Chobe National Park

The cost is probably more than "average" but to be honest I am not quite sure since our safari was included with my study abroad trip. However, cost should not even be an issue if you decide to visit Chobe National Park. Even though I had the chance to spend time in a few different parks in southern Africa, Chobe was easily my favorite.

The Chobe River (a continuation of the Kwando River in Angola), forms part of the northern boundary between Botswana and Namibia, eventually joining the mighty Zambezi. The ecosystem that the river supports divides the Kalahari desert to the south from the denser vegetations to the north. As a result of this unique location, the park supports one of the higest concentrations of wildlife on the African continent. The best part is that because of the river, you can view the animals by land or by boat. Elephant, hippo, wildebeest, crocodile, buffalo, waterbuck, impala, kudu, chacma baboon, vervet monkey, and even lion were all easily visible on a single game drive, all within incredible proximity to one another. In fact, we were able to see hundreds (~400) of elephants and were fortunate enough to even spot some jackals and spotted hyena.

When I met other travelers who were bragging about the family of elephants that they were able to spot on Day 3 of their trip to the Masai Mara/Serengeti, I almost wanted to laugh.