The Okavango Delta is one of the few inland deltas of the world, e.g. the mouth of the river is not a lake or an ocean but an inland region which spreads across an area of 15,000 km² in the Kalahari Basin, the world’s largest continuous sand region. The Delta harbors a unique ecosystem - truly an aquatic paradise in the midst of a semi-desert. The Okavango River has its source on the Benguela Plateau in Angola and flows along 1300 km of Kalahari sand before it reaches its mouth, the Okavango Delta. A comparable delta landscape is the Niger Delta, but this is not an inland Delta and has been civilized for many centuries.
The Okavango Delta can be divided into the following regions:
The Panhandle in the north is remote and is characterized by permanent swamps and lakes with islands, which are inhabited by small buffalo herds and the rare Sitatunga Antelope. Other common species are: hippos, crocodiles and the Cape Clawless Otter.
The Pan itself lies to the south and has its highest water level in June and July, when it consists of countless channels and river-arms. The greatest variety of wildlife can be found in this region and when the floods recede to their lowest level in December and January, all the grazers (and their predators) congregate on the floodplains because of the abundance of fresh grass.
Another area of the delta is the sand regions, which include the Moremi Tongue and Chief’s Island - the ideal surroundings for elephants, red lechwes, oryx antelopes as well as lions and leopards - and the endangered African Wild Dog!
Approximately one-third of the Delta is part of the Moremi Wildlife Reserve, where nature is pristine and protected by strict regulations. The landscape varies from papyrus swamps with Makalani Palms to grasslands, as well as small gallery forests to bush-savanna. These are the habitats of a spectacular variety of fauna which will also fascinate the birder (African Fish Eagle, Blacksmith lapwing, Grey Go-away Bird, Ibises, crimson-breasted Shrike).
The central and southern parts of the Delta include the area south of Chief’s Island and the Sandveld Tongue, which juts out into the Delta in a northwest direction into the western part of the Moremi Wildlife Reserve, which is not accessible by road. This region is typical of the inner delta. Its papyrus swamps and palm studded islands, which developed out of ancient termite mounds, can be explored by mekoros, the native dug-out. The woodlands as well as the fertile grasslands are also the home of a great variety of animal life.
Your exclusive safari-camp was opened 2004 and is situated on the south-east edge of Chief’s Island in the Ditshi Area. To sum it up - here you can enjoy the outstanding wildlife of the former hunting grounds of the Batawana kings. A unique experience offered here is an unforgettable Elephant Encounter with three tame elephants, which invite you to explore the beauty of the Delta.
