Visit Chobe National Park, Botswana

Encompassing an impressive 10,700 square kilometers (4,150 square miles) of wilderness, the Chobe National Park stretches from the tip of northern Botswana to the fringes of the Okavango Delta. It has a wide range of distinctive landscapes, from the emerald floodplains of the Chobe River to the sweeping grasslands of the Savuti Marsh and skeletal leadwood trees in the Savuti Channel.

With such varied environments and habitats there’s a magnificent array of wildlife. A profusion of palatable grass species attracts a variety of herbivores, including wildebeest, impala, kudu, waterbuck, giraffe, and tsessebe. The puku is found, as is the endemic Chobe bushbuck. Predator sightings are good, with leopard, cheetah, wild dog, and large prides of lion that hunt elephant. From servals to side-striped jackals, the list is endless.

All that said, Chobe is most famous for its elephant and buffalo populations, both of which can herd in mammoth proportions. With an estimated 40,000 to 60,000 elephant, these gentle giants constantly surround you. In the dry season the Chobe River sees thousands lining the banks and crossing the water. Boat trips at this time provide excellent photograph opportunities.