First Time in Botswana and Cruising the Chobe River

It was time to move to my second African country – Botswana! It was my first time traveling beyond South Africa. We could have driven from Pilanesberg National Park to our next accommodation in Botswana but decided it would be easier to fly.

After turning in our rental car, we checked in for our South African Airways flight. SAA check-in desks are in Terminal B but then we had to walk over to Terminal A for security and the flight. We flew to Kasane which has a small airport just outside Chobe National Park. Chobe is the third largest park in the country and is located in northern Botswana.

Flight from Johannesburg to Kasane
2020 Price: R6,982 ($478) per person

Botswana

Arriving in Botswana in early March 2020, COVID-19 had not yet hit most African countries but officials were taking precautions. We walked from the plane into customs and immigration. They took our temperature with a touchless thermometer and then handed us paperwork to fill out, including questions about where we had been and COVID-19 symptoms.

Keep your accommodation address, dates of stay, passport number, and flight information handy for the forms. It also helps to have a pen rather than waiting for one.

After turning the forms back in and getting stamped into the country, we collected our bags and headed for the exit. When I booked our stay, I coordinated with the lodge to pick us up at the airport and transfer there.

Chobe National Park

The roads in Chobe National Park are very rough and you need a 4×4 vehicle to drive through it, especially during the green (rainy) season. This was one of the reasons we chose not to drive to Botswana.

We stayed at the Chobe Game Lodge and loved it, though it was a bit of a splurge. I booked the ‘Best of Chobe Game Lodge Package’ which included a suite upgrade, a cultural excursion day, and a private dinner at the suite. The room was beautiful, and we had our own private infinity pool!

Best of Chobe Game Lodge Package
2020 Price: R59,852 (approx. $4,144) for 4 nights

At check in, we found out we were scheduled on a 3-hour sunset cruise on the Chobe River. We had 30 minutes to unpack and head down to the dock. We met Sue, our guide, and found out that we had the boat all to ourselves!

Chobe River Cruise

The Chobe River forms the boundary between Botswana and Namibia. The river starts in Angola (as the Kwando River), travels through the Caprivi Strip north of Botswana, and then meets the Zambezi River at the border with Zimbabwe and Zambia.

Elephants

We’d been told multiple times that, due to the season, we were less likely to see elephants – the abundance of water meant they didn’t have to come down to the river. Imagine our surprise when we quickly spotted a few drinking and walking in the water.

There is a ravine leading down to the river that the elephants often use. The ground is flattened out from all their traffic.

Nile Monitor Lizards

Sue’s keen eyes spotted a few Nile monitor lizards as they dashed in the grass. They feast at the river’s edge since their diet includes fish, frogs, snakes, birds, insects, and crocodile eggs.

Birds

Along the riverbank, there were egrets and African darters searching for food.

Nile Crocodiles

Nile crocodiles curled up in the grass along the river’s edge.

Clouds and a Rainbow

Sue explained that it had been raining for the last 5 days and we came during a break in the storms. We were incredibly lucky – there was no rain our entire time in Chobe. The clouds created a beautiful landscape. A soft, colorful rainbow curved between the clouds. It was an amazing view to get on our first night.

Hippos

Right near the rainbow, a small pod of hippos was lounging in the lily pads. There was one calf that would pop out of the water with a little smile.

We watched the hippos for a while until finally we caught a fantastic display – one of the hippos gave a big yawn!

Nile Crocodile

Across the river from the hippos was a crocodile chewing on a carcass.