Chobe National Park

Chobe National Park is one of southern Africa's premier wildlife destinations, renowned for its exceptional biodiversity and stunning landscapes. Spanning 11,700 square kilometers across northern Botswana, the park features three distinct ecosystems: the Chobe Riverfront, the Savuti region, and the Linyanti Marshes. The park is most famous for hosting the largest elephant population in Africa, with herds numbering in the tens of thousands that congregate along the Chobe River, particularly during the dry season. The Chobe River itself is a lifeline through the park, meandering through savannah and woodland before opening onto expansive floodplains, creating a dramatic contrast between deep greens and blues of the water and the golden yellows of the Savuti landscape. The park's varied terrain includes mopane woodland, Kalahari sandveld, and vast savannah grasslands that are sometimes compared to the Serengeti. Beyond the iconic elephants, Chobe supports four of the Big Five (all except rhino), including lions, leopards, buffalo, and abundant hippos and crocodiles. The riverfront area is particularly magical in late afternoon when wildlife congregates to drink, while the Savuti region is legendary for predator sightings, including prides of lions and packs of African wild dogs. The park offers exceptional opportunities for both game drives and boat safaris, with excellent birding throughout, particularly for waterbirds along the river.

Diverse terrain including savannah floodplains along the Chobe River, mopane woodland, Kalahari sandveld, and vast grasslands. The contrast between the deep greens and blues of the floodplains and the golden yellows of Savuti is pronounced. The Savuti Marsh consists of flat savannah grasslands.

Chobe National Park is located in northern Botswana near the Kasane region. Local communities have cultural connections to the area, and tourism provides economic benefits. Respectful interaction with local guides and communities is encouraged.

Late afternoon light along the riverfront is exceptional for wildlife photography. Early morning game drives offer excellent predator photography opportunities. Boat safaris provide unique perspectives of wildlife at water's edge. Bring telephoto lenses for distant wildlife. The contrast between landscape features provides diverse compositional opportunities.