Chobe National Park – Including Chobe Riverfront, Savute and Linyanti
Chobe National Park is elephant country ! An estimated 160,000 elephants move freely between here and neighbouring countries like Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia and Angola. Chobe National Park is located in northeastern Botswana and occupies 11,700 sq.kms comprising four distinct ecological areas of prime gameviewing.
Chobe Riverfront
The Chobe Riverfront is a very popular area in the extreme northeast part of Chobe National Park where the floodplains, riverine forest and permanent water sustain the needs of a diversity of wildlife and birds throughout the year, but especially during the dry season from June to October when very large herds of elephant and buffalo can be seen.
The Chobe Riverfront is close to the town of Kasane which offers a range of accommodation, boat cruises and game drives. The mighty Zambezi River meets the Chobe River close to Kasane with Victoria Falls only an hour’s drive from here.
Within the Park on the Chobe Riverfront there are a couple of Luxury Lodges and many private campsites for Mobile Tented Safaris.
Savute
Savute lies in the western part of Chobe National Park and covers 870 sq. kms. It is a very popular wildlife destination renowned for good predator sightings and due to its remote location, it is more specialised for true safari experiences. The area comprises extensive open savannas and rolling grasslands, pans, rocky outcrops, the erratic Savute Channel and marshlands that attract abundant game in summer.
The Savuti Marsh was once a large lake that eventually dried up due to tectonic movement as in many parts of Botswana. The marsh is now fed by the Savute Channel whose erratic flow is utterly unpredictable but adds a wonderful dynamic to the ecology of Savute when flowing.
Savute is a good summer destination when the rains provide good grazing for large concentrations of plains game and the attendant predators. It is also well known for the zebra migration at this time of year and has a wealth of birdlife.
There are many private campsites over a large area in Savute that allow for wild and wonderful Mobile Tented Safaris as well as a few luxury lodges along the Savute Channel. Savute has always been included in the classic Botswana Safari starting in Maun and ending in Kasane on the Chobe River.
Linyanti including Kwando & Selinda
Linyanti is a private concession located in northern Botswana where the Linyanti River forms part of the border between Botswana and Namibia. Linyanti is adjacent to the private concessions of Kwando and Selinda, a region comprising a wilderness of islands, lagoons, lush riverine forest, reed beds and swamps that attracts an abundance of wildlife, especially during the dry season from June to October. This region is well known as a predator haven and one of the best places to see wild dog.
The Linyanti River is part of the Kwando-Linyanti-Chobe river system which starts in Angola as the Kwando River, entering Namibia through the Caprivi region, becoming the Linyanti River as it starts heading northeast and then becomes the Chobe River as it straightens in an easterly direction. The Chobe River joins the Zambezi River just after the town of Kasane.
There are luxury lodges and camps throughout this series of private reserves that offer top wildlife experiences, including land and water-based activities.
The Linyanti section of the Chobe National Park only has about 5 kms of river frontage and has some private campsites for Mobile Tented Safaris.