Larger than Denmark or Switzerland, and bigger than Lesotho and Swaziland combined, the 52,800 square kilometre Central Kalahari Game Reserve, which was set up in 1961, is the second largest game reserve in the world. Situated in the centre of Botswana, the reserve is characterised by vast open plains, saltpans and ancient riverbeds.
The habitats vary from sand dunes with many species of trees and shrubs in the north, to flat bushveld in the central area and mopane forests to the south and east. Rainfall is sparse and sporadic and can vary from 170 to 700 millimetres per year.
The people commonly known throughout the world as Bushmen, but more properly referred to as the Basarwa or San, have been resident in and around the area for probably thousands of years. Originally nomadic hunters and gatherers, the lifestyle of the Basarwa has gradually changed with the times and they now live in settlements. Some of these settlements are situated within the southern half of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and there is considerable ongoing debate about whether they should be relocated.
After the summer rains arrive in the northern section of the reserve, from Deception Valley to Piper Pans, the vast plains burst with sweet grasses and it becomes one of the prime game-viewing areas in Botswana. Not many people seem to be aware of this and visitors are few. The clear blue sky fills with gigantic clouds and the stage is set for an amazing transformation. Into the scene enter thousands of gemsbok, springbok and wildebeest. Plentiful lion, cheetah and jackal are in attendance. This gathering of animals is a sight to behold and can be compared with the Serengeti/Masai Mara migrations of Tanzania and Kenya.
Moremi Game Reserve is the only proclaimed wildlife reserve in the Okavango Delta, covering 20 percent of the total area. A scenic area with diverse habitats, Moremi offers an excellent year-round wildlife experience. Characterised by a combination of floodplain and the lush indigenous forests of the delta and its islands, Moremi is rich in game and bird life.
Often described as the most beautiful wildlife reserve in Africa, Moremi enjoys a wide diversity of habitat and is well known for the height of the trees in the mopane tongue, which covers the central area. However, the mainland part forms only about thirty percent of the reserve and is in many ways untypical - the remaining area being part of the Okavango Delta. Birdlife is prolific and varied, ranging from water birds to shy forest dwellers. Elephants are numerous, particularly during the dry season, as well as a range of other wildlife species from buffalo, giraffe, lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog, hyena, jackal and the full range of antelope, large and small, including the red lechwe. Wild dog, whose numbers are so rapidly dwindling elsewhere, are regularly sighted in the Moremi and have been subject to a project being run in the area since 1989 so these animals are often seen wearing collars placed on them by the researchers. It is claimed that the Moremi area contains about thirty percent of all living wild dog.
Situated on the extreme western boundary of the Moremi, the Xigera area is probably at the very centre of the Okavango alluvial fan. This magnificent area epitomises the permanently flooded section of the Okavango. Palm filled hardwood islands, hardwood riverine forests and a multitude of clear water channels and flood plains are what the delta wetland is all about. This is the land of the sitatunga antelope and Pel’s fishing owl. Water birds are seen in numbers.
A new attraction in the area is the reintroduction of black and white rhino on the biggest island in the delta, Chief’s Island. The island was originally reserved as the local chief’s hunting ground before handing it over to the park. The reintroduction is a great success so far with more than half a dozen calves being recorded. Soon the animals, which are under the tight security of the army and the wildlife department, will spread elsewhere during low water levels.
Chief’s Island is an excitingly game-rich area. When the annual inundation of water arrives during March to May each year, large mammals are able to move into the area, which contains rich resources of grass and acacia forests. The wetlands are fringed by large hardwood trees, containing shade, cover, nesting areas and food for a wide variety of mammals and birds. By September/October the wetlands have started to recede, leaving behind vast floodplains of short green grass when the rest of the large islands are at their driest.
Moremi is best visited in the dry season and game viewing is at its peak from July to October, when seasonal pans dry up and the wildlife concentrates on the permanent water. The winter months of May to August can be very cold at night but pleasantly warm with clear blue skies during the day. From October until the rains break in late November or early December, the weather can be extremely hot - both day and night.
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Your Accommodation
7 nights
Mobile Tented Camps
Plus 1 night in a pre-erected camp with dome tents and bedrolls
Sample Botswana Itineraries
 Darkling Beetle Trek
Diving Beetle Expedition
Ground Beetle Tracker
Kheper's Adventures
Leaf Beetle Discovery
Scarab's Wilderness Journey
Scarab's Untamed Lands
Siamufumbula's Discovery
Stag Beetle Retreat
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