Chobe National Park

Day Trip to Chobe National Park

Chobe National Park is worth visiting only for a day if you do not have time for longer visit. It is easy to access and reach from Zambia and Zimbabwe if you happen to spend time either of these countries. You can find real bushes and secluded areas from Botswana, but Chobe is easy to reach and services are great to support your visit. We visited there on May, 2016 and trip was organized by a local travel agency in Zambia. We were a group of 5 people from Zambia and we joined another group from Zimbabwe (6 people). The morning was spend on the river with the guide who's experience and knowledge were excellent to support a very informative drive. We had coffee, cookies and soft drinks onboard, and we saw a lot of animals in the water and on the banks. There were hippos, elephants, crocodiles, lizards and lot of different kind of birds and the scenery itself was exactly the same you can find from public websites. After the pleasant boat ride, we had a lunch break with decent food in one of the lodges were we had an opportunity to fresh up and rest. Afternoon was spent on a game drive and then we had only a group of 5 in the same car. We basically drove the marked roads in the area and again the guide was excellent. We were able to spot a lot of animals and in this area, animals are quite used to vehicles so they are not running away as soon as you spot them. If you get overwhelmed about the scenery on the river, the view from here to the river is even more spectacular with the number of elephants, hippos, giraffes and other animals you could see in the wide area. The highlight of the visit was when we spotted lions - our guide was able to drive very close and that was one of the best experiences on our three week's trip.
When visiting Chobe like this, keep in mind that it is a public park with many other visitors in the same area and there are self-driving tourists, as well. Definitely you find more bush vibe from private parks but for the day trip this was value for the money.

A great safari experience

This was our first safari experience and will not be our last. We loved Chobe and were surprised at how close we got to so many animals. We stayed at Salute Elephant Camp with Belmond and had a great experience. The accommodation was good, we enjoyed the game drives and the experience was made even better by our guide. May was a good time to go as it was approaching 'winter', so only 30º which was just right for me.

A great experience

Before our group came to Chobe National Park we were at two parks in South Africa. We saw more or less all the animals we saw in South Africa and then some more. :-) The guides were very competent, the scenery is great, we saw lots of wild animals, including a leopard and a cobra and of course lots of elephants. The scenery is great, the park is a must. Botswana is definetely worth a visit. We stayed close to the park and also heard a lion at night.

Well managed but limited game in March

I enjoyed my drive through the park with our hired guide. We saw many impala, hippos, elephants, baboons, etc. I am not a "birder" so I cannot intelligently comment on the birding, but I did see and enjoy many interesting and unusual birds like the lilac-breasted roller. Unfortunately the lions, zebras and giraffes were difficult to find and it was pretty quiet overall. I understand that this was mainly due to the time of year. I personally enjoyed a boat cruise on the Chobe River that went by the park, more than the game drive, due to the beautiful scenery. I was grateful there didn't seem to be self-drive tourists and everyone on the road was very respectful.

Amazing sites and sounds of the African bush.

Having lived in Botswana about 10years ago, I decided to embark on a self driven safari. The Chobe National Park has a lot of wildlife, as such one does not waist time looking for them. The weather was perfect because in August the temperature is mild with no rain. August is considered one of the best times to visit Chobe National Park and neighbouring attractions such as Victoria Falls, Hwange National Park and the Okavango Delta. Accommodation at Chobe Safari Lodge was excellent and so was the sunset cruise along the Chobe River. My highlights included seeing some of the largest African elephants on earth crossing the Chobe River; the majestic Southern Hornbill; a Hyena walking on the side of the road looking for animal carcasses and; lastly seeing Lions and the African Spotted Dogs on the hunt. In my opinion visiting the Chobe National Park and surrounding attractions is a vacation of a lifetime and I would recommend it to all nature lovers like myself.

Amazing array of wildlife up close and personal

The weather for our trip in July was wonderful. The guides were very helpful in giving information about the park and the animals there. There was a plethora of elephants, some of which came right up to the jeep. It is a beautiful area, with amazing animals.

Chobe National Park was probably my favorite stop because of it being on the river. We saw so many elephants playing in the water........hundreds of buffalo crossing the river. And so much greenery! Very different than the more desert-type areas.

My Favorite place in Botswana.

The sunset cruise is a must.
Chobe National Park is an open window to the Pleistocene Period.
The concentration of megafauna is beyond imagination.
Here you will find some of the largest elephant and buffalo herds in the entire African Continent.
Not to mention real close encounters with Lions, hippo's, crocodiles and monitor lizards.
The rare Puku and the Red Lechwe are also very common.
Bird life is also abundant.

These are some of the pictures that I got in a couple of days.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/ysaenz/albums/72157671775156461

The vast number of elephants and hippos make a cruise on the Chobe River really special. There were so many animals and birds and they were so close I didn't really have time to take in the scenery.

Chobe - one of Africa's crown jewels

Africa is in my blood - my wife spent 15 years living and working around the continent - and I became hooked on it too. If I had to select one National Park out of the many I've enjoyed, Chobe would be my first choice. Why? It offers a variety of wildlife and a combination of both land and river trips to enjoy this wildlife. Add to this, the local people are both passionate and knowledgeable. Comfortable accommodation is on offer at the Kasane end of Chobe and only a few minutes drive to the park. OK the roads are poor but it is said that this is intentional to reduce the number of "ordinary vehicles" lured to the park. We use the provided safari vehicles and guides.