The Okavango Delta

Botswana's Okavango Delta has to be one of the most incredible places to view wildlife in the world. As a wetland paradise, containing roughly 95 percent of Botswana's surface water located within the arid Kalahari Desert, this unique eco-system is an area of unbelievable natural beauty.

Each year, flood waters from the Angolan highlands come down in 2 main thrusts ending in the Kalahari desert, spreading over a vast area creating a wetland paradise that supports a huge diversity of flora and fauna including swamps, reed beds, flood plains, vast papyrus beds and long stretches of clear water, filtered through the sand until it is fine enough to drink.

The heart of the Okavango Delta is the Moremi Game Reserve, an area of land that is mostly dry throughout the year. On its circumference however are hundreds of palm fringed islands truly untouched and deserted offering some of Africa's last pristine game viewing environments. Mombo is built on one of these islands and although part of the Moremi Game Reserve, is at its Northern most point and therefore is affected by the flood levels of the Okavango itself.

At Mombo, the flood waters usually arrive at the end of April and last until the end of August. 2006 looks like it will be a very high year for the flood because of the large amount of rain coming down from Angola. The flood is therefore expected to last through until September.

 

For more information about a safari in the Okavango Delta please follow this link

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