The Okavango Delta, covering over 6,000-square-miles (15,000-km2), is a natural mosaic of palm-fringed islands, open savannah, flowing rivers, crystal-clear lagoons and floodplains sprinkled with water lilies, and gigantic baobab and jackalberry trees.
The Okavango River originates in the central African highlands, located in Angola which is about 600 miles (1,000 km) northwest of Botswana, then it fans out into the Kalahari Desert to create a vast system of thousands of waterways, separated by innumerable islands, and it eventually disappears into the Kalahari sands.
Game viewing for the larger land mammal species is excellent in many parts of the Delta. Large herds of buffalo, elephant, giraffe and a variety of antelope are often seen. Lion, leopard, cheetah and other predators are also frequently encountered. Hippo and crocs are found in the waterways and bird lovers will relish the incredible variety.
