Okavango Delta

The Okavango Delta in Botswana is one of the last totally unspoiled Wildlife areas in Africa.
The area was once part of Lake makgadikgadi, an ancient lake that dried up some 10,000 years ago. Today, the Okavango River has no outlet to the sea. Instead, it empties onto the sands of the Kalahari Desert, irrigating 15,000 km² of the desert. Each year some 11 cubic kilometers of water reach the delta.

The delta’s floods are fed from the Angolan rains, which start in October and finish sometime in April. The floods only cross the border between Botswana and Namibia in December and will only reach the bottom end of the delta (Maun) sometime in July. Islands have been known to completely disappear during the peak flood, then reappear at the end of the season. The water entering the delta is unusually pure, due to the lack of agriculture and industry along the Okavango River.

This has created a unique system of water ways that now supports a vast array of animal and plant life that would have otherwise been a dry Kalahari savanna. Animal sightings in the Delta is phenomenal and whether it’s spotting buffalo on land from your 4 x 4 vehicle or hippos from your Mokoro (canoe traditionally dug out of a large tree trunk), you will not be disappointed. Bird life is prolific and safari experiences are never boring!

The Okavango Delta peoples consist of five ethnic groups, each with its own ethnic identity and language. There are also several Bushmen groups represented by a handful of people.

The accommodation on offer ranges from basic camping to 5* Lodges offering exquisite rooms and unforgettable cuisine.