Okavango Delta Travel Guide

Located in the northwestern corner of the country, this region is for most the highlight of a trip to Botswana, particularly during the winter months (starting in July), when the "flood" turns it into an aquatic paradise. The northeastern segment of the delta has been set aside as the Moremi Game Reserve, an 1,800-sq.-km (702-sq.-mile) expanse of wilderness extending across both wetland and dry terrain. This is known as the "Predator Capital of Africa," and you are almost guaranteed daily sightings of lions and leopards. Note: Keep in mind that until new regulations come into force, camps inside the Moremi Game Reserve (a national park) are not allowed to have night game drives or drive off designated roads to follow game. Camps that border the reserve aren't bound by those regulations.

The delta originates in Angola, to the northwest, from where the Okavango River flows southward for 1,300km (806 miles) into the Kalahari. Thanks to the same geological activity that caused the Great African Rift Valley, the delta is more or less contained by fault lines between which the crust has sunk and filled up with sediment. It is into this bowl that the Okavango seeps, rather than making its rightful way to the sea. The annual southward flow of water is precipitated by the rainy season in the north, which begins in the Angolan uplands between January and March, and usually arrives at its southernmost point -- the delta -- around June or July, when the water spreads out to form innumerable pools, channels, and lagoons.

Moving through Maun -- The small but sprawling town of Maun is the regional center of Ngamiland (northwestern Botswana) and the gateway to the Okavango Delta. As the starting point for most trips into the delta, Maun has an airport, a few shopping areas, banks, a number of hotels and lodges, and a plethora of safari tour operators, most of which are based or represented here. Maun operates principally as a service center for the safari industry and not as a tourist attraction in its own right, so there isn't much to do or see, and you'll more than likely be transferred directly to your wilderness camp. If for some unforeseen reason you do have to spend the night in Maun, book into Cresta Riley's Hotel (tel. 267/686-0204; www.cresta-hospitality.com; from $314/£162 double), situated on the main road and within walking distance of the airport. Rooms are basic but comfortable, and its shady gardens are reminiscent of the times when this was a popular watering hole for travelers coming in on the dusty road from Francistown.