Overview
A country we visited for a single day during our big Africa tour in October 2023, getting to do a safari at Chobe National Park.
We entered from Zimbabwe. The difference between the Zimbabwean and Botswanan border checkpoints is so stark that you immediately feel like you've arrived in a developed country. Passport control actually uses computers (don't laugh, Zimbabwe didn't). People seem happier, better dressed, and have relatively more purchasing power. Traffic conditions, roadside cleanliness, and asphalt quality were all better than the other African countries we'd visited. While Zimbabwe was mostly arid, greenery and farmland started immediately after crossing the border. They clearly know how to use their water.
What to See
The Chobe National Park experience was extraordinary. You don't even need to enter the park to see wildlife; we'd already started spotting giraffes and elephants on the road before even crossing the Zimbabwean border. People in this region truly live within the wild. The park itself has no defined boundary; it's completely open. So it's not surprising that animals inside wander out. The park is reportedly the size of Izmir. The terrain is unique, very fine sand, almost like driving through a desert, yet trees and animals are everywhere. The animal diversity was incredible.
One of the park's standout features is apparently its bird diversity, one of the best parks in the world for it.
Land safari sightings: Impala, kudu, vulture, giraffe, elephant, wild chicken, African buffalo, monkey, baboon, female and male lion (with freshly hunted impalas beside them).
River safari sightings: Nile monitor, crocodile, eagle, buffalo, impala, elephant, waterbuck.
On these safaris, they get unnecessarily close to the lions in particular, a risk they don't seem to acknowledge. Worth being cautious.
Unfortunately, due to illegal rhino poaching, there are no rhinos in Chobe. They've tranquilized the remaining ones and moved them deep into the park's interior. Years ago, two poachers from Namibia were shot dead by guards while hunting rhinos here, which created a diplomatic crisis between the two countries. This led Botswana to develop their current solution.
Tips & Advice
For anyone heading to the area, Serdar Bey has been living there for years and does excellent guiding work, and his animal knowledge is exceptional. Beyond that, we did a day trip with Kalahari Tours and were very satisfied with their guiding and program. Our new goal is to do at least a 2-3 day stay safari and really immerse ourselves. Hopefully we'll manage it someday.