Chobe Tourism: Travel Tips

The Chobe tourism industry is a well-developed and professional one. Nevertheless, the different seasons at Chobe offer their own attractions - and challenges. Consider the practicalities and think about what you would most like to see and experience in this remarkable wilderness area when deciding on what time of the year you will be visiting.

For inspiration, have a look at our Chobe Travel section for our recommended top experiences, and for practicalities check out our When to Go to Chobe page for the low down on when and where.

Facts & Figures About Chobe

The Chobe River changes its name three times: it begins life in Angola as the Kuando, crosses Namibia's Caprivi Strip as the Itenge and enters Botswana as the Chobe.

The rains traditionally begin on September 30th, Botswana's Independence Day.

The northern Chobe tribes regard a sighting of the elusive pangolin (a scaly anteater) as a good omen.

Northern Botswana tribes believe in a system of inheritance whereby status and wealth (including chieftancy) passes to the children of the father's eldest sister rather than the first son.

Pula is the Tswana word for rain, and its importance in this arid region is reflected in the fact Pula is also the name of the national currency.

At around 12,000km² the Chobe National Park is enormous - bigger than Lebanon or Jamaica.

Although present throughout the park, the fact that elephants need around 150 litres of water and up to 300kg of fodder means that they undertake seasonal migrations within Chobe according to the availability of resources.