Botswana | Chobe National Park Safari adventure
✅Venturing into Africa for a dusty, star-gazing safari, what I look forward to most is a face-to-face encounter with wild animals in their natural habitat.
The Big Five are, of course, everyone's ultimate goal! If that's not possible, seeing as many species as possible is also good; and if that's still not enough, a large quantity of animals, even if not diverse, is also fine by me [Awesome]
✅Unexpectedly, in the small Chobe National Park, in just two half-days, I achieved 80% of my goal, making it well worth the price!
✅Chobe National Park, established in 1968, is Botswana's first national park, located north of the Kalahari Desert, on the banks of the Chobe River.
At the beginning of the dry season, herds of elephants migrate from their gradually drying surrounding habitats to the Chobe River for its year-round water supply, gathering on the riverbanks and islands. Year after year, this has made it a true elephant capital.
✅The sunset River Cruiser is the most classic experience on the Chobe Riverfront.
Arriving at the river, one glance is enough to be moved by the sparkling, azure water, its rhythmic ripples as if life is being nurtured, creating a sense of anticipation.
The cruise travels through the wetlands of Sedudu Island, where elephants and African buffalo, two of the Big Five, are the most prominent and easily spotted, appearing in large herds without needing to be searched for.
📍Elephants often move in family groups, with several generations living together, gathered around the matriarch. The baby elephants are well-protected, lining the riverbanks in such numbers that a wide-angle lens can't capture them all! I saw over 10 elephant families drinking water, eating grass, and taking mud baths, with juveniles of different ages, the youngest still nursing, and even a sense of peace.
There was also an exception: a massive adult male elephant stood alone by the swamp, skillfully coiling water and grass with its trunk, stuffing it into its mouth with a whoosh. Suddenly, it defecated and urinated without stopping eating, a truly wild and impressive sight! It deserves to be on the cover!
📍African buffalo, seemingly docile and cow-like, are actually a formidable member of the Big Five, their ferocity goes without saying. Yet here, on the lush banks of the Chobe River, they were quietly grazing, appearing quite serene.
📍I always thought hippos were giant creatures of the water, occasionally opening their huge mouths as if they could swallow a child? (My dad used to threaten me with that as a kid 😒). Here, I saw one grazing on the bank and suddenly remembered that hippos are herbivores!
📍Crocodiles, the top predators of the water, were all sunbathing and sleeping soundly, as if petrified!
📍Birds were everywhere. Official data states Chobe has over 450 bird species. Birds returning to their nests at sunset is perhaps the most vibrant scene at dusk.
✅Off-road Safari is the best way to experience the Savuti bushveld.
A 4x4 game drive safari, encountering top predators like lions and leopards, is almost the ultimate dream of an African adventure, but whether you see them is entirely up to luck!
📍At 6 AM, shivering in the cold wind, we set off, but a surge of excitement to awaken the animal kingdom's big shots filled my heart!
📍Vehicles roared in, kicking up dust. Twisted, gnarled dead trees, like dark night ghosts, were stripped of their disguise by the morning light, revealing their helpless paleness. Early guinea fowl and various unknown birds were everywhere, ignoring the vehicles and pecking for food.
📍The first four-legged animal that made the driver stop was a spotted hyena, wandering indistinctly through the bushes;
Then, a giraffe gracefully appeared;
Herds of impala couldn't stop the movement of the four wheels;
Greater kudu and black-backed jackals were also common visitors here;
Elephants no longer came as a surprise;
Until the "leopard" information came, making everyone hold their breath, long lenses and cameras extended deep into the woods towards a small creature with a wagging tail;
And the appearance of a lioness caused a huge traffic jam, yielding a blurry silhouette, but still delighting those with phones!
✅The lesser-known Chobe unlocked elephants, African buffalo, leopards, and lions from the Big Five, far exceeding expectations! Highly recommended!
🚉Located in Kasane, Botswana, less than a two-hour drive from Victoria Falls, which spans Zimbabwe and Zambia. You can fly to Victoria Falls Airport and visit both.
You can also "visit three countries in one day" by experiencing the Zambian and Botswanan "one-stop border post" at the Kazungula Bridge crossing.
📝For Chinese passports, Zimbabwe offers a visa on arrival, Zambia is visa-free, and Botswana offers a visa on arrival at the Kazungula border (photos required).