EP49: Botswana - exploring an inland delta

In this episode, I continue on this short overland trip from Namibia into Botswana. We travel up to Maun and spend the next two days in Okavango Delta. Okavango Delta is two-million hectares forming an inland delta of the Okavango River in northern Botswana. it is fed by seasonal flooding from rainfall from the Angolan Highlands. The water levels drop by transpiration and evaporation and, therefore, the delta experiences wet and dry seasons along with wet and dry years. The delta is made up of lagoons and deep channels, surrounded by grassland and forested islands. The delta attracts a wide variety of wildlife, including the big five game animals and hippos, antelopes and many bird species. We spent our time being poled through the deep channels on mokoros (dug-out canoes), where I expected to meet head-on with a hippo at any moment. We also did a walking safari on one of the islands and disturbed an unusually flighty herd of elephants.

We continued towards Zimbabwe and stopped at Kasane and visited Chobi River National Park on the Chobi River of course. The Chobe River is the border between Botswana and Namibia. It is a stunning grassland with the river being wide and deep. Chobi is famous for its beautiful sunsets with large elephant herds drinking or bathing the water in the foreground. We viewed the wildlife along the water's edge on boats as a sunset cruise. There were also lots of buffaloes, hippos and different species of antelope. It was definitely a special place to visit.