Chobe National Park

 

Read about our trips to Chobe here

Chobe NP - September 2025

Overview

One of Africa's iconic parks and home to the worlds largest herd of wild elephants thought to number over 100,000 call Chobe home. Located in North Eastern Botswana, the park is massive covering over 11,000 square kilometers covering the four key areas of the Chobe River front, Linyanti swamp, Savuti Marsh and Ngwezumba pans. 

Chobe is the elephant capital of the world. 

A key feature of this area include the Chobe River and don't miss out on a sun set river cruise on the river from Kasani for a unique water based safari. The timing of the river cruise is important for the light when at sunset when the light gets behind you on to the drinking wildlife on the river bank. 

Chobe sunset cruise is pure magic. 

Another feature is the Savuti channel with has been dry for the last 20 years and flows from time to time based on the movement of the tectonic plates. As far as we are aware, the channel last flowed in 2010 when the Savuti Marsh was waterlogged. When we were last there in 2025, the channel was dry and being used as a game driving trail. 

The dry Savuti channel in 2025.

When did we go

Getting there

There are 4 main entrances to the park, the most popular and accessible being the Sedudu entrance located in Kasani which has an international airport. Kasana is also along the main tarmac road that connects Botswana to the rest of Africa over the Kazungula bridge which is the border to Zambia. Also, the iconic Victoria Fall is Zimbabwe is located 60 KMS across the boarder from Kasani. 

The open roads of Botswana, the Mmadikola trees Orapa to Maun. 

The Ngoma gate is 60 KMS from Kasani next to the Namibian border along the main tarred road that dissects the Chobe River end and border to the Caprivi in Namibia (now known as Zambezi). This is also the closest entrance to the Ihaha camp site.

Between the Goha and Ngoma gates is an international border crossing to Namibia.

The Ghoha gate lies in no mans lands in the middle of no where bordering the national park and forest reserve. Ghoha is also the northern entrance to Savuti and main access road to Linyaniti. 

The final entrance is Mababe gate in the south which connects to the northern town of Town which is also an international airport and gateway to the Okavango delta. This is a tough place to reach from Maun where your either battling sand in the dry season or flooded roads in the wet.  

Moremi left, Savuti right, the drive in to Mababe is an adventure. 

Roads in the park

Like all parks in Botswana, the road conditions vary considerably based on the two main seasons, wet and dry. With a even mix of and sand and clay based road networks, what is a normal solid clay road in the dry can turn in to a muddy mess with deep water crossings in the wet. The sand which is compact and easy to negotiate in the wet becomes like water in the dry season. There is no better illustration of this that the Sandridge versus Marsh roads in Savuti where usually only one of the routes is used based on weather conditions. 

Drop your tyres the moment to hit the dirt. 

Chobe river front - is the easiest area to get around with mainly sand based roads which are largely passable even in the dry season. The main sand traps are on the river which can be negotiated with basic 4x4 skills but you will need to be on 4x4 as a minimum to get through. The road network on the river front is straight forward with a main access road running along on the ridge and a network of smaller roads connecting to the water front drive. 

The sand traps on the river front has enough to get you in to trouble. 

Savuti - the sand is thick in winter and the mud thick and water is deep in summer! Do not mess around in Savuti unless your well prepared and have some decent off roading skills, particularly in the wet when the roads are at their worst. The sand in Savuti in winter is also very thick and its critical to maintain momentum and concentrate on picking up the sand traps early before you get stuck in them. Both approach roads to Savuti (from Kasani and Maun) are difficult to negotiate in both seasons with sand and mud testing your off roading skills. The rainy season in particular can be very tricky with high water levels on the road resulting in vehicle damage which is why we stay away from this areas in the wet. 

The Savuti roads are great to tracking in the dry season. 

Linyanti - we are yet to get to this remote corner of Chobe, besides the time need to reach it, the sand as we hear it very thick and as solo campers, this has been a risk too great to take. From everything we gather, there are long stretches of thick sand and there are two approaches in and out of Linyanti that can vary in degree of thickness depending on the season. The road that goes through Savuti has an incline in soft sand which makes it extreme. The other route is through Ghoha which is the popular route. 

The iconic river side drive on the Chobe river. 

Ngwezumba pans - we have only approached the pans from the Kasani end and turned back as an exploratory drive. The bush is thick before it opens in to grasslands on the pans. There is just one road that runs through to Savuti and I wouldn't attempt this in a single car. Besides the lack of other vehicles and information on road conditions, one of the issue could be fallen trees blocking access. 

Accommodation

All the major areas have a variety of accommodation options with the lodges within the national park considered top end with a price tag to match. Kasani is considered a top tourist destination in Botswana with variety of up market hotel chains, mid level motels and budget accommodation. The town center being just 10 minutes from the Sedudu gate, Kasani is popular and well serviced.  

The only place we stay with a roof top view!

On the opposite end at the Mababe entrance, the nearest town in Maun which is a tough 5 hours away. Maun is tourist capital of Botswana with all services in including an international airport and major suppliers including all levels of accommodation. 

Sitatunga camp in Maun, the special sites have a private ablution. 

Camping facilities

The best campsite in Chobe is Ihaha, which overlooks the Chobe river and well positioned to explore the Chobe River front. With Ihaha located away from the Sedudu gate, you can get away from the maddening Kasani crowds and have some time on your own. There are 10 campsites and need to be booked through a private agent (https://www.kwalatesafaris.com/ihaha.html). The campsite has two ablution blocks with running water. The campsite is unfenced and thus game including big five can be walking around the camp so one needs to plan accordingly to ensure the risks are minimized. Sadly there have been a few security issues reported from Chobe where campers have got robbed overnight which is very worrisome and disappointing from such an iconic campsite. Incidents are isolated and sadly the lack of information makes it harder to work out.

Sunset from Ihaha No 6!

The second and the more popular campsite within the park is Savuti which also has 10 stands and an ablution block with running water which is also privately managed https://sklcamps.com/book-a-campsite/. Savuti is notorious for being fully booked months in advance so if you need to plan months in advance to get in. 

Savuti camp No 3, away from the channel, some shade with easy ablutions access. 

The third campsite within the park is Linyanti and we assume it similar to the other two as we haven't been there. The booking agent is https://sklcamps.com/book-a-campsite/ and I would imagine this would be the easier of the 3 camps within the parts to secure. 

Campsite offer some privacy and reasonably well spaced apart. Each campsite has its own firepit, bin and tap (only in Savuti). It is critical the bin is closed properly to ensure the baboons don't throw your garbage all over the campsite which they will do if they get a chance. Take note of leaking taps as animals will come and drink and surprise you. Shade is no longer a given with elephants taking their toll on the trees. There are some camp sites at Ihaha with no shade at all so will be a real issue in the heat of the day. You also need to bring your own firewood and cannot collect in the park but may be able to buy some at the gate. 

Ihaha camp site No 3, shade, braai spot and bin, keep the bin locked!

There are a string of private campsites located outside the national park clustered around Kasani (Sedudu gate) and Muchenje village (Ngoma gate). Of the various options, we are most impressed with https://senyatisafaricampbotswana.com/ which is located in the village of Lesoma about 30 minutes from Kasani. This offers guest a private ablution and braai spot and an awesome waterhole which is floodlit.   

The Senyati waterhole is worth a stop over. 

Viewing wildlife

Chobe offers some of the best game viewing in Botswana and with two very different experiences between the Chobe River front (Sedudu gate) and the rest (Savuti and Linyanti). The Chobe River front, as expected works around the herds coming to drink, particularly the large herds of elephants and buffalo. Generally the herbivores will drink in the hottest time of the day and get off the water front by evening when the predators tend to appear. This area also has a healthy populations of lion and leopard and you will need your wildlife skills to find predators and the prize is to catch them on the river side drive there the terrain is open. The best game viewing areas are between Kabulabula and Sedudu gate but this is also the most accessible and thus awfully crowded.   

Elephants on the flood plains is the feature of the Sedude entrance area. 

The Sedudu entrance is awfully crowded with a string of tour operators and lodges with their guests. The guides are pushy for the dominant position and will gladly block you, drive off road and crowd sightings. The park authorities have tired to introduce one ways and other rules to control the overcrowding to no avail. Rather oddly, despite making up less than 5% of traffic in the park, there is a tone that the private driver is the problem. We feel it's the tour operators attempts to keep business in their hands. 

A larger breeding herd of Sable hangaround the watercart area. 

The large herds of elephants will appear mid morning as the day starts heating up. While some smaller herds may hang around in the evening, most of the larger breeding herds will move off the river late afternoon. Unfortunately the light is not the best at this time so you need to take up your spots depending on the glare and herd movement. 

Leopard is the prize catch, this Mum and Cub at Kabulabula. 

Do not miss out on the Chobe River cruise which is a must do and will give the best views and lighting for drinking animals in the afternoon. When on a boat, grab a seat on the left side of the boat to ensure you are on the land side for the cruise. Both Elephants and Buffalo will swim on to the islands on the river which is a rare and rewarding sighting. 

Wouldn't want to be on a small boat in guys zone. 

The Savuti area is more focused on predators with healthy populations of Lion and Leopard and a resident pack of Wild Dogs. This area is lot less crowded too with only a few lodges and the camp site in central Savuti. 

The Savuti males are awesome specimens with huge manes. 

If and when the Savuti channel flows, this area will transform in a marsh and a paradise for plains game but in other times, the game is supported by pumped water holes which are the focus of the game driving.

Wilderness factor

The Savuti area of Chobe feels like and is totally wild! It is miles from anywhere and the roads are difficult regardless of season and it's still possible to have a sighting to your self in this area. There are also enough game driving circuits to check out with pumped waterholes at Savuti, Rhinos vlei and Marabou pan. 

Magical Savuti sunsets, Savuti just feel totally wild. 

The Ihaha area is also maintains it's wilderness factor well with less crowds and good game although the Namibian fisherman on the opposite bank can diminish the wilderness factor. The road network is very limited so you can get get the feeling that everyone in the area is on the same road. 

The Chobe Flood plains at low water. 

The Sedudu area is crowded and messy where a predator sighting can have total log jam with 4x4s trying to get a look in from all directions.

Other logistics

If you are camping, you need to pay park fees for 2 days which is annoying and appears to be rip off. Also worth noting the checking in process can get messy with multiple logs having to be filled in and if there is a crowd, which often is the case, just checking in can take a long time. 

Remember to focus on the little guys too, Banded Mongoose taking a nap. 

Sign up on FB Drive Bots to get up to date information on road conditions and also contact details for recovery and mechanical support. 

The Buffalo herds here can be in the hundreds. 

There is no supplies or fuel in the park (except the small shop in Savuti that has some basics) so you need to bring everything. 

Our impression

Chobe is one of the great locations for us offering the full spectrum of wildlife experience. We would focus on Savuti and Ihaha where possible, just to get away from the maddening crowds. Chobe will be on the Botswana agenda every time. 

Birding on the flood plain can be very rewarding.