Okavango Delta

The Okavango Delta is a unique ecosystem of papyrus-lined waterways, knee-deep floodplains, water-lily lagoons, shady forest glades and rich savannah grasslands. All this fecundity lies in the middle of the largest continuous stretch of sand in the world - the Kalahari Desert Basin. Seen from space as an emerald swirl surrounded by a parched landscape, the Okavango Delta is an incredible source of life in a country that is 80% arid.

The Okavango region contains the state-run Moremi Game Reserve surrounded by a number of strictly controlled, privately managed wildlife concessions. The game viewing on an Okavango Delta safari in all of these areas is no less than outstanding and activities can either be undertaken on foot, in a game-viewing vehicle or in a mokoro (dug-out canoe) or motorised boat. Such varied opportunities in a beautiful and diverse range of habitats, makes the Okavango the best all-encompassing safari destination in the world.

The lure of the Okavango Delta and its extraordinary range of habitats provide the perfect environment for African animals to thrive and people to watch them. Great herds of antelopes, zebra, buffalo and elephants roam the pastures, and lions, leopards, cheetahs and all the other carnivores prosper. A safari tour to Okavango Delta gives visitors some of the best game viewing in Africa.

As the Moremi Game Reserve contains large areas of premanent water, game viewing during the dry season is particularly good as animals are drawn to the permanent water sources. There are no fences between Moremi and the private reserves, so the entire Okavango merges into a unified animal kingdom of grand proportions. Each area has its own particular habitats, resident herds and familiar predators. Night drives in the private reserves often reveal secretive animals like porcupine, pangolin, aardwolf and genet.