The Okavango: a river that never reaches the sea
Each year the Okavango River spills into the Kalahari and spreads into a fan of channels, lagoons and islands the size of a small country. The wildlife follows the water, and so should you.
Why the Okavango
The Delta's water arrives from rain that fell in Angola six months earlier. It reaches the top of the fan around March and spreads south through winter, peaking in June and July, exactly when Botswana's own rains have stopped and the surrounding Kalahari is dry. So the Delta is at its fullest in the dry season, and everything that walks, swims or flies converges on it.
What makes it unlike anywhere else is the mix of land and water. In the same camp you can take a game drive at dawn through mopane woodland for lion and wild dog, then glide through papyrus channels by mokoro in the afternoon with a frog on every reed and an elephant feeding in the shallows. The concessions are private and vehicle numbers are tiny; at most sightings you will be alone.
The costs are real: Delta camps are among the most expensive in Africa, and you cannot drive in. But for many people this is the single best safari destination on the continent, and a three-camp circuit here is the trip they talk about for the rest of their lives.
What you will see
Elephant, in large numbers. Hippo and crocodile in every channel. Red lechwe, the antelope of the floodplains, bounding through the shallows; sitatunga in the deepest papyrus. Lion, leopard, and one of Africa's best wild dog populations, especially in Moremi and the eastern concessions. Buffalo herds in the dry season. Birds beyond counting: fish eagles, Pel's fishing owl, carmine bee-eaters, wattled cranes, and the lilac-breasted roller on every other bush.
Mokoro, boats, lechwe, hippo, birds; the inner Delta around Xigera and Vumbura.
Game drives, predators, buffalo; Moremi, Khwai, Chitabe, the Kwando.
The best of both; many camps on the Delta's edge offer water and land.
Moremi and Khwai are the places to look.
Where in the Delta
- Moremi Game Reserve: the public, protected eastern third. Chief's Island and the Khwai River area give classic game drives and the strongest predator viewing. Self-drivers with 4x4s can camp here.
- Private concessions: the rest of the Delta is divided into large concessions, each with one or two camps. The inner Delta (Xigera, Jao, Vumbura) is water-dominated; the edges (Chitabe, Khwai, Santawani, Kwando) are land-dominated with more game drives.
- Panhandle: the river's entry point in the north-west, with houseboats, fishing and birding rather than big game.
When to go
- June to August: the flood is at its peak, mokoro trips are at their best, days are warm and nights cold. Peak prices; book nine to twelve months ahead.
- September to October: the water recedes, the heat builds, and game viewing on the land areas is the best of the year as animals crowd the remaining channels.
- November to March: the rains, with a green, hot landscape, newborn animals and dramatic skies. Water activities are limited where the flood has not yet arrived. Rates fall sharply, by a third to a half.
- April to May: the flood arriving, the bush drying, the prices still below peak. Very good value.
How to do it
Fly-in safari. Fly to Maun via Johannesburg, then light aircraft to your camp airstrip. The standard itinerary is two or three camps of three nights each, mixing a water camp, a land camp and perhaps Chobe or the Kalahari. Everything is included and arranged by the operator.
Mobile safari. A guided camping circuit through Moremi, Khwai and on to Savuti and Chobe, with a crew who set up camp. Far cheaper than fly-in camps, with a lot of wildlife and a lot of driving.
Self-drive. Possible in Moremi and Khwai for experienced 4x4 drivers with recovery gear; campsites must be booked far ahead. Not a first-timer's option.
Where to stay
- Luxury concession camps: eight to twelve tents, exclusive traversing rights, all-inclusive. The classic Delta experience and the most expensive.
- Mid-range camps in Khwai and on the Moremi edge: community-run and smaller operators offering similar wildlife at lower prices.
- Maun lodges: for a night either side of the flights, with day trips and scenic flights over the Delta.
Tips
- Mix water and land camps; a trip of only water camps can be short on predators.
- Pack for cold mornings in June and July: beanie, gloves, a fleece and a windproof layer for the open vehicle.
- Light aircraft have strict luggage limits, usually 20 kg in soft bags. Leave the hard case in Johannesburg.
- Take the scenic helicopter or plane flight if you can; the Delta only makes sense from above.
- Insist on medical evacuation cover. Camps are hours from a hospital.
Book this trip
The Delta is booked through specialists who know the camps and the flood. Our partner links are being finalised.
Checked October 2026. Entry rules, fees and seasons change; confirm with official sources before you book.
