Okavango Delta

Overview Tours & Safaris Camps & Lodges Travel Tips Wildlife

Okavango Delta

Tips & Planning

There are several dozen camps and lodges in and around the Okavango Delta. Different locations deliver different experiences so combine two or more accommodations for a comprehensive Okavango Delta travel experience. Camps in the Chobe National Park and the Kalahari are easily accessed from the Okavango Delta and it’s simple to begin or start an Okavango Delta safari from Victoria Falls.

Choose your camp carefully

Accommodation in the Okavango Delta is broadly divided between water-based camps and land-based ones. Water-based camps have access to permanent water and offer year-round boat and mokoro (canoe) safaris. Several offer non-motorised activities only. A few water-based camps feature 4X4 game drives at certain times of year.

Land-based camps are located at the edge of the delta and focus on game drives. Some offer water activities during the flood season but several camps are some distance from permanent water. A combination of both kinds of camp makes a diverse itinerary, and you can also choose camps that offer a mix of game drives and water activities throughout the year.

Choose your time of year carefully

Ensure your Okavango Delta travel expectations are met by carefully considering what time of year you visit. Water levels are highest in early winter (May to August) which is when the weather is coolest and driest. This is the best time to enjoy water activities and game viewing is very good, as it is all through winter. If you visit in September and October, you’ll need to be able to cope with high temperatures. Many land-based lodges are unable to offer their boating activities from now until the next year’s floods.

The summer rains that arrive from November mean you’ll possibly get wet on occasion but bird watchers will find summer the best time for birding in the Okavango Delta. Game viewing in summer is not as prolific as it is during winter.

Best Time to Visit the Okavango Delta

JAN/ FEB/ MAR/ APR
Peak rainy season; excellent bird watching
MAY/ JUN/ JUL/ AUG
Cold & dry winter & high water season – good time for water activities & game viewing
SEP/ OCT
Hot & dry weather, low water levels, great for land-based game viewing
NOV/ DEC
Early rainy season, very low water levels, limited water activities
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Top Experiences

Various Activities offered in the Delta

1. Sit Back in a Mokoro

Steered by a local guide, your flat-bottomed mokoro (canoe) takes you into the delta’s shallow wetlands – great for birding & photography. Contact us for more info about lodges and high water seasons.

2. Walk the Delta

Guided nature walks on the islands of the Okavango Delta are a highlight for many visitors – you’ll learn about medicinal trees, look for rare birds, identify animal tracks & get to see some animals.

3. Cruise the River

Swop an afternoon game drive for a motor boat safari, a great way to discover the delta. You’ll spot hippos & crocodiles plus dozens of different birds & finish the day at the best sunset spots.

4. Get Romantic

Breathtaking scenery, stunning sunsets plus super-exclusive accommodation: the Okavango Delta is one of the most romantic destinations in Africa. Honeymooners can expect private dining, spa pampering & plenty of romantic surprises.

5. Go Bird Watching

An amazing birding destination in general & always great for raptors, it’s during the summer months that Savuti explodes with colour & noise as migrant species such as carmine bee-eaters arrive.

6. Go on a Game Drive

Led by a professional guide, 4X4 game drives give you the best chances of seeing big game in the drier areas of the delta. Several lodges have a great reputation for vehicle-based game viewing; private reserves offer night drives & off-road driving too – ask us for the best ones.

7. Search for Wild Dogs

The delta’s grassy floodplains are packed with antelope, making them classic hunting territory for the highly endangered wild dog, one of the most sought-after sightings on an African safari. Head for the drier margins of the delta or ask us for recommendations.

8. Drop a Line Overboard

Whether you are a keen angler or just fancy trying your luck, many lodges offer fishing as an activity. It’s mostly catch-&-release but you can fish for your supper too. Serious fishermen will want to experience the delta’s infamous catfish run – get more info.

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Reviews

Karina was absolutely instrumental to our safari success.

Our experience with Safari Online was excellent. After becoming very frustrated trying to search for a safari destination on our own, we turned to Karina for help and she was a lifesaver. She responded to our requests promptly and gave us several options with links to each option; we ultimately chose Lukimbi. She then coordinated our flights to and from the property, arranged the drivers necessary to get us from the airport to the lodge and back again, and sent the appropriate paperwork to each of us to verify each step of the process. We had an amazing safari adventure at the lodge–the experience of a lifetime–and are so grateful for her help. We literally couldn’t have done it without her!

Chris
Perfect

We are six older but experienced travellers who usually do our own planning. Luck led us to Safari Online and Walter. His ideas proved spot on. Throughout our planning Safari Online have been helpful, always answering emailed questions, no matter how basic, straightaway. We’ve had probably our best ever holiday in years of travel, everything went smoothly. Pickups and transfers were on time. Staff in all the places we stayed were friendly and helpful. I can’t think of one adverse remark except maybe seeing a lion that wasn’t asleep, though I think if it could have been arranged Walter would have done so.

Jennifer
Excellent service and support for our Africa vacation

Working with Walter was a great experience. He listened to us and helped us build a vacation that exceeded all of our expectations. We really appreciated his professionalism and attention to detail.

Dan
Professional, patient, efficient and responsive. Met all our travel needs and requirements spot on

Communication was excellent – I asked A LOT of questions and did a ton of research myself and Walter was extremely patient with me and very responsive. he was straight forward and extremely professional.  Tour itself was excellent – an incredible experience and one never to be forgotten. Everything was spot on.

Neena
Above expectations

Excellent communications and service. We dealt with Sabrina and she is awesome. The safari tour was amazing, i can highly recommend going to Elephant Plains. Its a very special place run by awesome people.

Werner
A great tour operator that was a pleasure to deal with.

We used Safari Online to put together a mid-range Botswana trip for a group of four going to three different camps and then onto Vic Falls. We asked several operators to provide options (through this great safari bookings website) and Walter Kohrs from Safari Online was easily the most responsive and quickest to provide different but realistic options and at good prices. In the end it was a no brainer to go with Safari Online. Walter always responded to my queries quickly, with honest and valuable responses that were clear and made sense. From our perspective he tailored a good mix of places for both our budget and standard of facilities that suited us perfectly, with enough information and links to help us make our decisions. In the end each camp was different and had different aspects and strengths that made each unique. We loved it.

Shane
They kept us fully informed and updated throughout planning, travel, etc.

It was excellent all around. Everything worked out well. An experience of a lifetime! The game viewing rides were fun and very informative.

Karen