Okavango Delta

Amazing scenery

Both from the water (kokomo) and from the air (helicopter) the Okavango is an amazing landscape. We weren't lucky with the weather during our bush camp but it was still a good experience to see the canals an islands.

Mokoro Trip

I did a 3 days/2 nights self-catered mokoro trip to the delta. It is a completely different experience to other Safari destinations. Do not expect to see as much wildlife as on a game drive or a boat safari, but the bush vibe is fantastic an the hikes on the islands are very nice walking safaris. The delta is also a great destination for bird watching.

It is a great place for Birding. I should’ve stayed at a better reserve.

Mokoro ride was beautiful. We saw elephants, zebra, and giraffes on the bush walk. I felt camping there was unnecessary.

The natural beauty and diversity of the Okavango Delta can't be beat anywhere in Africa.

We traveled August 13-28 and included Cape Town, Victoria Falls/Livingston, Chobe National Park, Moremi Reserve and the Okavango Delta. We booked through a gay African Holiday Specialist - Savvy Navigator and Southern Destinations - because as gay travelers to Africa, it was important to us to stay at gay-friendly properties. We stayed at Chobe Under Canvas, Baines Camp, and Eagle Island. The sheer volume and diversity of wildlife in Chobe can spoil the rest of a holiday. Wildlife is so abundant that I'd recommend going to Chobe at the end of a safari trip, rather than the beginning. You will be blown away. We went to Chobe first, and then had such high expectations at Baines and Eagle Island, that we felt let down. If you do the other direction, and go to Chobe last, you will experience the wildlife of the Okavango and Moremi and appreciate those environments and then get hit with a climax at Chobe. That said, and as this is supposed to be a review of Okavango and not other parts of Botswana, Okavango did NOT disappoint. It is remarkably beautiful. I grew up in South Florida and there were parts of Okavango that reminded me of the Florida Everglades (except that the Everglades doesn't have elephants, giraffe, leopards, antelope, jackal, honey badger, etc.). We were in Okavango in August so it was Winter, and the dry season. There were NO mosquitoes and the days got into the 80s F. No rain, in fact, no clouds the entire trip, (even in Cape Town, which is supposed to be rainy in August). Eagle Island is a luxury camp with wonderful accommodations and good, not great, food. All of the other camps allowed for communal dining, a feature I enjoyed because you can interract with people from all parts of the world, or you can eat alone. Eagle Island doesn't encourage the communal dining and is more like a "hotel" in that respect. Eagle Island gets high marks for its guides (our guide, Chris, has been transferred to another Orient Express property), and activities, which include, motor boating and makoro, fishing, walking safaris, village tour (recommended), and relaxing. The focus, though is on water activities. Eagle Island also provides a helicopter ride for guests included in the price. What a treat to be able to see the animals from the air, and to see the Okavango islands and waterways from a vantage point you could not get otherwise. Bird viewing is quite special in Okavango. Birding - excellent in Okavango, various varieties of storks, egrets, bee eaters, kingfishers, vultures, herons, bustards, and the beautiful starlings, rollers, etc. I would have liked to have seen more eagle species, e.g. Martial, Crowned, etc., but missed them and only saw the Fish Eagle.

Ok now, Im rating this as a three ONLY because I am absolutely terrified of spiders now because of my trip there :D. The animals hadn't migrated the way they usually do during the dry season so our mokoro boats had to cut through the reeds. What they didnt tell was that there are thousands (probably millions) of orb weaver spiders that build their webs at eye level (when you are sitting in the boat) in the reeds so we spent 3 hours there and 3 hours back ducking, weaving, and basically freaking out trying to avoid them. I know they aren't poisonous but who wants a spider in their face! Despite that our polers were wonderful and they even fished out my notebook when I threw it into the water after getting a web stuck on it. It was definitely the most "bushy" part of our trip.

A unique and unforgettable experience.

We were on a camping safari organised by On The Go Tours in conjunction with Africa Tour Company. We thoroughly enjoyed the Mokoro ride through the blue water of the Delta...it is so relaxing with only the sound of the Mokoro slicing through the water accompanied by the sound of the reeds in the breeze. We saw some grazing zebras far away, beautiful water lilies and lily pads, local wild flowers and some birds. It was sunny and warm and most of us were completely relaxed.
Our campsite was in a remote area with fixed tents and attached open air "en-suite". At night we have a fantastic view of the Milky Way and stars. After dinner, the polos and campsite personnels gave an impromptu concert singing and dancing...the atmosphere is simply wonderful and you feel you are really experiencing the real Africa.
We had a guided walk in the evening through the Delta and were given a first hand education on the local flora and their medicinal benefits...the climax that evening is to view the sunset out in the water in the mokoro and the next morning to see the sunrise.

A unique habitat

Really good boat trips, and meeting a bull Elephant in must, while in Mokoro dugout canoe was very exciting. Ranger guides on land less interesting. Excellent accommodation at Nguma lodge, in perfect setting. However a torrential downpour cancelled a boat trip and dampened our enthusiasm.

It is very good but if I am evaluating it right after Chobe I have to give 5 stars to Chobe and 4 to okavango.

Delta on the Maun side was very dry!