Okavango Delta-Botswana.
Among all African countries, Botswana is acknowledged as one of the most peaceful successful and stable home to Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park, Moremi Game Reserve and Kalahari Desert.
Botswana deserves high life high wildlife protection and environmental conservation because of its ever beauty ness with a high concentration of bird and game life. Botswana’s tourism has been made to develop because there are no revenues, which often affect most African countries. The visitors are able to experience unspoilt and timeless beauty because of the eco-tourism policy.
Okavango covers 16,000 Sq Km in the far North West corner, which is so far now a dry country with a number of channels, lagoons and palm covered all over the area, making up the Okavango Delta. During the months of November to March period when the country experiences high rainfall, these Deltas fill up. This water varies with seasonal basis especially in the rains, where the Angola’s highlands contribute more water in the delta, making it flood annually.
Okavango Delta is the largest inland Delta in the whole world and it has impressed most travellers because of its crystal clear waters fed by the Okavango River.
To preserve the majestic trees that were traditionally used in the Delta, the traditional Mekoro dug out canoes to navigate this area, many of which are made out of fibre grass.
In order to preserve wildlife, the local community set a side part of the Delta to compensate Momeri Game Reserve in 1963.
Bordering the park, there are a number of lodges and camps, of which, many are privately owned and therefore, this becomes a magnificent view for the game viewers.
Walks and Mekoro excursion are some activities done here because game drives are not possible are not possible at these many lodges.
There are several hundreds bird species breeding on Delta ground, making the area a dream destination for bird watchers who visit the area from November to March. In a morning, it is common to see hundreds of on bird species on Okavango Delta.
The availability of a wide light air craft facilitates travelling throughout different parts of Botswana because of the available landing strips.
To enable you visit more than 2 lodge, one is recommended to design an itinerary for travelling in different regions.
Since many lodges are considered to be built in remote areas makes Botswana’s accommodation of high standard and there is a possibility to experience nature on the tranquil waters around the lodges of this magnificent place to view all the camps on a deck.
Okavango Delta has its head waters starting in Western highlands of Angola, with a number of tributaries joining in to form Cubango River, which flows through Namibia then after it enters Botswana in Okavango, making it one of the world’s largest inland Delta.
In the ancient regime, Okavango River used to flow in a lake called Makgadikgadi, now the so-called Pans, due to tectonic movements and faulting, which interrupted with the flow of Okavango River, forcing the waters back to form Okavango Delta, which system supports a number of wildlife and vegetation, which wood otherwise be dry savanna.
The lack of drop in elevation has caused a slow meandering pace of the floods, which are fed from the Angolan rains, which drops a little more 60 metres over a distance of about 50 Km. The floods cross the border in December between Botswana and Namibia and reach the bottom in late July, with 95 percent of water evaporating.
The area can expand to over 16,000 Sq Km during the peak of the flooding, in low periods shrinking to less than 9,000 Sq Km as the water continues to flow through the delta, which attracts wildlife back to the region because of the newly flooded areas.
From May to October, the rains almost occur at the same time in Botswana and Angola, hence at this delta environment, large numbers of animals can be seen such as crocodiles, elephants, buffalo, red lechwe, sitatunga as well as other common bird species.
The period of May to October is the best game viewing time because of large concentration of wildlife along the flooded areas.
From November to April period, plants grow and the vegetation starts turning green because of the rain season and becomes the best time for viewing birds.
Activities include; 4 x 4 game viewing used on main islands, tracking wildlife with an expert guide, game viewing using walking safaris available from most camps and lodges, motor travel on main water ways using a dug out canoe which is poled along by your guide.
Okavango Delta Safaris Botswana