The Chobe National Park is known worldwide for one of the largest elephant populations in Africa. But the “Park of Giants” has a lot more to offer: Our blogger Melanie discovered the diversity of the national park – on an exciting safari through the untouched nature.
The fascinating Chobe National Park is not only Botswana’s third largest and most diverse national park, but also known worldwide for one thing in particular: With over 100,000 individuals, one of the largest elephant populations in Africa lives on the stately 10,698 km², which is why it is often called the “Park of Giants”. referred to as.
But you can not only get very close to the gentle pachyderms here in the Chobe National Park in northern Botswana. There is still much, much more to discover and experience!
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Current information on entry requirements and the security situation.
To the Foreign Office
Go on your own safari in a jeep with a roof tent
A guided safari with a guide is certainly a great experience, but a tour with a jeep and roof tent on your own is something very special. In the early morning and evening hours, armed with a spirit of discovery, binoculars and a camera, you set out on your own in search of the legendary Big Five. Everything can happen. At any time.
At night you sleep under the breathtaking starry sky of Africa in your roof tent and listen to the sounds of the nocturnal animals in the bush. You really can’t get any closer to the fascinatingly beautiful nature of the Chobe National Park!
My tip: The pitches on the beautiful Savuti Campsite are particularly wild and completely without fences . In the wide, open grass savannahs of Savuti (located in the western part of the Chobe National Park) there are many lions who like to stroll through the campsite from time to time. Totally exciting, right?
Meet the crocodiles of the Chobe River on a boat tour
The small town of Kasane is the perfect starting point for an exciting boat tour on the Chobe River, which has its source in Angola. With a small boat you go in search of huge crocodiles, hippos dozing in the sun and yawning loudly and rare birds like the Malachite Kingfisher. But be careful: put your fingers in the water and feel the temperature is strictly forbidden, they will wear off very quickly!
My tip: You can easily book such a boat tour in your accommodation. I can particularly recommend the beautiful Ngoma Safari Lodge , which is located in the Forest Reserve and borders directly on the Chobe National Park. There are no fences to the national park here and with a bit of luck you can even watch large herds of elephants, zebras, giraffes and other animals from your terrace.
Not only the Big 5 are represented in the Chobe National Park
Due to the many different vegetation zones of the Chobe National Park, the most diverse representatives of the animal and plant world of Africa are at home here. I found our encounter with a pack of wild dogs, a species threatened with extinction, absolutely unforgettable: all of a sudden the animals, which have become very rare, appeared in front of our jeep during our morning game drive. We stopped and stopped the engine. The Wild Dogs stayed near our car for over 15 minutes, amazing!
FYI: If you want to go on safari in the Chobe National Park with your own jeep, it currently costs 120 pula per person and 50 pula per car entry for 24 hours. At the gates (there are five in total: Mababe, Linyanti, Ghoha, Ngoma and Sidudo) you must also show your reservation in a camp or lodge for the night. You are not allowed to be in the park at night without a booking.
The best travel time for a safari in the Chobe National Park
During the dry season between April and October, all of the park’s animals stay at the few waterholes, which of course significantly increases your chances of sensational game observations. In addition, the animals do not have as many opportunities to hide behind bushes and high grass due to the dried up vegetation.
Nevertheless, the rainy season (from November to March) also has its appeal: the entire landscape is incredibly green and bursting with life. Now many animals are having their offspring and especially the clumsy baby elephants are incredibly cute!
Have you ever been to Botswana and perhaps also visited the Chobe National Park? What were your best moments there? Or is Botswana still on your bucket list? I am really looking forward to your comment!
By the way, a combination of the Chobe NP with the world-famous Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe/Zambia is also perfect!
