Anthony is a renowned Africa expert and author of many Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the guide to Botswana.
Anthony is a renowned Africa expert and author of many Lonely Planet guidebooks, including the guide to Botswana.
Anthony is the author of the Lonely Planet guide to Botswana.
Moremi Game Reserve, in the Okavango Delta, is one of Africa’s best wildlife-viewing destinations. It is more accessible than most areas in the Delta and consists of many wildlife-rich habitats, including wetlands and a dry peninsula. The latter is excellent for classic game-drive safaris. Mokoro trips are also highlights here, although they’re better for birding than for general wildlife watching.
Moremi Game Reserve offers exceptional wildlife viewing and is an important stronghold for wild dog. Most animals here are very relaxed, which ensures high-quality sightings. Aside from the flagship species, including all three of Africa’s big cats, there are large concentrations of red lechwe, impala, blue wildebeest and Burchell’s zebra. Rhino has been successfully reintroduced, but sightings are still very rare.
Moremi has the best of both worlds within the Delta, and each is incredibly beautiful. There are big areas of wetlands with papyrus-lined channels and floating water lilies, perfect for mokoro safaris, and there are big tracts of land used for safaris with 4x4 vehicles. The reserve is a mosaic of lagoons and islands, with all kinds of habitats, from grassland to thorn scrub and mopane woodland.
Activities
Drifting along the channels of the Delta in a mokoro is a classic Moremi experience. Guided and self-guided game drives, where you’ll go looking for animals and birds, are also popular. For walking safaris and night drives, you’ll need to visit other, often neighboring areas of the Delta.
Weather & Climate
During the Dry season (April to October), temperatures drop to an average afternoon low of 24°C/75°F in July, then soar to a high of 34°C/93°F in October. There’s little variation in the average temperature during the Wet season (November to March), which remains hot at 34°C/93°F. The rainy months are characterized more by brief showers than unrelenting downpours.
The Dry season (April to October) is ideal for wildlife watching and exploring, particularly from July onward. Temperatures are mostly mild, there are plenty of animals on the peninsula, and the Okavango’s water levels are perfect for mokoro trips. However, you won’t see the best of the birdlife then. The best time for birding is from November to April, when summer migrants are present. Prices are also steeper in the drier months, as this is northern Botswana’s high season.
Anthony is a photographer and writer for travel magazines and Lonely Planet, including the guides to Kenya and Botswana & Namibia.
The Okavango’s Park
5/5
Moremi Game Reserve is the delta’s most accessible corner and one of the most rewarding wildlife areas in Africa. It’s possible to see the Big Five here, although the recently reintroduced rhino is present only in small numbers and very...