Why the Okavango Delta is the “best oasis” in Africa.

The Okavango Delta is in the country of Botswana and is the largest inland delta in the world covering an area roughly the size of Puerto Rico or 3 times the size of Prince Edward Island . The Okavango Delta is truly the best oasis in Africa as explained below,  and is best visited from April to October in terms of great weather and better game viewing.

The Okavango Delta is essentially a depression in the northern part of Botswana, adjacent to the Kalahari Desert, that gradually fills up with floodwaters originating in the Angolan highlands 500 km (300 miles ) to the northwest. As the waters arrive, huge numbers of African wildlife from all directions also arrive into the Delta, in numbers likely exceeding the numbers of animals on the Serengeti migration, although this movement of wildlife into the Delta is more fragmented than on the Serengeti. The runoff creates a pristine wetland area dotted with islands and laced with a network of slow moving channels of water creating an oasis for a multitude of animals, fauna, and the visitors who want to drink in the experience.The Okavango is home to all manner of African , mammals and reptile , over 400 species of birds , and over 1000 species of plants.

The Okavango Delta is divided up into approximately 20 private and public concessions. Private concessions have the advantage of offering more off road opportunities, night drives, walking safaris, and provide much more privacy than in the public reserves.Each concession has its own variation on the environment and some concessions are rated better environments than others.

There are over 40 camps and lodges within the Okavango Delta catering mainly to a few mid-range but mostly a luxury clientele with nothing for the budget traveler. The majority of the camps are quite remote and can only be reached by small planes.

The permanent tented camps come with all the amenities and are located either on dry areas, wet areas, or mixed areas comprised of a dry and a wet area. Professional English speaking guides lead all Okavango Delta tours out of each of the fully staffed camps. Dry areas are explored by open sided 4WD vehicles offering great sightlines of big and small game plus hundreds of bird species.   Dry areas also offer walking safaris. Wet areas are explored by motor boat in the deeper water, flat bottoms or mokoro ( local dug outs) in the shallows, and short walking tours on the islands.

Guests typically stay 2-3 nights at a camp, and many guests manage to overnight at one to three different camps on a single tour in order to experience the various environments. Choosing the right blend of camps definitely makes for a better tour.

Another consideration in camp selection are the extra curricular activities offered. One of the upscale camps has undertaken a black and white rhino reintroduction program, another camp provides horse rides amongst the wildlife, another camp offers elephant back safaris; and other camps are renown for the number of lion kills of water buffalo, or for more sightings of the endangered wild dogs.

The country of Botswana, and it’s Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park , are  relatively close to Victoria Falls and combining theses tours makes sense in most instances.

Contact Lion Dog African Safaris to make all your arrangements for an Okavango Delta safari, a larger Botswana safari or Botswana tour. .