Finding Wonder in the Waters of the Okavango Delta

“You’re gonna need a bigger boat.” This famous line from Jaws was the first thing I said after spotting the largest crocodile I’ve ever seen basking on a bank of the Okavango River while on a fishing trip in Botswana. I’m Australian and no stranger to crocs, so when I tell you this croc was big, believe me, it was truly a monster. This was also the kind of experience that you can only get in Botswana. 

When I first arrived in Botswana, I didn’t know much about the country aside from the fact that safaris here typically have a higher price tag than other nations in Africa. I came away understanding just how unique a nation it is, with a shockingly diverse landscape that shifts from the driest salt pans to the wettest wetlands. At the centre of the nation’s splendour is the Okavango Delta, one of the world’s largest inland deltas and a haven for wildlife. It’s also perhaps the premier destination for ecotourism in Botswana, a nation that is leading the way when it comes to sustainable safari experiences. 

In Botswana, there are two distinct seasons: the green season from November to April, and the dry season from May to October. July to October is the high season in the Okavango, and likely the best time to go. Ironically for a place that’s known for its water, the dry season is when the water levels in the Okavango are at their peak. The floodwaters arrive from Angola and transform the delta into a shimmering landscape that feeds all the way into the basin in the Kalahari Desert in the south. Animals flock to the floodplains to find food and breed and people flock to them to spot the animals. 

I split my time in the Okavango between several camps. If you’ve been on safari before, you’d likely expect game drives in Land Cruisers, but it’s a different game on safari in the Okavango Delta. Some camps didn’t offer game drives as they were almost entirely water-focused, instead offering everything from mokoro (canoe) safaris to wetland walks to fishing trips. You’ll be surprised how fun it is to hit the water early in the morning to fish for tigerfish—the teeth on these fellas are something to behold—or to silently slice through the water on a mokoro at sunrise, drifting alongside the lily pads, spotting lilac-breasted rollers and African jacanas. 

Beyond the water and the animals, the thing I recall most was the hospitality of the people. Everywhere I went, I was welcomed like an honoured guest. We’d have sundowners on the river, sharing the view in silence like old friends. In moments like when we spotted the big croc, we could only laugh at the majesty (even monstrosity) of nature and how it always surprises you. 

The Okavango Delta offers a pure experience where you feel a million miles away from everything, surrounded by beauty, secluded in nature, at peace with the world and yourself. There’s nothing like it in the world.

By Alice Teramoto