Botswana

Okavango Delta

Q: What is the Okavango Delta?

The Okavango Delta is a unique wetland in Botswana, and one of the largest inland deltas in the world. It’s an alluvial fan, a floodplain in the Kalahari Desert that fills with water from the Kavango River each year.

Q: What animals are found in the Okavango Delta?

The Okavango Delta attracts all sorts of wildlife, including huge herds of elephant and buffalo, hippos, crocodiles, lions, leopards, wild dog, red lechwe, zebra, warthog and baboons. The birdlife in the Okavango Delta is also astounding, with over 400 species recorded in the area.

Q: When is the best time to visit the Okavango Delta?

Parts of the Delta remain inundated all year, so trips are possible at any time of year. However, the water levels peak during winter from June to October.

Q: When do the Okavango Delta waters rise?

Depending on rainfall, the Okavango Delta’s water levels usually peak between June and August, and water activities like mokoro excursions become possible as the Delta swells to around three times its size.

Q: Where do the Okavango Delta waters come from?

Along with local rainfall, the water that fills up the Okavango Delta comes from the Angolan highlands. From Angola it flows into the Kavango River, across the Zambezi Region in Namibia to become the Okavango River in Botswana. Here it eventually spreads into the Kalahari Desert sands, where its path is finally halted by the geology of the area.

Q: How was the Okavango Delta formed?

The Central Kalahari was once a great lake, called Makgadikgadi. Rifts in the fault lines over two million years ago changed the course of the rivers in the area, so that they no longer joined together to flow into the sea, but rather into this lowest part of the Kalahari, now the Delta and Makgadikgadi Pans.

Wild, vast, abundant. Botswana’s Okavango Delta teems with life, one of the last great sanctuaries for Africa’s wildlife.

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Wilderness Botswana Okavango Wildlife Lion

Astonishing wildlife and landscapes

A safari in the Okavango Delta will have you exploring a wetland paradise brimming with wildlife. Marvel at territorial hippos ‘yawning’ at each other in battle, watch African jacanas pick weightlessly over waterlily pads as they search for lunch, while a fish eagle calls melodically from above. Endless floodplains, pristine waterways and abundant food attract elephant, buffalo and antelope, followed closely by predators. Watch them hunt.

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Okavango Delta at a glance

Explore pristine lagoons and channels on an unforgettable Okavango Delta safari. Here, some of Africa’s most iconic wildlife thrive in one of the continent’s most unique natural habitats. Take in the wonder of this wetland, as water flowing in from thousands of miles away attracts huge herds of animals.

Key Facts

Habitats

Wildlife

Weather

Okavango Delta key facts

Made up of over 150 000 islands, the Okavango Delta swells to three times its size between March and August, when the grass plains fill with water, attracting thousands of animals to this pristine tract of wilderness. It is the largest inland delta in the world, and its permanent crystal clear waters have earned it UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

GEOGRAPHIC SIZE

16,000km²

BIRD SPECIES

+/- 400

MAMMAL SPECIES

+/- 122

BEST TIME TO VISIT

All year round

WILDERNESS CAMPS

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Weather

The Okavango Delta has distinct wet and dry seasons, with all its rain falling in the summer months from October to March. The climate is mostly warm, with summer temperatures often exceeding 30°C (86°F). Mornings and evenings in the dry season are fresh to chilly, with temperatures sometimes dropping to 7°C (45°F).

SUMMER SEASON

October to March

DRY SEASON

April to September

Key Facts

Okavango Delta key facts

Made up of over 150 000 islands, the Okavango Delta swells to three times its size between March and August, when the grass plains fill with water, attracting thousands of animals to this pristine tract of wilderness. It is the largest inland delta in the world, and its permanent crystal clear waters have earned it UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

GEOGRAPHIC SIZE

16,000km²

BIRD SPECIES

+/- 400

MAMMAL SPECIES

+/- 122

BEST TIME TO VISIT

All year round

WILDERNESS CAMPS

16

Habitats

Wildlife

Weather

The Okavango Delta has distinct wet and dry seasons, with all its rain falling in the summer months from October to March. The climate is mostly warm, with summer temperatures often exceeding 30°C (86°F). Mornings and evenings in the dry season are fresh to chilly, with temperatures sometimes dropping to 7°C (45°F).

SUMMER SEASON

October to March

DRY SEASON

April to September

THINGS TO DO

Okavango Delta experiences

Glide through the Delta’s channels in a dugout mokoro, eye-level with a malachite kingfisher flashing its jewel colours. Watch out for tiny reed frogs resting in the reeds, gathering their strength for their tinkling nocturnal choral performances. See delicate dragonflies hover low over the lagoons, as you fish the Okavango’s waters.

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TRAVEL WITH US

Journey with Wilderness

A journey in the lush Okavango Delta is a way to refresh the soul. Experience the thrill of a game drive in search of wildlife, or connect with the smaller aquatic creatures on a tranquil mokoro outing. All throughout, experience unrivalled African hospitality at our luxury safari camps in Botswana.

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MAP

Explore camps in the Okavango Delta

One of Africa’s last great natural sanctuaries, the Okavango Delta is home to the majority of our Wilderness camps in Botswana. This vast African eden is a quintessential safari destination, with abundant wildlife, wonderful people and camps to suit every kind of traveller.

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Camps (13)

FAQ

General

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JOURNAL

Okavango Delta featured stories

Wilderness and the Okavango Delta go way back. These are our stories, photographs, and updates from our community and conservation teams on the ground.

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