What is the Okavango Delta?

The Okavango Delta is a unique wetland in Botswana, and one of the largest inland deltas in the world. It’s an alluvial fan, a floodplain in the Kalahari Desert that fills with water from the Kavango River each year.

When is the best time to visit the Okavango Delta?

Parts of the Delta remain inundated all year, so trips are possible at any time of year. However, the water levels peak during winter from June to October.

When do the Okavango Delta waters rise?

Depending on rainfall, the Okavango Delta’s water levels usually peak between June and August, and water activities like mokoro excursions become possible as the Delta swells to around three times its size.

Where do the Okavango Delta waters come from?

Along with local rainfall, the water that fills up the Okavango Delta comes from the Angolan highlands. From Angola it flows into the Kavango River, across the Zambezi Region in Namibia to become the Okavango River in Botswana. Here it eventually spreads into the Kalahari Desert sands, where its path is finally halted by the geology of the area.

How was the Okavango Delta formed?

The Central Kalahari was once a great lake, called Makgadikgadi. Rifts in the fault lines over two million years ago changed the course of the rivers in the area, so that they no longer joined together to flow into the sea, but rather into this lowest part of the Kalahari, now the Delta and Makgadikgadi Pans.

What makes the Okavango Delta unique?

It's the world's largest inland delta located within the Kalahari Desert, making it an oasis of abundance surrounded by semi-desert.

When does the Delta inundation arrive?

Fed by rain in Angola’s highland, its waters arrive in April, with levels peaking between June and August.

Can I visit year-round?

Yes, although safari experiences vary from season to season, with certain activities dependent on water levels.

How was the Delta formed?

It formed tens of thousands of years ago, when tectonic plate warping stopped the flow of the Proto-Limpopo River, creating the present-day alluvial fan.

It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site supporting incredible biodiversity in a pristine wetland wilderness.

Fly to Maun, via major African cities, then a light aircraft charter flight to your chosen Delta camp. All Wilderness camps are serviced daily by Wilderness Air.

What's the climate like?

Semi-arid with distinct wet and dry seasons, mild winters and hot summer temperatures.

Is it safe to swim in the Delta?

Only in designated areas, such as camp pools, or specified low water areas. With crocodiles and hippos present in many of the deeper natural waterways we do not allow our guests to swim in the natural channels.

Depends on preferences, with high season (May to October) offering concentrated game viewing, and low season (December to March) offering calving season and prime birding.Botswana seasons explained month by month:

Chobe offers huge elephant concentrations, while the Delta provides a diverse experience with many water-based activities.

Maun is the gateway town to the Delta, serving as a base for logistics and providing essential services to the various camps.

Is Botswana a malaria area?

Endemic area requiring preventive medication and protective measures.

Do I need to take malaria tablets when visiting Botswana?

Depending on where you travel in Botswana, you may require malaria medication. Please consult your GP or travel consultant before departure.

Do I need a yellow fever vaccination to go to Botswana?

If you are travelling to Botswana from areas infected with yellow fever, you must have a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate. We advise our guests to also have an updated TPD (tetanus, polio, diphtheria) vaccine and a hepatitis A vaccine.

What can I do in the Delta?

Mokoro trips, game drives, walking safaris, helicopter flips, boating excursions, fishing, birdwatching, as well as game viewing from hides, sleep-outs at Star Beds platforms, and cultural excursions.

Are mokoro trips safe?

Yes, they only traverse shallow channels, poled by experienced local guides who know the waterways and wildlife behaviour intimately.

Neutral colours, lightweight fabrics, sun protection, a hat, and comfortable walking shoes.What to pack for a safari.

What animals are found in the Okavango Delta?

The Okavango Delta attracts all sorts of wildlife, including huge herds of elephant and buffalo, hippos, crocodiles, lions, leopards, wild dog, red lechwe, zebra, warthog and baboons. The birdlife in the Okavango Delta is also astounding, with over 400 species recorded in the area.

What wildlife is unique?

Red lechwe, sitatunga, slaty egret, Pel’s fishing owl, and other aquatic-adapted species found only in water-rich environments.

Can you see the Big Five?

No – lion, leopard, elephant, and buffalo are all present in the Delta, but the chances of seeing a rhino are highly unlikely.

Thousands migrate seasonally, creating spectacular herds that concentrate around the water channels during the dry months.

Excellent sightings, especially on the wooded islands and riverine forests dotted throughout the Delta.

With the Delta’s high prey density, lions are found here in great numbers, adapting superbly to this water-rich environment.

Spotted hyenas thrive here, often seen during game drives and heard at night.

Yes, various species, including pythons and cobras, are found in the Delta, with guides trained to follow the correct safety protocols when encountered.

Are there crocodiles?

Nile crocodiles are abundant in the permanent waterways, so always keep a safe distance from the water.

Why are Delta lion prides so big?

Abundant prey and unique hunting opportunities create ideal conditions for large prides to develop.

What is the fastest animal in the Delta?

Cheetahs are the fastest, hunting on the open floodplains at speeds over 100 kilometres per hour, with wild dogs showcasing incredible pace in the thicker vegetation.

Two light brown lechwe antelopes are captured mid-run across the bright blue, shallow water of the Delta, kicking up white sprays and reflecting clearly on the surface.

Botswana

Okavango Delta

Wild, vast, abundant. Botswana’s Okavango Delta teems with life, one of the last great sanctuaries for Africa’s wildlife.

Home Africa Botswana Okavango Delta

High aerial view of a dark, meandering, S-shaped river channel cutting through the vibrant green marsh grass of the Okavango Delta floodplain.

Discover the Okavango Delta

As the world's largest inland delta and UNESCO World Heritage Site, this pristine wilderness is considered Botswana's most treasured. Here you experience nature at its purest: whether in a silent mokoro gliding along a papyrus-lined channel or on a game drive across a wildlife-dense tree island. With Wilderness as your guide, discover why it captivates all fortunate enough to experience it.

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A natural wonder

Direct overhead aerial view of two mokoro canoes being poled down a dark channel surrounded by a thick carpet of bright green water lilies near Vumbura, Botswana.

The Okavango Delta is one of Earth's most extraordinary ecosystems. From rain caught in the Angolan highlands, its waters travel over 1,000 kilometres before fanning out across the Kalahari Desert, creating an inland delta that can expand to more than 20,000 square kilometres. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, this wetland supports incredible biodiversity and some of Africa’s best wildlife viewing.

Award-winning lodges

Our awards celebrate the exceptional architecture, thoughtful design, and world-class hospitality of our camps. Each accolade reflects our commitment to creating exceptional experiences where luxury, comfort, and style harmoniously blend with the wild, setting new benchmarks for safari travel.

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Wilderness Vumbura - Top 100 Suites

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Wilderness DumaTau - Top 50 Eco Suites in the World

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Wilderness Mokete - 20 New Hotels for Global Exploration

Set on its own island, Little Vumbura in Botswana epitomises the classic Okavango Delta safari experience.

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Delta foundations

Understanding the Okavango Delta requires exploring three fundamental elements that help make this ecosystem so unique. From its remarkable biodiversity to the geological forces that have shaped it over some 60,000 years, these foundations reveal why the Delta stands apart from any other destination on Earth.

Ecology

Geography

History

Wide aerial view of the Okavango Delta mosaic of shallow blue water and small bushy islands, illustrating the unique floodplain ecosystem.

Ecology

Shaped by the annual inundation, the Delta is an ever-changing mosaic of permanent waters, floodplains, and dry islands. This creates diverse habitats supporting 150+ mammals, 464 birds, countless plant species, and smaller creatures. Recognised as an Important Bird & Biodiversity Area (IBA), it's home to unique wildlife like sitatunga, red lechwe, slaty egret, and Pel's fishing owl.

Lodge decor with a wooden wall featuring a stylized, laser-cut art piece mapping the Okavango Delta's formation, complete with small bronze animal figures.

Geography

The waters of the Delta flow strongly before reaching fault lines created by the tectonic activity of the Great Rift Valley. Here, reduced gradient slows the water, forcing it to fan out, forming an inland delta (or more accurately, a freshwater alluvial fan). Each year, this ecological phenomenon is inundated with fresh water from April onwards, with levels peaking between June and August.

Wilderness Botswana Culture Kalahari San

History

For millennia, numerous tribes, including the BaYei and BaHambukushu peoples, have called the Delta home, living in harmony with its rhythms. Modern conservation began in the 1960s with the establishment of Moremi Game Reserve in 1963, followed by private concessions that help balance wildlife protection with sustainable tourism, culminating in its UNESCO World Heritage Site recognition in 2014.

Ecology

Shaped by the annual inundation, the Delta is an ever-changing mosaic of permanent waters, floodplains, and dry islands. This creates diverse habitats supporting 150+ mammals, 464 birds, countless plant species, and smaller creatures. Recognised as an Important Bird & Biodiversity Area (IBA), it's home to unique wildlife like sitatunga, red lechwe, slaty egret, and Pel's fishing owl.

Geography

The waters of the Delta flow strongly before reaching fault lines created by the tectonic activity of the Great Rift Valley. Here, reduced gradient slows the water, forcing it to fan out, forming an inland delta (or more accurately, a freshwater alluvial fan). Each year, this ecological phenomenon is inundated with fresh water from April onwards, with levels peaking between June and August.

History

For millennia, numerous tribes, including the BaYei and BaHambukushu peoples, have called the Delta home, living in harmony with its rhythms. Modern conservation began in the 1960s with the establishment of Moremi Game Reserve in 1963, followed by private concessions that help balance wildlife protection with sustainable tourism, culminating in its UNESCO World Heritage Site recognition in 2014.

Wildlife in the Okavango

The Okavango Delta's unique ecosystem creates perfect conditions for wildlife encounters found nowhere else in Africa, from specialised aquatic species such as sitatunga to recognisable icons like lion.

A large African elephant with tusks walking through tall, dry grass in a cloud of dust at sunset or dusk, with other elephants and a bare tree in the background.

Two lionesses standing on their hind legs and fighting, swiping with their paws in a dramatic action pose in the dusty Okavango Delta savanna at sunrise.

Close-up of a leopard's face peering intently through a dark curtain of green leaves and bush, showcasing its bright golden eyes in the Okavango Delta.

Aerial view of a large hippopotamus wading through the shallow, dark Okavango Delta water and short marsh grass, lit by the sun.

Close-up of a plains zebra standing in golden savanna grass at sunrise or sunset in the Okavango Delta, Botswana, showing its mane and stripes.

A Bat-eared Fox walking on sandy ground in the Okavango Delta savanna, highlighting its large ears and small, pointed face.

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When is the best time to visit?

Seasonality in the Delta

The Okavango Delta is ever-changing, with its water levels greatly influencing the type of safari experiences that can be had. The seasons of the Delta are therefore broken up into low, high and shoulder, with distinct benefits to each.

Best time for a Botswana safari

A dramatic African sunset over the tree line at Mombo Camp, Okavango Delta, with glowing orange sun rays filtering through dark, moody rain clouds.

Low season – December to March

Falling water levels coincide with the rains, meaning green landscapes, lower prices, calving season, and birding.

High overhead aerial view of a poler guiding a mokoro canoe with tourists through the dark, reflective, and grass-filled waters of the Okavango Delta, Botswana.

High season – May to October

With water levels at their highest during the dry season, wildlife viewing and water activities are at their best.

Two African Wild Dogs (Painted Dogs) standing on hind legs, play-fighting in a cloud of dust and golden light with other pack members in the background at sunset.

Shoulder season – April & Nov

Transitional months offer good wildlife viewing and water activities at moderate prices.

High angle aerial shot of a safari game drive vehicle with tourists crossing a wooden bridge over a water channel in the Okavango Delta, surrounded by golden marshland.

Activities in the Delta

The Delta offers activities as diverse as its landscapes: Here, you can drift quietly on a mokoro through hidden waterways. Walk with expert guides across pristine islands. Soar above in a helicopter and take in patterns invisible from the ground, as well as experience exceptional game drives through diverse terrain where water meets land.

Safari activities in Botswana

Black and white aerial view of a line of elephants wading through the shallow, dark floodwaters of the Okavango Delta, Botswana, showing their tracks.

our origins

Wilderness in the Delta

Our story began here in 1983. Starting with mobile safaris, we then opened our first tented camps in 1985, pioneering the first model of sustainable ecotourism in the Okavango Delta region. Now with over 10 luxury tented camps, 40 years’ experience, and partnerships with Delta communities, we don't just show you the Delta – we help you understand it, and why we help protect it.

Our Story

Extreme close-up of an African elephant's head, showing the textured, wrinkled gray skin, a large ear, an eye, and the tip of a white tusk, bathed in golden light.

A lioness wading through the clear, shallow floodwaters and tall grass of the Okavango Delta under a bright blue sky, illustrating the unique habitat.

Conservation in the Okavango Delta

With wildlife and people often living in close proximity to one another, conservation and community development are intertwined. We therefore support initiatives that promote human-wildlife coexistence.

Conservation in Botswana

Regions of the Delta

The Okavango Delta is a vast wilderness that encompasses distinct regions, each offering unique landscapes, wildlife concentrations, and experiences. From the famous predator-rich eastern reaches to the secluded western concessions and the flood-pulse heart of the central Delta, understanding these areas helps craft your perfect safari adventure.

Eastern Delta

Western Delta

Central Delta

Predator hotspot

Eastern Delta

Home to Moremi Game Reserve and Chief's Island, the eastern Delta is renowned for predator sightings and year-round wildlife viewing. Here, at permanent water channels such as the Gomoti and Santantadibe, large concentrations of wildlife and birds congregate. Camps like Wilderness Chitabe and Qorokwe, both positioned between these two rivers, provide the very best of the east.

Wide aerial view of the Okavango Delta floodplains at sunset, showing the low sun reflecting off the blue water channels and marsh islands.

Water oasis

Western Delta

The western Delta offers private concessions such as the Jao Reserve, where seclusion meets pristine wilderness. With fewer camps and vast territories, this region provides intimate wildlife encounters across a wetland wonderland renowned for Delta specials such as sitatunga and Pel’s fishing owl.

A stunning, vibrant double rainbow arching over the savanna trees at Mombo Camp, Okavango Delta after a rain shower, with a soft pink and purple sky.

Why Botswana is so photogenic

A male red lechwe antelope, with long, curved horns, leaps out of the deep blue, water-lily-dotted Okavango Delta water, creating a prominent white splash.

A pair of plains zebra (adult and foal) standing in tall grass, looking toward the camera in a mysterious, misty or foggy blue light in the Okavango Delta.

A richly colored Okavango Delta sunset reflecting on the smooth water, featuring deep blue, orange, and pink hues with a dark silhouette of an island tree line.

A safari vehicle with tourists parked under a brilliant, sweeping arc of the Milky Way galaxy during a star-gazing safari night drive in Botswana.

Two large Verreaux's Eagle-Owls perched side-by-side in a large green tree, looking out from the thick foliage of the Okavango Delta woodlands.

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Wilderness Botswana Game Drive Vumbura Family

A lioness resting beneath an open-sided shelter next to a white safari plane on a dirt airstrip in the Botswana bush.

Essential Delta travel information

Reach the Delta via Maun International Airport, with scheduled flights from major African cities and light aircraft connections to Delta camps. Here, year-round safaris are possible. Pack lightweight, neutral-colored clothing, comfortable walking shoes, sun protection, a hat, and binoculars. Malaria precautions are essential, so please consult your doctor about preventative medication.

Aerial view of a safari game drive vehicle with tourists crossing a long, narrow wooden bridge over a deep channel in the vast Okavango Delta landscape.

A water wonderland

The Okavango Delta awaits your discovery – a place where pristine wilderness meets unparalleled wildlife experiences. Let our Wilderness Travel Designers craft your perfect Delta adventure.

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FAQ

General questions about the Delta

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Okavango Delta all you need to know

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Health and safety

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Activities in the Delta

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Wildlife in the Okavango Delta

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TRAVEL WITH US

Journey with Wilderness

A journey in the lush Okavango Delta is a way to refresh the soul. Experience the thrill of a game drive in search of wildlife, or connect with the smaller aquatic creatures on a tranquil mokoro outing. All throughout, experience unrivalled African hospitality at our luxury safari camps in Botswana.

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Why choose Wilderness?

Combining our decades of local knowledge with your safari dreams – from intimate mokoro excursions to thrilling game drives – every moment becomes a treasured memory in this wetland Eden.

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MAP

Explore camps in the Okavango Delta

One of Africa’s last great natural sanctuaries, the Okavango Delta is home to the majority of our Wilderness camps in Botswana. This vast African eden is a quintessential safari destination, with abundant wildlife, wonderful people and camps to suit every kind of traveller.

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JOURNAL

Okavango Delta featured stories

Wilderness and the Okavango Delta go way back. These are our stories, photographs, and updates from our community and conservation teams on the ground.

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