Visit Abu Concession, Botswana

In the southwest of the Okavango Delta, the Abu Concession encompasses deep blue channels and lagoons, verdant green floodplains and sandy islands with ilala and wild date palms.

Wildlife of the Abu Concession

The waters are covered in lilies and water lettuce whilst tiny reed frogs cling to papyrus. Zebra, wildebeest, buffalo, and red lechwe splash through the water and elephants gather at waterholes and cross the channels to the palm islands.

The rich floodplains are home to large herds of red lechwe which are hunted by several prides of lion and leopard are often seen. It's one of the best places in Africa to search for the sitatunga and on the palm islands it's common to see elephant, baboon, tsessebe and bushbuck. Fruit bats erupt squeaking into the sky at dusk and as the night falls tiny bush babies leap from tree to tree.

The birdlife is spectacular. Wattled cranes step through the lush grasses, saddle billed storks hunt for frogs and slaty egrets, black egrets and rufous bellied herons are easily seen. Then, there's the long-crested eagle, Dickinson's kestrel and the red billed wood-hoopoe. From pink throated longclaws to Pel's fishing owl the list is endless.