earth Trekkers, On Safari in Chobe National Park, https://www.earthtrekkers.com/safari-chobe-national-park-botswana/, retrieved June 2020.
Lonely Planet, Chobe National Park, https://www.lonelyplanet.com/botswana/northern-botswana/chobe-national-park, retrieved June 2020.
Okavango Expeditions, Chobe National Park, https://okavangoexpeditions.com/safari-places/chobe-national-park/, retrieved June 2020.