Tucked away in the northeastern corner of Botswana, on the banks of the famous Chobe River, the quaint little town of Kasane rests on the doorstep of the spectacular Chobe National Park . There are no boundary fences separating the village from the park and game such as elephant and warthog are often spotted roaming around the town and hippos at times come onto land to help themselves to the lush grass of manicured lawns. Wildlife such as the elusive wild dog have been seen along the tar roads on the outskirts of town. Within Kasane behind the police station, an ancient baobab tree stands on display, once serving as a local prison. Visitors can look forward to a multitude of activities including game drives through the park, taking a sunset cruise down the Chobe River, visiting a local village or jumping on a day trip to the breathtaking Victoria Falls. Kasane is strategically located close to the Namibian, Zambian and Zimbabwean borders.
The Chobe Riverfront is an elephant mecca; home to the largest density of African elephants in the world. Travel here during winter and you’ll fast run out of fingers and toes while you count them drinking at the riverbanks and socialising out on the floodplains.
Thanks to its ease of access from Victoria Falls, the Chobe Riverfront is the busiest part of Botswana (though still a much quieter affair than most South or East African safaris). What Chobe lacks in solitude during the busier months, it more than makes up for with quality game viewing.
Chobe will leave you feeling tiny as giant elephant bulls stroll up next to your vehicle or snorkel alongside your boat. It will make you feel lost as hundreds of hippos and buffaloes crowd you out on the floodplains. It will put your heart in your throat as prides of lions stalk antelopes by the water’s edge, and it will leave you alone with your thoughts while the classic red sunsets melt over the river to a soundtrack of whistling fish eagles.
Chobe is not just a great introduction to Botswana. It also makes a rewarding repeat journey once you’ve ticked off the big stuff. It’s a place to search for the rare sable antelope, to spot that gem from the birders’ bucket list and to explore the remoter corners.
Where you stay in Chobe makes a huge difference to your safari experience. The most affordable options are at bigger hotels in a town setting where you’ll share your game drives with a few more vehicles. On the more exclusive end, stay in a wilder area in or around the park, listen to the sounds of the bush at night and get a head start on accessing the park for activities.
Zambezi National Park is a National Park located upstream, just 5km from Victoria Falls on the Zambezi River in Zimbabwe and comprises 40km of Zambezi River frontage. It was split off from Victoria Falls National Park in 1979 and is 56,000 hectares (140,000 acres) in size. The park is bisected by a road to Kazungula, dividing it into a riverine side and a Chamabondo Vlei side. Most of the park is within the ecoregion of Zambezian and Mopane woodlands, while a small portion in the south is within the Zambezian Baikiaea woodlands.
The Zambezi National Park plays host to a wide variety of larger mammals including African elephant, lion, Cape buffalo and leopard. In addition to these charismatic members of the "big 5" there are herds of sable antelope, common eland, common zebra, Southern giraffe, greater kudu, waterbuck and impala. In addition, many species of smaller wildlife can be seen here.
If you have dreamt of an Africa with expansive plains and wide horizons, where elephant and buffalo traipse in huge numbers towards waterholes and giraffe browse from flat topped acacias while a blazing sun sets behind them… you can find it in Hwange.
As Zimbabwe’s largest national park, Hwange has a sizeable reputation that it wholeheartedly deserves.
The sight of hundreds, if not thousands of elephants and buffalos streaming towards you as you sit at a waterhole is indescribable. There is nothing like the sound of elephants' peaceful rumbling or the deep thundering of buffalo hooves on hard ground when they spook, wary of lions that may lie in wait.
This sight and sound of a waterhole in the midst of pristine wilderness visited by huge numbers of animals is typical of Hwange. Beyond the sights and sounds, the feeling of Hwange is what will remain with you: awe and peace from spending time in a true, preserved wilderness.
Hwange’s diverse habitats mean that it offers large numbers of desert adapted, plains and woodland animals. The famed elephant population is one of the largest in the world and it has plentiful predator populations such as lion, leopard and cheetah. Hwange also boasts one of Africa’s last strongholds of endangered African wild dogs.
Hwange offers the opportunity to see a variety of rare antelope such as eland, sable, roan and if you are lucky the desert-adapted oryx (gemsbok).
Apart from the variety of species and its beautiful setting, Hwange is unique in its ease of access. The park begins a mere hour from Victoria Falls and there is a range of accommodation across every price point. The North typically offers a mix of private lodging and National Park chalets, as well as a well-maintained road network. Hwange’s more southern concessions are generally private, offering luxury lodges and camps.
As previously described
As previously described
