Have you been dreaming of visiting Botswana for ages? Or perhaps you’re more of a last minute decision maker and just closed your eyes and stuck a pin into the area of Africa you want to experience next.
Whatever’s got you interested in finding out more about Moremi Game Reserve, you’ve landed in the right place. Here, we’ll tell you all you need to know about this largely untouched wilderness in northern Botswana.
This is the oldest protected area in the Okavango Delta, having been declared a game reserve in 1963.
Named after Chief Moremi III of the local Batawana tribe, the reserve spans 5,000 km² across the central and eastern regions of the Okavango Delta. It consists of two large land masses surrounded by water and shares a border with Chobe National Park in northeastern Botswana.
Chief’s Island
This is the largest land mass in the reserve, measuring 60km long by 10km wide. It can only be reached by aeroplane or boat, but it’s well worth the effort as it claims to have the highest density of animal populations in Southern Africa. Among those, the recently reintroduced black and white rhino populations are a major attraction.
The Mopane Tongue
This land mass juts out into the delta from the east, with a thin strip of land connecting it to the Chobe National Park. Much of the area is blanketed by forests of mopane trees, the wood from which makes for an excellent material for building houses and crafting musical instruments. Cheetah and leopard are often to be found hunting here, the presence of a big antelope population being a major reason for this.
Between the start of July and the end of September is widely regarded as being the best time to visit the Moremi Game Reserve. Those months are the time of year when the temperatures are most bearable. At this time of year, the mercury usually rises to between 27ºC and 33ºC during the say and at night you can expect 8ºC to 15ºC.
Also, many water sources will have dried up by this time of year, leading to predators and prey alike converging on the limited number of remaining waterholes.
October to April is hot and wet, meaning that the plants flourish. That’s great news for hunting animals who are looking for places to hide so they can pounce on unsuspecting prey. Not such good news for visitors looking to spot and take photos of these animals.
As a result of these unfavourable conditions for tourists and travellers, and due to rainwater often making many parts of the Moremi Game Reserve inaccessible, many lodges in the area close from December to February, so it’s worth checking if you’re planning to visit during this time.
All that being said, January is regarded as prime birdwatching season in the reserve, so if you’re someone whose focus is regularly on the skies, you’ll enjoy this time of year in Moremi.
Your plane is likely to land in Maun, a small town that’s the capital of the Kalahari and at the southern tip of the Moremi Game Reserve. From there, it’s about a 2 and a half hour drive into the reserve (90km). Some of the larger lodges on Chief’s Island have a private airstrip, so guests can fly in direct and out again on departure.
Moremi is Big Five country, with lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino all regularly spotted here. Lion, hyena and leopard populations are all flourishing, thanks to the prevalence of prey. Endangered African wild dog are also known to roam the reserve, with the opportunity to see them hunting in packs often being a memorable experience for visitors.
Seeing a family of elephant wandering through the trees isn’t unheard of, while some guests report witnessing leopard stalking and catching their prey.
The area is noted for its variety of different terrain from forest to waterways, floodplains to lagoons. It all adds diversity to the wildlife, which is why as well as the Big 5, you can expect to see the following in their natural habitat: Waterbuck, kudu, wildebeest, zebra, warthog, giraffe, baboon, hippo, impala and antelope.
There are tiny palm islands to explore, as you leisurely glide through lily covered waters. Watch out for bream and squeaker fish swimming around, likely dodging the hungry hippo and crocodile.
As we’ve already mentioned, January is prime birdwatching season in the Moremi Game Reserve in general, and the Xakanaxa Lagoon on the Mopane Tongue in particular. This is because the summer rains bring migrating birds to the area in huge numbers, leading to over 400 different species of birdlife flying the skies. These include: Coucals, Kingfishers, Gallinules, Kori bustard. And many, many more.
The activities on offer will vary from camp to camp, of course, but at the very least you can expect to be offered the chance to experience the following:
Game viewing in a 4x4: Be expertly guided across the reserve by trackers who know where to find the Big 5 and more of the area’s wonderful wildlife.
Mokoro Canoeing Safaris: Only available when water levels allow, you can sit back and enjoy being propelled by a guide wielding a pole – a bit like punting in Oxford or gondolas in Venice, but with vastly different views to those European locations.
Incidentally, the popularity of these water safaris has meant that many new mokoro are now being made using fibreglass, as the demand for the traditional wooden ones posed sustainability threats, what with the number of trees that needed to be felled to make them.
You can up the pace of your water-based explorations in motorboat safaris and see wallowing hippos or swimming elephants.
Helicopter tours with the doors open so there’s nothing to get in the way of your shots are popular.
Walking Safaris: These give you a completely new angle on the area as you get up close to the flora, fauna and smaller animals that live on the reserve.
Here at Namibia Tours and Safaris, we can help plan your visit to the Moremi Game Reserve. You can let us see to every detail of a bespoke tour for you, or choose one of our popular Botswana Safaris that include a visit to Moremi:
Victoria Falls and Botswana Safari
Self-Drive Namibia and Botswana Roundabout Safari
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