See it all on a 1-day safari in Chobe National Park

Known locally as “the land of the giants,” Chobe National Park is home to the world’s largest elephant population. But it also holds much more.

Chobe National Park covers 4,500 square miles of unspoiled wilderness in Botswana, and many safari goers choose to spend weeks exploring its stunning scenery and breathtaking fauna.

But what if you don’t have that much time? The northeast region, known as the Chobe Riverfront or Serondela, is the perfect choice for day trippers. You’re likely to see more wildlife in a few hours than you might see in a few days at another park.

Serondela is easy to get to. It’s located near the borders of Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Namibia, and just an hour drive from Victoria Falls. Botswana’s Kasane International Airport is in quick reach.

Read on for our top seven reasons the Chobe Riverfront is an ideal destination for a one-day safari, plus our guide to spending the day there.

1. Explore Chobe by land and water

The Chobe River fosters a unique ecosystem with one of the densest wildlife concentrations in Africa, both on land and water. By spending half the day exploring the Chobe riverfront by boat and half the day by 4×4, you’ll see a huge array of aquatic, woodland, and savanna wildlife.

Elephants cool off on the Chobe riverfront at Chobe National Park, Botswana.

Chobe National Park has a spectacular elephant population numbering in the thousands, and the Serondela area is one of their favorite places to gather. Visitors have a very high chance of viewing large herds of elephants numbering more than one hundred along the Chobe Riverfront. Young elephants can frequently be seen playing in the shallow water on the edges of the river.

A hippo enjoys the refreshing waters of the Chobe River.

Serondela in Chobe National Park is one of the few places in the world where you can see hippos on land during the day. Elsewhere, hippos spend the day in water and come on land at night to graze. But here on the Chobe Riverfront, hippos are in fierce competition with elephants, Cape buffaloes, and other herbivores for food. Getting out of the water during the day gives hippos more opportunities to graze.

Southern ground hornbills are among the remarkable wildlife you might see in Chobe National Park.

In addition to elephants and hippos, Serondela is a great place to watch lion prides on the hunt, herds of Cape buffalo grazing, and lone crocodiles sunbathing.

Animal diversity here is truly outstanding. Antelopes are abundant, including kudus, red lechwes, sables, roans, bushbucks, impalas, and pukus, which are otherwise uncommon in southern Africa. Other favorite safari animals along the Chobe riverfront include African wild dogs, leopards, zebras, giraffes, wildebeest, hyenas, black-backed jackals, warthogs, and baboons—plus a whole lot more.

Birdwatching on the Chobe Riverfront is spectacular throughout the day, not just in the early morning and late afternoon hours. You have an excellent chance of spotting multiple species of hornbills, kingfishers, raptors, bee-eaters, plovers, herons, storks, ibises, oxpeckers, and more.

Chobe River in Chobe National Park, Botswana. Elephants by Steven dosRemedios; hippos by Paul Makinen.

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The Chobe River itself is quite beautiful, with grassy islands in the center and scenic shores on both sides.

A hippo shows off its weaponry in the Chobe River, Chobe National Park, Botswana. Photo by Sara Joachim.

Thanks to its location near the northern border, you have your pick of countries to stay in when visiting Serondela in Chobe National Park: Botswana, of course, but also Namibia, Zimbabwe, and Zambia. If you’re in a hurry, you needn’t stay at all—you can fly into nearby Kasane airport in the morning and fly out again in the evening.

Start the morning with a ride from your lodge or Kasane airport. If you are coming from a neighboring country, don’t worry—Botswana’s border control is efficient and shouldn’t delay your arrival at Chobe National Park.

Morning Boat Cruise

Spend the morning hours on a river safari. Your guides will point out remarkable wildlife you may not have seen elsewhere in Africa, such as red lechwe antelopes and black herons. View aquatic animals up close, including hippos and perhaps a baby crocodile.

You will be surprised at how many land mammals you can view from the river. Large elephant herds frequently congregate at the riverbank, especially during the dry season.

Lunch

Enjoy a picnic lunch provided by your hotel, or visit a lodge on the banks of the river for a freshly cooked meal.

Afternoon Game Drive

After lunch, then embark on an afternoon game drive through Serondela. You’ll have the chance to see more elephants, as well as antelopes, guineafowl, monitor lizards, kori bustards, jackals, and lions. If you’re really lucky, you might even spot an African wild dog!

Love plants? Let your guide know. Travelers may exit vehicles in designated areas to get a better look at endemic flowers, shrubs, and trees.

Return to Your Lodge

As the sun lowers in the sky, it’s time to leave the park. But before you return to your accommodations, enjoy a spot of tea and a snack at a nearby lodge as you take in the scenery one last time.

Plan your trip to Chobe Riverfront

The Chobe Riverfront is so phenomenal, you may never want to leave. The good news: this area is home to several excellent lodges, so you aren’t limited to just one day! You can even sleep on the river itself if you stay on a luxury cruise boat.