Chobe National Park

Overwhelming game.Safari heaven for first timers

I was overwhelmed by the vast numbers of game and superb birdlife in Chobe, the last of the 4 National Parks we had visited during our 10 day wild camping safari trip.Well, it's the perennial river isn't it? The lifeline of water which sustains truly enormous herds of elephant, buffalo, zebra and provides the ideal environment for Malachite Kingfishers and Fish Eagles. And which of course brings day trippers in their thousands into this easily accessible Park. We came into Chobe via the Ngoma Gate and had previously been in Moremi and Savute, classic Parks with iconic landscapes. It was a shock to gradually find a one way road system as we approached the most popular part of the Park and to be jostling past so many other vehicles, packed with first timers , eager to tick off the star sightings. Not that anyone could be disappointed in that.If you only have a day to fit in a safari (though why why why?)then Chobe Riverfront is THE place to come.

It's not got the iconic African landscapes of the Delta or Moremi and it hasn't got that wild bush feel, but it packs such a punch in terms of animals that you can't fail to be impressed. For a first timer, it must be safari heaven. I love lion and on our first morning drive, a male and female sauntered lazily past our vehicle, almost within touching distance;a young male began calling further off then followed the pair up into the shrubbery to find shade.
And this is where, like all National Parks, it can be frustrating because the rules mean no off roading, so unlike Sabi Sand or other private concessions, you can't follow them; you can only sit and watch as they disappear out of sight, thrilled at the encounter as ever but wanting more.

We chose Mosu Safari Tours for our 10 day safari trip, an excellent operator who assigned us Custard as our guide/driver and Kilos as our cook, with LT as camp assistant.They made our trip, really first class guys. A testament to their expertise, both Custard and Kilos had been employed by the BBC while they filmed their documentary about the lion pride that had learned to take down elephant.Custard knew everything there was to know about the animals and got us some incredible sightings and Kilos' cooking is well known as the stuff of legend.

One of the most thrilling moments of the whole trip came as we left Chobe by the Kasane Gate; just 100 yards away, resting beside the main road ,we spotted a pack of wild dogs with several puppies, a superb sight.
We took the Sunset Cruise with Thebe River Camp, where we stayed for two nights and fortunately found ourselves with just two other fellow birdwatchers.
I didn't think there was much else to see to be honest after 9 days and 15 or so Game Drives but the view from the river was wonderful.And the birdlife was mesmerising, with malachite kingfishers the highlight.The river bets very busy and there are some big, crowded boats around so it may be worth checking how many fellow passengers there are,depending on what you want out of it.
Being in the boat also gets you closer to the elephants,as they seemed to me much calmer round these than the vehicles.We followed a mother and calf as they swam back to shore, the baby using his trunk like a periscope.A beautiful sight.

Thebe River Camp was first class, with a nice bar area, spotless showers and toilets and well maintained.We enjoyed our stay here very much,especially after the wild sites we'd been in the rest of the trip.No hyenas at night! The camp is well protected by electric fencing so it's very safe.
We did our trip in mid till late September and this time , for me, was just too hot.40C or 104F in the shade.Like being in an oven.Next time - Green Season!

River cruise was excellent but safari drive was more like Dakar Ralley

The Chobe river cruise was excellent. Plenty of wildlife, relaxing and a great sunset. I did a safari on a safari vehicle, 9 people and it was dusty and more akin to the Dakar Ralley I thought. Guide didn't take time to show in detail, everything was rushed.

This feels like Africa

Many of Southern Africa's wildlife parks have become developed to the point of disneyfication but not Chobe. It still feels raw, gritty, and intimate. Perfect location for a self drive safari with outstanding human food and lodging also available just outside the park in Kasane.

The most incredible experience ever, if you get the chance- GO!

Chobe National Park was part of our camping safari package. The entire trip was extremely well organised, our group of 12 participants well looked after. Fresh food is prepared each evening and facilities were basic, but perfectly adequate. The Chobe national park is well looked after and access regulated to protect the wildlife. Living in the park allowed for early starts for the gamedrives in the morning and plenty of time in evenings to see amazing african sunsets. The wildlife was incredible and with the truck it was possible to get really close without bothering the animals. For lovers of bird photography the diversity is astounding. Overall a trip to be highly recommended.

Nowhere else have I seen such huge herds of wild elephants - it was an incredible sight. There was also huge amounts of other wildlife, like baboons, giraffe, antelope and zebra.

Thoroughly enjoyed the boat trip! Hundreds of animals within minutes.

After experiences safaris via vehicles, the boat was a nice change and offered us a unique opportunity to view animals in a different way. We witnessed dozens of elephants swimming, babies holding their mom's tails, lots of hippos, crocodiles, birds, buffalo, deer and other animals up close and personal. Plus Chobe is much more colorful than Kruger in early September. Beautiful area. Highly recommend the day trip out of Victoria Falls!

Amazing landscape entouring an outstanding fauna

The best part of this park, compared to other great parks in Africa, is the landscape. Concerning animals, it is the best place to see elephants that I know.
Good organisation, guides and food with Kananga.
Do not miss the boat at the sunset, you really dont know where to look at.

A magical day

Our group (of 9 people) booked the Chobe Full Day Trip hosted by Kalahari Tours (http://www.kalaharichobe.com). Apart from a delay in our border pick-up from Zambia, the day went smoothly.
After a quick morning tea, the first half of the day was spent in a boat on the Chobe River - we found our guides informative and entertaining. We were delighted by the amount of bird life along the river seeing, among many others, African Fish Eagles, White-fronted Bee-eaters and Great White Egrets. There was plenty of animal life along the banks too - crocodiles, elephants and hippos.
After lunch which was simple but filling, we spent the afternoon in a specially-modified 4x4 vehicle in the Chobe National Park. A highlight of this was seeing the after-math of a leopard-kill. We had a close (but safe) encounter with some elephants, and saw several baboons, impala and giraffes. Unfortunately no lions that day, and zebras were 'out-of-season' - their migratory pattern means they simply are not present in Chobe in June. Again, our guide was knowledgeable and entertaining.
I would thoroughly recommend a visit to Chobe National Park, and fully intend to go there myself when I am next in southern Africa. To see some pictures from that day, visit https://www.flickr.com/photos/s-haydon/albums/72157655902764278.

Very nice experience !

We decided to visit Chobe mostly because it was very close to Victoria Falls, which was our intended destination. Given the fact that accommodation in Victoria Falls is quite pricey, and there was not much of interest for us to do in terms of activities to occupy us for more than a day, we decided to stay near Chobe, and do a one day VF trip during our stay.

We did not expect much from Chobe, since the only thing we knew about it beforehand was that it was famous for elephants.
Our stay was fantastic, we enjoyed very much the boat cruises, from which you can really enjoy all of the wildlife on Sedudu island.
I am not a big fan of birding, but we did see lots of interesting birds, and some people apparently seemed very into the matter and enjoyed it very much !

We also did a morning game drive, which was good, but not excellent. There were too many vehicles compared to some private game reserves, and since we could not get off-road, the animals we saw where quite far away. Still, it was a good experience, and the park still has lots of animals, and for a much more affordable price than what you pay in a private game reserve.

Overall, our experience was very nice, people were very friendly, the scenery was fantastic, and we did see lots of animals !

Memories forever - elephants and hippos eating on the riverbank, a few meters only from our boat! Croqs, lions, giraffes, every wild animal you can wish to see. Amazing place. Best safari(s) we've done.