The Okavango Delta in Botswana is the world’s largest inland delta. It has no outlet to the sea and empties onto the sands of the Kalahari Desert. The water entering the delta is unusually pure, on account of a lack of agriculture and industry along the river. It passes through the sand aquifers of the numerous delta islands and evaporates by leaving enormous quantities of salt behind. These precipitation processes are so strong that the vegetation disappears in the center of the islands. Okavango "the river that never finds the sea" The Okavango Delta is one of the world's great natural phenomena - a series of permanent and fleeting waterways and floodplains, which occupy an otherwise sandy corner of northern Botswana. One of the best ways to get a true feeling for the vast spaces of the delta, which spans an area the size of Wales, and teems with African animals is to see it from above. Rivers and pools strewn with lily pads sparkle like ribbons interspersed by wild animals. You can even see the fish as they wiggle through the crystal-clear water below. Home to the full spectrum of African big-game animals, the Okavango delta has earned its reputation as one of the world's premier wilderness areas. Range from the most primitive safari camps, to luxury lodges and camps. Maun - The gateway to the Okavango is via Maun by air on the southern extremity of the delta. Maun International Airport is serviced by Air Botswana and there are direct flights to Johannesburg in South Africa. The modern town has all the supplies and equipment for the intrepid traveller — stores shopping centre's, filling stations selling fuel, with a range of hotels, lodges and restaurants.as well as a variety of car and 4 x 4 vehicle hire companies
The Okavango Delta must be one of the greatest experiences on offer in southern Africa. The Okavango Delta is a series of flood plains, waterways and rivers, that gets its water from Angola 6 months after the rain season. The Okavango Delta is not only extremely beautiful and peaceful, but also home to a large variety of animal and bird species. The best time to visit the Okavango Delta for game viewing is in the winter months, when the water levels are at its highest. The summer months attract a large variety of bird species and is a wonderful experience with less mammals, as they migrate north to larger quantities of water. We start the day with a breakfast, before heading into the Okavango Delta with 4x4 open-sided game viewing vehicles which will take us all the way into the park to the edge of the water channels. Here we meet the local guides (polers), and we transfer all the equipment and our personal belongings into mokoros (traditional dug out canoes), which we use to glide down the water channels deeper into the Delta. Camping in the Okavango Delta is an amazing experience in its own. There are no campsites in the concession that we visit, which means that we do free or bush camping. There will be no fences, no running water, no showers, no buildings and no electricity. We camp in the wild with only what we take with us. We enjoy a light lunch after setting up camp. It is normally very warm by this time of the day (especially in the summer), which means that we will have to cool off. The Okavango Delta offers fantastic natural swim pools in the smaller rivers, with white sand and crystal clear water. Every day we will do early morning and late afternoon game walks, searching for as many different animal species as possible. The guides will explain more about all the animals, their tracks, the vegetation and the Delta during these walks. You may have the opportunity to get as close (safety first) to the wildlife of the Okavango Delta. After dinners you can relax around a campfire, while listening to the nocturnal animals calling out in the night. We often hear elephants rumbling, lions roaring and jackals and hyenas crying out in the night. You start your last morning in the Okavango delta with a cup of coffee before doing your final game walk. After the walk you will enjoy a quick breakfast, break down camp, and then return with the mokoros to the place where the 4x4 vehicles will meet you. Your guide will prepare a light lunch on return to camp in Maun. This afternoon you have the opportunity to do an optional one hour game flight over the Okavango Delta. This is another fantastic experience. It is amazing how much distance the small planes cover in an hour, and how much wildlife you see from the skies during the flight. Remember to take your camera, as you can take good photos during a flight.
Every year rains in the highlands of Angola fill the Kavango River, starting a chain reaction which, five months later, turns the dry, dusty floodplains in the north of Botswana into a waterlogged paradise. This is the Okavango Delta, a wonder of the natural world, whose life-giving waters can be seen from space, creating a green Eden in the parched thirstlands of the Kalahari basin. The Okavango Delta’s Moremi Game Reserve - In the eastern section of this miracle lies the Moremi Game Reserve, arguably one of the most beautiful national parks in Africa. Okavango Delta safaris have earned international acclaim because of this amazing game reserve. Here, in 4,871 square kilometres of floodplains, mopane woodland, acacia forests and wooded islands, is one of the greatest diversities of African plants and animal life. This Okavango Delta safari gem encompasses some 20% of the Okavango Delta and contains within its borders Chief's Island, a vast sand spit more than 1000 km sq in size and the largest land mass in the Delta, which never floods. This used to be the hunting ground of Chief Moremi, the reserve’s namesake, but is now home to large herds of buffalo which thrive on the sweet grasses which grow around its rain-filled pans. Okavango Delta Birding Safaris - Okavango Delta safaris are renowned for the prolific birdlife you will encounter. Water birds abound, and rare sightings include the elusive Pel’s fishing owl. The treed islands are home to some colourful characters such as paradise flycatchers, plum-coloured starlings and Botswana’s national bird – the beautiful lilac-breasted roller. See the best of what this incredible destination has to offer. 7 days of safari magic, from the expansive Makgadikgadi pans, through the intertwined rivers and deltas of the Okavango to the huge herds and apex predators of the Chobe region.
