Chobe Park
Hundreds of elephants swimming across the river at sunset: the Chobe riverfront delivers southern Africa's most reliable wildlife spectacle.
Suggested stay — 2 nights
Chobe park holds the world's largest elephant population — over 100,000 — part of which converges each dry season on the Chobe river, the region's only permanent water. The riverfront sector, reached from the town of Kasane, is visited by morning self-drive (a sandy but short track) and above all by afternoon cruise.
The late-day cruise is one of Africa's great moments: buffalo and elephants by the hundreds on the banks, hippos, giant crocodiles, blazing skies. With Kasane 80 km from Victoria Falls, Chobe naturally concludes the Botswana loop — or works as an excursion from neighbouring Zimbabwe.
Don't miss
- The sunset cruise on the Chobe (book a small boat rather than the barges)
- The riverfront self-drive at dawn: lions and wild dogs come down to drink
- The grassy Sedudu islands, carpeted with buffalo in the dry season
- 80 km away: Victoria Falls, the near-obligatory extension
Our tips on the ground
- Cruise in the afternoon, self-drive in the morning: the two complement each other and don't show the same wildlife.
- Kasane has fuel stations, supermarkets and ATMs: the real logistics reset after the crossing.
- To take a rental vehicle to Victoria Falls, the cross-border letter must be arranged at booking.
On our publishing schedule
Coming soon“Botswana on your own”, the complete edition, is in preparation
Same method as our Namibia guide: day-by-day itineraries, driving, a costed budget and checklists. Leave us your address and you'll hear about the launch — at the launch price.
In the meantime, our reference
The “Namibia on your own” guide — €29
- The same method, already applied to Africa's easiest self-drive country
- 3 day-by-day itineraries, 4x4 insurance decoded, costed budget
- Instant download, 14-day guarantee — currently in French, English edition coming
Before you go
Readers' questions about Chobe Park
Is Chobe worth it without doing the whole 4x4 loop?
Absolutely: Kasane is reachable on tar (from Nata or Victoria Falls) and every activity is booked locally. A flying combination of Victoria Falls + 2 nights Chobe is even one of the best introductions to southern Africa with no committed driving.
When is the best period?
August to October for the maximum concentrations along the river — also the hottest, busiest months. May-July offers an excellent compromise: wildlife already gathered, mild temperatures, winter light.