One of Botswana’s most developed, accessible and popular safari destinations, Chobe Riverfront comprises the forest-fringed stretch of the Chobe River as it runs east along the Namibian border with Chobe Forest Reserve and Chobe National Park. Renowned for its profusion of elephants and good general game viewing, the riverfront forms part of the Kavango–Zambezi Transfrontier Conservation Area, a 200,000-square-mile tract of unfenced wilderness that runs southwest to the Okavango Delta and also includes several parks and reserves in Angola, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. 

Discover the Chobe Riverfront 

Of all Africa’s major safari destinations, Chobe Riverfront is arguably the most easily twinned with the spectacular Victoria Falls, which lies on the Zambezi River (to which the Chobe is a tributary) on the border of Zambia and Zimbabwe only 50 miles to the east.

Boat trips on the Chobe River are a highlight of any safari. Expect to see plenty of hippos and crocodiles in the shallows, along with a steady stream of other wildlife coming down to drink. Elephant viewing can be sensational, especially in the dry season (May to Nov), when herds of a hundred or more individuals aggregate along the bank to drink or to play in the water.

The section of the national park immediately south of the river is crisscrossed by an excellent network of wildlife-viewing tracks. Common wildlife includes lion, buffalo, giraffe, zebra and localized antelope such as red lechwe, puku and sable. Leopard are not so easily spotted and rhino are entirely absent.

Chobe Riverfront is one of the top birding sites in Botswana, supporting most of the 450-plus species recorded in the national park. Alluring species likely to be seen on boat trips include African skimmer, African finfoot, Pel’s fishing owl, rufous-bellied heron and half-collared kingfisher.