Botswana is one of the few African countries that has a stable government, is rich in minerals, has exquisite natural beauty and strong currency. Its currency is, at the moment, even stronger than the South African rand. Although South Africa is primarily regarded as the advanced and stable country in Africa, Botswana never had political instability or tribal warfare like 90% of other African countries experienced at some point after independence.
The northern part of Botswana has the Okavango Delta, the Moremi Game Reserve, the Chobe River and the National Park. Accommodation and travel to these areas are very expensive. I was only able to find two backpacker hostels in Botswana, of which one is in Gaberone. Gaberone is definitely not a tourist area. After talking to people who own land in Botswana and have inside information about the country, I understood the goal behind it. Botswana’s main concern is protecting its natural resources, unlike many other African countries.
They don’t want ungrateful tourists flooding the country on cheap vacations. The areas are kept calm and quiet. It obviously enriches the experience of visiting tourists and adds to the luxurious atmosphere.
Chobe National Park has one of the largest elephant populations in Africa. You are guaranteed wonderful close-up views of these graceful and powerful animals during a walk through the park or a boat cruise on the Chobe. There are also large herds of impala, buffalo and many other animals and birds.
On the river cruise, you are sure to come across some hippos relaxing in the water. You have to look carefully as most of the time they look more like rocks in the water than animals. However, they do come out from time to time, giving you a chance to get a good look at these huge creatures. They are very dangerous and sometimes try to attack boats on the river. Not a good idea, as most boats that do river tours are much larger than they are. However, on a small boat you could be in danger if an angry hippo is disturbed while resting.
There are many riverside lodges with wonderful views of the mighty river, which is now so full that many terraces and braai areas on the riverbank are underwater. River cruises can be done on a large cruise ship or smaller speedboats. Most hostels have their own boats. Day trips to Chobe can be taken from Victoria Falls. Hotels and backpackers in Livingstone (Zambia) or Victoria Falls Town (Zimbabwe) can arrange this for visitors.
Again, not a cheap tour, but well worth it if you’re visiting Victoria Falls. It is about 80 km from Livingstone. What makes this experience unique is that you will cross the border at Kazangulu on the ferry over the Chobe. At this point you will see the borders of Namibia (Caprivi Strip), Zambia, Botswana and Zimbabwe from the ferry. Locals use the ferry regularly, taking everything from buckets of tomatoes to sugar cane to sacks of cement on board. It gives you a little glimpse into how they live and survive.
Chobe is an experience that has to be lived and cannot be captured in photos or words. Ernest Hemingway said, “I never knew of a morning in Africa when I woke up that I was not happy.” I agree.