Chobe

The gateway town to Chobe National Park, home to Africa's highest density of elephants, with Chobe River cruises and riverfront game drives — often combined with Victoria Falls.

Chobe & Kasane is in the far northeast of Botswana. The town of Kasane sits on the south bank of the Chobe River, facing Namibia's Caprivi Strip; a few kilometers east is Kazungula, where the Zambezi and Chobe rivers meet and Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe come together. The town is the gateway to the Chobe Riverfront in the north of Chobe National Park, one of the areas with the highest density of elephants in Africa, where tens of thousands of elephants and buffalo come down to the river to drink in the dry season.

The best time is the May–October dry season; September–October is hottest but wildlife is most concentrated. The November–April rainy season brings lush greenery, migratory birds and lower prices, but some sandy roads turn muddy and the route to Savuti is often hard going. The main experiences are game drives along the Riverfront (one in the early morning, one in the afternoon) and an afternoon sunset cruise on the Chobe River, with close-up views of elephants crossing the river, hippos, crocodiles and waterbirds; photographers can book low-profile photo boats.

Getting there: Kasane Airport has flights to and from Johannesburg and Gaborone. It's about 1.5 hours by road from Victoria Falls town in Zimbabwe, and many visitors come on Chobe day trips from Victoria Falls; crossing the border means clearing immigration on both sides (check how many entries your Zimbabwe visa allows). Plan on 2–3 nights. Park entry fees are charged per person and per vehicle (check the DWNP's current published rates), and self-drivers need a 4x4. Savuti is about 170 km from Kasane and is usually visited by light aircraft or on multi-day camping safaris. Elephants and hippos also wander through town at night, so don't walk after dark. This is a malaria area; take precautions against mosquitoes, especially in the rainy season.

Top sights

• Chobe River Cruise – A sunset cruise on the Chobe River from the Kasane jetty. Get close to elephants crossing the river, hippos and crocodiles. It is the class…
• Chobe Riverfront – The riverside strip along the northern edge of Chobe National Park, where open-vehicle game drives reveal elephants, buffalo, lions and her…
• Chobe National Park – A national park in Botswana with the highest concentration of elephants in Africa. Boat trips along the Chobe River offer views of hundreds…
• Savuti – A classic safari area in the heart of Chobe National Park, with the Savuti marshes and channels known for lion prides hunting elephants, ze…
• Sedudu Island – A grassy river island in the Chobe River that every game-viewing boat passes, once the subject of a territorial dispute between Botswana an…
• Kazungula Bridge – A curved bridge over the Zambezi linking Botswana and Zambia, near a unique spot where the borders of four countries almost meet.
• Senyati Safari Camp – A waterhole camp southeast of Kasane where you can watch elephants drink at eye level from an underground hide. It's a favourite with self-…
• Impalila Island – An island in the Namibian part of the Caprivi Strip, lying between the Chobe and Zambezi rivers. It is reached by boat from Kasane and is k…
• Kasane Baobab Prison Tree – A huge baobab in central Kasane with a hollow trunk. In colonial times it was reportedly used as a temporary prison cell for detainees.
• Kasane Forest Reserve – A woodland reserve south of Kasane with few visitors. It offers low-key off-road game drives and birdwatching, and works well as a compleme…

Where to eat

• Pizza Plus Coffee Curry – Top-rated spot in Kasane. Despite the name, it is known more for its curries, especially fish curry made with local bre…
• The Old House – Garden restaurant and bar at a riverside guesthouse in Kasane, serving pizza, burgers and fish and chips in a relaxed s…

Itineraries

• Victoria Falls Both Sides & Chobe – Based in Victoria Falls town, see the falls from both Zimbabwe and Zambia, then cross the border to Chobe in Botswana f…
• Victoria Falls & Chobe Delta Fly-In Safari – Cross from Victoria Falls into Chobe, then fly by light aircraft into the Okavango Delta, departing from Maun.
• Maun to Kasane 4WD Expedition – A self-drive expedition through Moremi, Khwai, Savuti, and the Chobe Riverfront, camping along deep sand tracks.
• Windhoek to Victoria Falls Overland Loop – Cross from Namibia along the Okavango River to the Delta and Chobe, ending at Victoria Falls.
• Victoria Falls, Chobe & Okavango Overland – An overland journey from Victoria Falls through Chobe and the salt pans to Maun, connecting rivers and the delta