Chobe National Park

A fantastic day in Chobe national park and on the Cuando River

My wife and I booked a day trip from Victoria Falls to Chobe national park. The guide picked us up at the Botswana border and we spend the morning on a river safari at Cuando River. Beautiful view of the river and the landscape around, we get close to the animals like crocodiles, hippos and bathing elephants, and for a bird lover this was an excellent place to spend the morning. We saw kingfishers, egrets, bee-eaters (including the beautiful southern Carmine bee-eater), African Jacana, African Darter Southern red Bishop, African fish eagle and many many other birds.

After lunch we was driving into the Chobe national park and we get an opportunity to see the wildlife from another prospective than we did from the river. During this afternoon we see zebras, giraffes, antelopes, elephants, buffalos etc. etc. and late in the afternoon we was lucky to see a female lion passing a few meter from our car. The animals was relaxed and it was easy to get close to them to get a good view and good pictures. The birding in the park was fantastic with many different beautiful birds.

We was there in March and the weather was fine we just have a short rain shower in the afternoon. The guide was excellent with good knowledge of the park, animals and birds. This was a fantastic day and Chobe is one of my favourite national parks in Africa, and a visit to Victoria Falls are strongly recommended if you are in the area.

Excellent wildlife density

Chobe National Park is one of the great natural reserves of Africa. It is a rather arid environment kept alive by the Chobe River which helps to concentrate wildlife and permits excellent viewing of large and small animals. Elephants, buffalo, and antelope are common and often in large groups. The river attracts birds, hippo, crocodile and one of the best vantage points to view animals is by boat. Surrounding the river, vegetation can be dense and animal viewing must be from vehicles on defined roads which may limit visibility of animals but provides more privacy and less environmental impact. July is dry season, and probably the best time of year to visit Chobe because they must seek water from the river. I stayed in a tented camp hosted by And Beyond Chobe under Canvas which created an immersive experience with the land, and the sounds of yapping jackals, roaring lions, and other animals provided nighttime entertainment and wonder. Food was prepared by campfire and the roving camp was specifically designed to cause low environmental impact. Our guide and camp team were knowledgeable, friendly, and seemed genuinely concerned about our experience. Nights were cool and the days were warm to hot so preparation is needed. Choose is an excellent destination for photographers. Consider the animals may be farther away then some reserves and a long lens is advised. I primarily used a 100 to 400mm. Chobe can offer a wide variety of experiences; the best thing about safaris is that you never know what you will see, but almost certainly, the magical experience will never fade in your mind.

There were too many Safari vehicles.

Second time in Chobe, amazing

We came to Chobe three years ago, in May. Saw very little, but still enjoyed ourselves. This time, hundreds of elephants, breeding herds of buffalo, hippo, croc, sable, lechwe, puku, tsebee and more. Some lions right by the side of the road! BUT, the first animal we saw on our drive was a leopard!!! On land in the morning, by small boat after lunch. Love Chobe.

Paradise on Earth

Myself and wife did a self drive in Chobe National Park beginning of May 2018. Oh my god! I've never experienced anything like it. We saw so many beautiful animals and it felt untouched.
The highlight was getting stuck between a hunting back of 16 lionesses on a little dusty road as the sun was starting to set. We had 8 in front and 8 behind walking in complete silence with a our truck in the middle - they were not bothered by us in the slightest. We were physically shaking with adrenaline after the experience but it made us appreciate the beauty and power of these animals. 10 minutes before the lionesses turned up we got stuck by a big elephant who carefully guarded the road as his family crossed to reach the river. The very last was a tiny baby elephant who wrapped his trunk around the big elephants tail and they went into the river together - you couldn't wish for such an experience!
All I will say is this - if going on a self drive safari learn about the animals before you get there. Its not dangerous at all if you know the basic signs to look out for. I have a dozen of other stories from this one trip but wont bore you with them!

The people of Botswana are some of the friendliest in the world - they always seem to be smiling which is more than I can say for folk in UK. My only complaint is the holiday was too good. Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, Chobe safari, whale shark diving in Mozambique. We met other couples that have been to Africa 10 years in a row - they cant find another holiday that comes close and I see why!

For my photography. Magnificent sightings and exceptional birdlife. Would highly recommend

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.

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

Chobe National Park, elephants EVERYWHERE!

I took a day trip to Chobe National Park as part of a vacation to Victoria Falls. My only regret is that I only had time to spend one day in this AMAZING park. Timing is everything and we were blessed with literally hundreds of elephants. From the river, we spent time with several families as they took turns rolling in the mud (to put on their "sunscreen"). We also saw several pairs of young male elephants trying to show off in the water. There were also several water buffalo, impalas, hippos, and birds. We had a delicious lunch and then went on a land game drive to the same area of the river. By early afternoon literally hundreds of elephants had arrived at the river. We had so many up close views of elephants and giraffes it was spell binding. We also saw impalas, gazelle deer, and some very busy dung beetles. Although we didn't see a huge variety of animals, it was more than made up for in the sheer volume. I can only imagine what life lives deeper in the park. Kudos to Botswana for their action against poachers and it's ability to maintain a high density of life! I would definitely travel to Botswana again, only I would stay for several days.

Beautiful park with lots of animals but crowded

Chobe is a beautiful park next to the river. I saw many animals including elephants, hippos, lions, anthelopes and birds. However, too many cars on the same route. We were like 8 cars chasing two lions and at one point the lion had to go around a car. I felt so bad that we were harrassing the lions...