Category: Botswana

Birds of the Okavango Delta

We were amazed by the variety and sheer number of birds in the Okavango Delta. They were beautiful and interesting to watch. While neither of us are bird authorities, we did get into the whole bird watching thing through a book Brian purchased in Kruger Park. The book was so popular around camp (remember, we had a lot of down time!), we left it behind for the guides to use. We took photos home with us, and lots of great memories of a wonderful place including these beautiful birds of the Okavango Delta.

pelicans

Pelicans are water birds, so no surprise they’d be prevalent in the waterways of the Okavango.

Pelican Birds of the Okavango Delta
Pelican in the water, Okavango Delta
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Wildlife in the Okavango

We camped in The Okavango Delta for three days, which means three days of two game walks at six hours a day. We saw a lot of wildlife in those walks. No animals came and visited us at camp, which would have been exciting but also scary, so I guess we got lucky with all the wildlife in the Okavango.

The Okavango Delta

Located in northwest Botswana, The Okavango Delta is an interior wetland and a UNESCO site. Most deltas drain into seas, but the Okavango uniquely drains into the Kalahari Desert. The world’s largest inland delta, it encompasses 16,000 square miles.

The nearest city and airport is Maun, which is where we flew in and out before our safari. Botswana is 224,000 square meters and features other amazing places to see wild animals, like Chobe National Park, in the northeast of the country.

Wildlife of the Okavango

While in the Okavango, we got to walk quite close to a lot of animals, and we had the zoom lens on the camera to capture more. While we didn’t see cats like we did in Kruger, we saw hippos, buffalo, wildebeest, different kinds of antelope, wart hogs (*COOL!), and giraffes on the last day. We also saw a ton of different kinds of birds: eagles, open bills, pelicans, geese and more. If you want to read about the birds of the Okavango, I’ve got you covered.

Giraffe Okavango Delta
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Camping in the Okavango Delta

One of the highlights of our holiday was the three nights we spent camping in the Okavango Delta, Botswana. Brian had been there 30 years ago and had good memories, so I am glad he wanted to return! It truly is a special place, a UNESCO world Heritage site, and a great place to spot wild animals.

Getting to the Okavango Delta

We flew from Port Elizabeth, South Africa to Maun, Botswana, a good base for beginning the trip to the Okavango camps. Botswana is an interesting country, land locked but full of adventure and a truly unique travel destination.

Accomodation Options in the Okavango

Many of the accommodation options in the Okavango were really upscale, and kind of unnecessary for us. We do not need hot tubs and gourmet meals when we’re in the middle of a beautiful natural landscape. Our purpose in visiting this unique region, where the Okavango River flows into the Kalahari Desert, was to see wildlife and enjoy the natural beauty. We opted not for a 5 star lodge with air conditioning and hot tubs, but for a camping trip and it was great!

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