Okavango Delta region
Okavango Delta in Botswana
The magical and world famous Okavango Delta is one of the absolute highlights of a trip to Botswana. In the Okavango Delta, the Okavango River meets the Kalahari and forms the world's largest inland delta, one of the last great wilderness paradises of our planet.
Geography and climate of the Okavango Delta
The Okavango Delta consists of a large number of main channels and tributaries of the Okavango River, forming lagoons, floodplains, smaller islands and larger mainland areas. In general, a distinction can be made between the permanent wetlands, which carry water throughout the year, and the temporary wetlands, which are flooded annually from March to July.
The climate of the Okavango Delta is characterized by long, hot summers (November - March) and short, cooler winters (June - August), as in the rest of Botswana. However in the Okavango Delta, the winter nighttime temperatures are not as low as in the Kalahari. In August, the temperature drops to around 11 ° C in the night.
Here you can find more information about the weather in Botswana.
Flora and fauna of the Okavango Delta
The permanently water-bearing swamp areas are dominated by forests of wild date palms and papyrus, which stand on islands and lagoons. Water lilies often cover these lakes and offer great photo opportunities. In the seasonal wetlands, there are more open, grassy areas that are filled with water during the winter flood season. On the edges of these plains fan palms, sausage and fig trees are growing in large numbers.
The Okavango Delta is famous for an incredible abundance of. Over a hundred species of mammals, more than 400 species of birds, dozens of reptile and amphibian species are found in large numbers. Buffalo, zebras, elephants and huge antelope herds, giraffes, predators like lions, leopards, cheetahs and the rare African wild dogs, aquatic animals like crocodiles and hippopotamus and of course a very high density of birds make the Okavango Delta a kind of garden of Eden in Botswana.
Places of interest - Okavango Delta
In the Okavango Delta region almost everything revolves around game viewing in this fascinating natural paradise. The enormous wealth of game can be discovered best from the air (flight or hot air balloon ride), in the water (boat or dugout canoo) or on land (4x4 game drive ). Self drive safaris in the Okavango Delta are limited as there are hardly any paved roads. Almost all activities are organized by the accommodations in the Okavango Delta itself. Here is further information:
Okavango Delta
Accommodation in the Okavango Delta