The dazzling, deep blue Chobe River, while protecting the 10 700 km2 of the northern Kalahari Desert, runs for 60kms through the Chobe National Park. It is the lifeblood of this vast, sometimes dry region. Along its shores are areas of sandy terrain, lush floodplains, dense forests of cathedral mopane trees, and seemingly endless broadleaf woodlands. All of which are home to one of the largest concentrations of game in Africa. Massive elephant herds with some of the largest elephants on the continent migrate here from the Caprivi Strip in Namibia, and the Zambezi floodplains of Zambia and Zimbabwe, as well as huge herds of Cape Buffalo. The river can often be the best place to watch game. Animals can be seen on the riverfront all year, but during the dry season, especially in September and October, their numbers can grow enormously. 

Hippos, crocodiles and leguvaans which can grow up to 1,5M in length, are some of the obvious creatures to be seen. But all the animals come down to the river to drink. You may see baboon, gentle giraffe, hyena, lechwe, impala, majestic kudu, puku and sable along the river’s edge. Even solitary leopards may be found lapping there, as well as warthog, waterbuck, the rare painted wild dog, blue wildebeest, and zebra. With so much game concentrated in one place the chances of seeing predators like lion hunting for a meal are high.

With the haunting cry of the African fish eagles as the soundtrack, the river front can also be the perfect place for twitchers. Bird lovers will delight in the over 450 species of bird that live here. Among them are storks, wire-tailed swallows, bee-eaters. and the stunning white-backed night herons.

The Serondela area in the north-east, otherwise known as the Chobe Riverfront, can provide some of the best animal interactions you’ll ever see whether you’re in a houseboat, a motorboat or in a 4x4 driving along the banks. Chobe National Park can quite legitimately lay claim to being one of the best national parks in Africa. Its beauty is unparalleled thanks to its wide variety of landscape and its abundance of game.