Chobe National Park is Botswana’s first national park and its third largest, and it quickly became my favourite safari destination of the trip.
Out of all the safaris we’ve done so far, Chobe was hands down the best because of the animals we encountered. On both of our game drives we were lucky enough to see multiple lions. Because the terrain wasn’t suitable for our car, we didn’t do a self-drive safari here and instead opted for guided game drives, a decision we were very glad we made.
We spent four nights in Chobe and stayed at Masikiro Self Catering (cost: $329 for 4 nights). We were able to get our clothes washed, get homework done and some cooking during the times we were indoors.
Food in Chobe
We cooked a few meals at home, and other ate out for other meals either at Hungry Lion or at Nando’s.
Our Chobe Itinerary
Day 1: Morning game drive
Day 2: Victoria Falls day trip
Day 3: CARACAL Biodiversity Centre in the morning, Chobe River boat tour in the afternoon
Day 4: Morning game drive
On the afternoon of Day 4, we began a six-hour drive through the Caprivi Strip.
Game Drives in Chobe
Each game drive cost around 1,100 Botswana Pula (approximately $130) for our family. Morning game drives meant leaving the house straight after fajr. It was quite cold, and the fast drive in the open safari jeep was windy, so we had to make sure the kids were well rugged up.
Partway through the drive, we stopped for a short break where we were given coffee or tea and some biscuits. The driver carefully chose a spot where we wouldn’t be intruded on… though a curious group of monkeys had other ideas. One morning, a monkey even tried to steal the driver’s coffee cup!
Each game drive lasted around four hours, door to door, and every minute felt worth it.
One of my most treasured safari memories happened here. One morning, we watched two lion cubs eating, and afterwards one of them walked over to its mother and gently brushed its head against her neck. Lions are such majestic animals, and being privy to such a quiet, tender moment felt like a true privilege, one I don’t think I’ll ever forget.
Being around lions is a unique feeling. I felt scared because of my babies, knowing full well that they are safe in the jeep, but not feeling entirely safe because animals can be unpredictable. Moments like this make me turn to dhikr and dua, because its such a reminder that Allah is the only One who is truly in charge of our affairs. No matter how safe or unsafe we feel, our safety is in Allah’s hands, whether we are surrounded by lions or sleeping safely at home.
Chobe River Boat Tour
The afternoon boat tour along the Chobe River offered a different perspective of the park. We saw a wide range of wildlife, including large groups of hippos, a dead buffalo drifting in the water, and a family of elephants calmly drinking from the riverbank. There were also plenty of birds to spot — marabou storks, pelicans, and many others. It was quite hot in the afternoon, a sharp contrast to the chilly morning game drives. We brought our own snacks along because it was about four hours all up including the drive to the boat.
Visiting the CARACAL Biodiversity Centre
Entry fee: $15 for our family
If you’re planning to visit the CARACAL Biodiversity Centre, be sure to check their opening days and times in advance, as they aren’t open every day of the week.
Located just outside Kasane, the CARACAL Biodiversity Centre is a conservation hub focused on wildlife protection, environmental education, and showcasing Botswana’s diverse ecosystems, including the richly biodiverse Chobe National Park.
Our kids absolutely loved this visit. One particularly friendly impala seemed to befriend Maryam and followed us around the centre for most of our time there. Maryam even named the impala and started to miss her afterwards, talking about her long after we had left the centre.
Maryam was especially keen to see a Puff Adder, having read about it in her Kruger National Park children’s guide. While they didn’t have any Puff Adders, there were plenty of other snakes in display boxes, which more than made up for it.
