THE OKAVANGO DELTA
Situated in the north-west region of Botswana, the Okavango Delta is the largest inland delta in the world. The Delta consists of a maze of seemingly endless floodplains, channels and islands, which are fed by the Okavango River tumbling out of the Angolian Highlands, over a thousand miles to the north, and eventually sinks into the sands of the northern Kalahari.
It's an unusual and highly relaxing environment, where you can glide silently along in a dugout canoe (mokoro) through a maze of reeds, watch wildlife at eye level, maybe catch a glimpse of the rare Sitatunga Antelope and soak up the sun. Beneath you, the crystal clear water reveals a myriad of fish and aquatic animals and plants.One of the greatest attractions of the Okavango is the spectacular bird life, which is best between the months of October and March when a host of migrant species enters the area.
MOREMI NATIONAL PARK
The Moremi Wildlife Reserve occupies a large portion of the Okavango Delta, it includes regions of permanent swamp, floodplains, islands and two large areas of dry land: Chief's Island, the largest Island of the Okavango Delta, and the Mopane Tongue, which juts out into the Delta. The diverse range of habitats found in this area, where dry scrub rooted on Kalahari sands gives way to reedbeds and lagoons, results in a wide variety of animals and bird life being found.
THE PANHANDLE
This is the area of the Okavango where the river that feeds it is still confined to its banks and to papyrus choked floodplains. As the Okavango River enters Botswana it spreads out slightly and is contained in this broad river and floodplain system for some 65 miles before spreading out into the Okavango Delta.
This area is attractive to birdwatchers (the legendary African Skimmer is sure to be seen there), and to fisherman, as one has access to the well-known fighting Tiger Fish.
CHOBE NATIONAL PARK
Bounded on the north by the mighty Chobe River and on the south by the Okavango, this is the largest park in Botswana. Chobe is justifiably famous for its large concentrations of elephant. In the winter months when the outlying pans are devoid of rainwater the 20,000 elephant resident in the region have to move down to the banks of the Chobe River. A slow drive along the river bank brings one into constant contact with elephants. There are many other species of animals and approximately 430 bird species to be found in the area.
KALAHARI DESERT
The Kalahari occupies two-thirds of Botswana as well as large portions of South Africa, Namibia, Angola and Zambia. Although some parts of the desert receive as much as ten inches of rain a year, there are many years without any rain and the area overall is hot and arid. Much of the Kalahari is closed to outsiders and the central desert areas may be the last refuge of the few remaining Bushmen.
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