• Botswana wildlife safari: Hippo

Highlights and main attractions of Moremi Reserve

Highlights and main attractions of Moremi Reserve

Moremi Reserve is in many respects the heart of the Okavango. The central section of the delta is surrounded by a series of private concessions which, along with other areas such as the Mopane Tongue, all combine to form the Okavango Delta. Each area has its own wildlife highlights, with some areas being better for lion, others for cheetah and/or wild dogs. However, the demarcation you will see on maps does not exist on the ground, so free flowing movement of wildlife operates between areas. Moremi Reserve provides predominantly land based activities, with Chief’s Island representing the main landmass of the delta, framed by a maze of delta waterways and channels in all directions. 

Botswana wildlife safari: Lion cub

Mopane Tongue and Chief's Island

Moremi predominantly covers the central and eastern areas of the Okavango Delta, consisting of mostly flat areas with a variety of floodplains, waterways and the two principal land masses of the Mopane Tongue and Chief's Island. Nowadays, with the re-introduction of the rhino, it is also possible to see the Big Five on your Botswana wildlife safari. Other wildlife includes elephants, buffalo, zebra, a variety of antelope including the rare swamp dwelling sitatunga and red lechwe, lion, leopard, spotted hyena, cheetah and wild dogs which primarily range through the northern sections of the Okavango. These areas, as they are within the National Park, do not permit night game drives or walks, however this is often compensated for by the sightings that you have experienced during the day. The Xakanaka Camp and Camp Moremi are in the heart of the reserve overlooking Xakanaxa Lagoon, both with a distinct African bush feel.

Chief's Island

The best place to see rhino is on Chief's Island, where they were re-introduced and tend to stick to due to natural constraints. Chief's Island is also an exceptional area for predator sightings with strong prides of lions (including the Mambo Boys - three immense lions that have moved back into the Chief's Camp area) and regular leopard and cheetah sightings. As a result of the high density of the larger cats in this area cheetah are often harder to see although your chances improve as the dry season progresses, especially on Chief's where two cheetah brothers are often seen scanning the horizon from their resident termite mounds!

Moremi covers a huge tract of land and water that is home to one of the densest and most diverse populations of wildlife on the African continent.

Accommodation on Chief's Island is limited to Chief's Camp, with just 12 stilted luxury tents overlooking the waterways, and Mombo Camp - probably the most expensive camp in Botswana on wooden decking with large luxury tents. Both camps will host your extraordinary explorations into this vast and authentic wilderness. 

BOOK YOUR BOTSWANA SAFARI

Contact one of our Destination Specialists to start planning your journey to Botswana. Please note we recommend a budget of from £7,000 / $10,000 USD per person for our style of trip to this destination.

Contact Us