Okavango Delta (Maun)
The world's largest inland delta: use Maun as your gateway, glide through channels by mokoro, and track lions and wild dogs in Moremi and Khwai.
The Okavango Delta lies in northwestern Botswana and is one of the largest inland deltas in the world; in 2014 it became UNESCO's 1,000th World Heritage Site. The Okavango River rises in the Angolan highlands and, on reaching the Kalahari Desert, does not flow to the sea but spreads out into about 15,000 sq km of channels, lagoons, papyrus swamps and islands. This destination uses the gateway town of Maun as its base and covers the eastern and central delta: Moremi Game Reserve (Third Bridge, Xakanaxa, Mboma Island), the private camps around Chief's Island, and the Khwai Community Concession to the northeast. The delta's most remarkable feature is its "flood in the dry season": the floodwaters from Angola's rainy season take months to arrive, and water levels peak in June–August, just as the local winter is dry and animals gather at the water's edge, making June–October the prime wildlife-viewing period; November–March is the rainy season, with lush greenery, migratory birds and newborn animals, lower prices, but some roads are flooded. There are three main ways to experience it: self-drive a 4x4 from Maun, or join a tour, for off-road safaris in Moremi and Khwai; fly by light aircraft to luxury camps in the interior for mokoro canoe trips, boat cruises and walking safaris; or take a day mokoro trip or scenic flight from Maun. Getting there: most travelers connect via Johannesburg to Maun (MUB); charter flights to camps generally limit luggage to about 20 kg in soft bags. Allow 4–8 days. Makgadikgadi Pans, Tsodilo Hills and Chobe National Park are covered as separate destinations. Notes: camp prices are high, and in peak season you should book more than six months ahead; check the latest official rules on visas and the tourism entry fee; this is a malaria-risk area; never get out of your vehicle in the wild, and at night within camp you must be escorted by staff.
Top sights
- Moremi Game Reserve – The only national-level reserve in the eastern delta, combining land and waterways. It is a top area for seeing lions, leopards, African wi…
- Mokoro Channels – Ride a traditional dugout canoe, poled by a guide standing at the back, as you glide silently through channels lined with papyrus and water…
- Okavango Delta Scenic Flight – Fly low from Maun in a small plane or helicopter to see the Delta's waterways weaving like blood vessels, and herds of elephants wading thr…
- Khwai Community Concession – A community concession along the Khwai River just outside Moremi's north gate, allowing night drives and off-road driving. It is a popular…
- Maun – Botswana's “safari capital” and the gateway town to the Okavango Delta, where the airport, camp offices, supermarkets and riverside lodges…
- Third Bridge (Moremi) – A legendary wooden bridge and camp deep in Moremi, where lion prides often roam nearby, with boat or mokoro access to the channels around C…
- Xakanaxa Lagoon – An open lagoon area in northeastern Moremi, where boats glide through papyrus channels past hippos, crocodiles and breeding colonies of her…
- Mboma Island – A long, narrow island west of Third Bridge, where a game-drive loop and boat jetty come together, often with lions, antelopes and waterbird…
- Chief's Island – The largest island in the central delta and the core of Moremi, famous for Mombo Camp and known as the “Land of Predators.”
- Maun Educational Park – A small reserve on the Thamalakane River inside Maun, where you can walk among zebras, giraffes and antelopes, a good way to pass time whil…
- Nhabe Museum – A small museum and arts center in Maun showing the history and ethnic cultures of the Ngamiland region and the work of local artists.
- Thamalakane River – A river flowing through Maun that marks the edge of the delta, lined with riverside lodges. Watching the sunset from a riverside bar and sp…
- Lake Ngami – A seasonal lake southwest of Maun, reached by Livingstone in 1849, and an important habitat for flamingos, pelicans and other waterbirds in…
Where to eat
- Marc's Eatery – Maun's most highly rated restaurant, serving international café fare with kudu and warthog game stews and a shaded terr…
- Dusty Donkey Café – Popular café on Airport Road, known for breakfast wraps, buddha bowls, burgers and house-made cakes, with highly rated…
- Okavango Craft Brewery Bar – Local craft brewery that makes beer from millet grown by Delta farmers, with pizza and burgers in a beer garden.
Itineraries
- 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.
- Nxai Pan & Kubu Island Salt Pan Loop – Head east from Maun to see baobabs and meerkats, and cross the salt pans to camp on Kubu Island.
- Okavango Panhandle & Tsodilo Hills – Head north along the A35 for lagoon mokoro trips, Tsodilo rock art, river fishing, and houseboats.
- 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