Birding the Chobe River
Birding the Chobe River
How to get there and arrange a Cruise
As part of your African tour, you should book a few days at Kasane, Botswana. Almost any hotel there can book you the following tours:
Chobe River cruise
Chiobe National Park safari
Day trip to Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe
We booked four days in Kasane because, in addition ot the above tours, we booked a half-day birding tour in Zambia. This tour is very good, and we saw some lovely birds, including the Hamerkop, Sunbird, and Blue Waxbill. We stayed at the Victoria Falls Waterfront Hotel in Zambia. (Ensure you book the Victoria Falls Waterfront and not the Victoria Falls Hotel, which is very luxurious but very expensive.) The Victoria Falls Waterfront is right on the Zambezi River. Your balcony will have a nice view of the river, although you cannot see the falls from there. The drawback is that you will also have to pay for your hotel in Kasane unless you bring all your luggage and your vehicle. Crossing from Zimbabwe to Zambia and back to Botswana with a vehicle takes a long time at customs, and you have to pay to import the vehicle at each border. It will probably cost as much as paying for two hotels for one night, and you can leave most of your luggage and vehicle in Kasane. Eat your meals overlooking the river and keep an eye out for monkeys around your accommodation.
Birding the Chobe River
While cruising down the Chobe River, you will see wildlife other than birds. For example, you will probably see elephants, crocodiles and hippopotamuses. However, the majority of your sightings will be birds.
The Birds
Here are just a few of the many birds we saw while cruising down the Chobe River.
Click on the first photo to enlarge and see the title, then scroll through the photos.
Summary
If you are touring around Namibia and Botswana, be sure to include a boat trip down the Chobe River. You will not regret it. The photos here are just a few of the 27 species that we saw in the 2.5-hour trip. Almost all of them will be lifers if you have never been to Africa. Birding the Chobe River was one of the highlights of our trip.
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