World’s Largest Inland Delta, Okavango Botswana

You can call it a swamp but it is a lot more than that. Covering an area of 17,000 sq. km Okavango is the world’s largest inland delta with numerous lakes, lagoons and water channels. The diversity of its landscape and the stunning scenic beauty of Okavango alone make it a place worth visiting but if you couple it with one of the largest population of wildlife in the continent you get yourself a national park that is irresistible for most types of the tourists.

The vast grasslands of Okavango are home to some of the largest herds of buffalos, antelopes, elephants and zebras while one can view quite a few prides of lions in the region as well. Okavango is not only a great place for safari enthusiasts but the bird lovers will find it quite attractive as well because of the more than 400 bird species that live in it.

Okavango is by all means the biggest tourist attraction of Botswana and that’s the reason that the government has made quite a lot of efforts in improving the tourism infrastructure of the area. You will be taking a cheap flight to Gaborone the capital of Botswana if you are arriving from abroad from where you can hire a car for making the rest of the journey. If you are flying from out of the region then we will recommend that you spend at least a couple of days in the city to acclimatize yourself with Africa for which you can choose one of the many world class hotels of the city.

There are a number of activities you can indulge in during your stay in the region. If you are a game viewing enthusiast then you can hire a 4wd and the services of a park ranger who will take you the parts of the park with the highest concentration of wildlife. Most of the wildlife is on the mainland but some of the species like spotted genets and bush babies live in the smaller islands and islets in the delta. You can easily hire a boat to take you to these islands. Hiring a boat can also provide you an opportunity to view the wildlife on the mainland as your guide will take you close to the places where the animals gather to quench their thirst.

Okavango is also famous for fishing, one can fish anywhere in the delta but if you really mean business then head to the northern parts where the water is fierce and the marine life is in abundance. There are quite a few fishing camps in this part of the delta from where you can get the equipment and a boat on hire. The water of delta is one of the purest you will find in the continent as there are not many towns along its source river which flows from Angola. The bird viewing is at its best in the center of the park and there are quite a few lodges in this area where you can stay for a couple of nights.