Okavango Delta Explorations

Okavango Delta Explorations The Okavango Delta experts. Creating tailor made safaris to the Okavango Delta and beyond based on expert knowledge and first-hand experience.

We are UK licensed and regulated Tour Operator.

There are only an estimated 6,600 African Wild Dog left in the wild. These beautifully tie-dyed predators are Africa’s s...
04/02/2025

There are only an estimated 6,600 African Wild Dog left in the wild. These beautifully tie-dyed predators are Africa’s second most endangered large carnivore. As wild dogs are a pack species (with on average 10 individuals), this translates to only 660 packs (or breeding females). Botswana is home to a significant number of these dogs, with an estimated to be 1,310 individuals (or 131 packs) in the country, making it one of the best places to see Wild Dogs in Africa. And the Kwara and Kwando Reserves offering some of the best opportunities of seeing them. Picture from 4 Rivers camp with
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The rains have cleared the dusty air and the skies are quite spectacular now in the Okavango- perfectly captured here at...
27/01/2025

The rains have cleared the dusty air and the skies are quite spectacular now in the Okavango- perfectly captured here at Tubu Tree Camp
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The sound of summer! The distinct trilling call of this bird is the highlight to the summer soundtrack in Botswana- Can ...
24/01/2025

The sound of summer! The distinct trilling call of this bird is the highlight to the summer soundtrack in Botswana- Can you name this migratory bird?
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Thanks to the bountiful rain these past 2 weeks the Okavango is starting to resemble the watery wetland landscape usuall...
22/01/2025

Thanks to the bountiful rain these past 2 weeks the Okavango is starting to resemble the watery wetland landscape usually only seen during the flood season (typically from June-September)- meaning some camps are now able to offer water activities like boating and mokoro, such as Xigera Safari Lodge, who have just resumed boating activities. Wonderful news for those travelling in Green season, who will experience a range of activities usually only possible in peak season.
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The rains have arrived in Botswana, a cause of great celebration these past weeks. After a difficult drought year in 202...
20/01/2025

The rains have arrived in Botswana, a cause of great celebration these past weeks. After a difficult drought year in 2024 the country is bursting with life after weeks of good rain prompting luxuriant growth – the landscape is a beautiful vivid green and there are babies everywhere! This baby Zebra was captured on safari with – home to some of Botswana oldest and best located camps.
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Exploring the waterways of the Okavango by Mokoro (the traditional dug-out canoe) is the ultimate slow safari -  an incr...
27/10/2023

Exploring the waterways of the Okavango by Mokoro (the traditional dug-out canoe) is the ultimate slow safari - an incredibly peaceful experience allowing you to connect with the sights, sounds and smells of the environment. Mostly the focus is on the smaller creatures which call the wetlands home – but occasionally the bigger animals return to steal the show! A wonderful picture shared with us by our recent travelers to the Khwai Private Reserve. Thank you!
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Fans of the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency books take note! There are only a few places left on our specially crafted Bots...
20/10/2023

Fans of the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency books take note! There are only a few places left on our specially crafted Botswana tour in the company of Alexander McCall Smith. This wonderful 8 night itinerary runs from 11-19 March and combines some great cultural and conservation experiences with a superb safari to the Okavango Delta. Contact us for more information.
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Introducing a wonderful new children’s book, Let’s Save the Okavango – a story by  about the incredible biodiversity of ...
18/04/2023

Introducing a wonderful new children’s book, Let’s Save the Okavango – a story by about the incredible biodiversity of the Okavango Delta and why it is so important to protect it. This beautifully illustrated book brings to life the rich world of the Okavango and the important role it plays for the people and wildlife who call this home. It tackles the issues which threaten the future of the Okavango and offers ideas for helping to protect it. A fantastic book for young people – best enjoyed together with the many activities and teaching resources on the author’s website.

https://www.catherinebarrbooks.me/
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Today marks a great milestone in Botswana conservation. Sixty years ago the Moremi Game Reserve was created, one of the ...
15/03/2023

Today marks a great milestone in Botswana conservation. Sixty years ago the Moremi Game Reserve was created, one of the first reserves in Africa to be formed by the indigenous pop**ation, working together with conservationists.

Concerned by the rapid depletion of wildlife due to uncontrolled hunting and cattle encroachment the Ngamiland Fauna Conservation Society, together with prominent members of the local Batswana community, campaigned to protect an important section of the Okavango Delta.

Finally, on 15 March 1963, the Moremi Game Reserve was created, named after Chief Moremi III of the local Batawana tribe. Importantly, the chieftaincy whose land spread across the proposed protected area, was involved in the preservation society right from the beginning. Interestingly this was under the leadership of the deceased Chief Moremi III's wife, Elizabeth Pulane Moremi (pictured). Mrs Moremi was progressive woman who played an important role in persuading the community of the need to protect their ancestral lands.

It was thanks to this bold initiative that one of Botswana’s richness resources, the Okavango Delta, was preserved for future generations.
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The first rains have arrived! And with it follows a delicious earthy scent – the smell of rain, known as Petrichor. Petr...
24/10/2022

The first rains have arrived! And with it follows a delicious earthy scent – the smell of rain, known as Petrichor.

Petrichor describes the warm earthy smell released by the first rains after a dry spell. In the 1960s, two Australian scientists coined the term which comes from the Greek words 'petra', meaning stone, and 'ichor', which in Greek mythology refers to the ethereal golden fluid that flows in the veins of the immortals.

This distinctive small is released when rainfall arrives. Raindrops landing on dusty or clay soils trap tiny air bubbles on the surface which then shoot upward - as in a glass of Champagne - and burst out of the drop throwing aerosols of scent into the air where they are then distributed by wind. Release of the scent is most prominent when light/moderate rain falls on sandy or clay soils. During very heavy rain, the speed of the drops represses the creation of bubbles stopping the release of aerosols.

During their research into Petrichor, rocks that had been exposed to warm, dry conditions were steam distilled to reveal a yellow coloured oil that had become trapped in the rocks and soil, a substance they discovered was responsible for the smell. The source of this oil is a combination of oils secreted by plants during dry weather (which signals to halt root growth and seed germination) and chemicals released by soil-dwelling bacteria.
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The Okavango is a true wilderness: an unfenced network of private reserves blend into the national park with wildlife ro...
05/10/2022

The Okavango is a true wilderness: an unfenced network of private reserves blend into the national park with wildlife roaming freely across this 100 mile alluvial fan. This is one of the last pristine natural sanctuaries on earth.

Contact us to start planning your safari to the Okavango Delta.

Picture taken by D Woolgar while on a Kwando safari. A Botswana owned safari operator which boasts one of the most diverse safari camp portfolios in Botswana.
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Jimmy was tired of hunting and decided he might be more of a gatherer. Though he got a lot of stick from the pride…. Cap...
04/10/2022

Jimmy was tired of hunting and decided he might be more of a gatherer. Though he got a lot of stick from the pride….

Captured by F Pieterse with Kwando Safaris who operate a fantastic portfolio of camps in prime locations across Botswana.
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Meet one of the Okavango’s youngest engineers – Hippos are a keystone species of the Okavango, helping to develop and ma...
03/10/2022

Meet one of the Okavango’s youngest engineers – Hippos are a keystone species of the Okavango, helping to develop and maintain the waterways which define the Delta as we know it.

Baby Hippos (known as calves) are born under water and must swim to the top to take their first breath. They are born weighing between 25 and 50 kg (55 and 110 lbs) and are around 127 cm (1.717 feet) in length. They will suckle for around 8 months, slowly moving onto vegetation, eventually eating around 36 kgs of grass a day and weighing around 1.5 tonnes as a full grown adult.

This adorable baby hippo was captured by our guests staying at Little Sable, a charming little camp in the eastern Okavango.

Picture kindly shared by our guest, Freya Hinson
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Happy Boipuso! Happy Independent Day Botswana! Celebrating 56 years of independence and democracy.  Botswana’s flag, ado...
30/09/2022

Happy Boipuso! Happy Independent Day Botswana! Celebrating 56 years of independence and democracy.

Botswana’s flag, adopted in 1966, was a pointed contrast to the flag of neighbouring South Africa under Apartheid rule at the time. Botswana proclaimed in the flag’s central black stripe and its white bordering stripes a belief in racial harmony and equality. The light blue background of the flag is associated with the sky and with water, a scarce and precious commodity in this predominately desert country. The importance of water is also reflected in the motto that appears in the national coat of arms: it is a single word, “Pula,” representing rain, hope, and confidence in the future.

The second picture depicts Botswana’s coat of arms. In the centre a traditional African shield is held by two Zebra – the national animal. The stripes of the zebra represent racial equality and importance of wildlife and tourism. The elephant tusk represents the country’s rich wildlife (over a third of African elephants are found in Botswana) while the stem of sorghum symbolises agriculture – half of the country live in rural areas and rely on subsistence farming. The bull symbolises the importance of the cattle industry to the country’s economy and the cultural touchstone. The 3 cogwheels represent industry and mining – Botswana is one of the largest producer of gem stones in the world. Finally, the 3 blue waves in the centre honours the importance of water – a rare and precious resource in the country.
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When it comes to river-based safaris in Chobe it’s hard to beat the experience at Chobe Savanna Lodge. As these fantasti...
26/07/2022

When it comes to river-based safaris in Chobe it’s hard to beat the experience at Chobe Savanna Lodge. As these fantastic pictures from Kendra Philman, who travelled with us in June, will show.

Chobe Savanna Lodge is set on the banks of the Chobe River in a rich wildlife area overlooking Botswana’s famous Chobe National Park. Its unique location offers stunning views from several vantage points and being set far from the Chobe crowds, it offers the perfect (and immensely peaceful) base for a river safari.

Photo Credit: Kendra Philman and Thank you for sharing!
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Peek-a-boo! The black heron (Egretta ardesiaca) is famous for using a hunting method known as canopy feeding —shaping it...
01/07/2022

Peek-a-boo! The black heron (Egretta ardesiaca) is famous for using a hunting method known as canopy feeding —shaping its wings like an umbrella while hunting. Another wonderful capture from

The reasoning behind this distinctive behaviour has long been a topic of debate. A common theory is that small fish looking for places to hide are attracted to the shade created by the heron’s wings. Other theories relate to visibility. The feathered canopy reduces reflection and so provides better visibility, and also obscures the silhouette of the heron. Though experts say there is little evidence that these are primary functions for so complex a behaviour. Indeed whether fish are attracted to or flee the canopy and foot stirring is still debatable. There is no reason why all factors could not play a part.
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An extraordinary shot of female leopard and her wild cat kill! A remarkable sighting, beautifully captured by one of our...
27/06/2022

An extraordinary shot of female leopard and her wild cat kill! A remarkable sighting, beautifully captured by one of our travellers on a photographic safari in April. Thank you for sharing your images.

Do take a look at our stories for more wonderful pictures of her safari through Nxai Pan, the Okavango and Chobe.
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Beautiful but bashful. Kudu are extremely shy and highly alert, most comfortable in woodland and thickets where they wil...
20/04/2022

Beautiful but bashful. Kudu are extremely shy and highly alert, most comfortable in woodland and thickets where they will stand motionless when they sense danger, easily blending into the bush.

Lacking the speed and stamina to flee predators on open ground they instead rely on their narrow bodies and long legs to leap through thickets when escaping predators with a distinctive and delightful rocking horse motion.
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35 Wimbledon Hill Rd, Wimbledon
London
SW197NB

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Monday 9am - 6pm
Tuesday 9am - 6pm
Wednesday 9am - 6pm
Thursday 9am - 6pm
Friday 9am - 6pm

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