Stretching from the Linyanti River all the way to Savute Marsh, the winding waterways of the Savute Channel have pumped life into the western section of Chobe National Park for many thousands of generations. However, this fickle and unpredictable channel, which has a fascinating history of flooding and drying up, independently of good rainy seasons and flood levels elsewhere, has mystified local inhabitants, geologists and others for many years.
THE UNEXPLAINED
When David Livingstone, the first European to visit the area, saw the Savute Channel in 1851 it was flowing. Thirty years later it had disappeared and the Savute Marsh had dried out, remaining this way for almost 80 years. It flowed again from the late 1950s to the early 1980s, when it again receded, hence its reputation as ‘the river that flows in both directions’.
In 2009, after another extended hiatus, the channel began flowing again and by January 2010 had spilled into the Savute Marsh for the first time in three decades, but for how long – no one knows …
Where To Stay?
ACCOMMODATION & THE LODGE
To ensure a private and relaxing environment, Savute Safari Lodge accommodates just twenty four guests in eleven thatched chalets built of local timber and one family room which consists of two double bedrooms. The chalets, which have been elegantly furnished in calm neutral tones to blend with the natural environment, feature expansive private decks, a combined bedroom and lounge area and en suite facilities.
Sink into one of the numerous comfortable leather, wood or wicker sofas in the lounge – and library – or sip a cocktail in the stylish bar. All these facilities are situated in a beautiful two-storey thatch-and-timber main building. Savute Safari Lodge offers a shaded viewing deck, an al fresco dining area and swimming pool with spectacular pool loungers – ideal for watching the varied wildlife – including the resident Elephants – as they make their way to the Channel to drink, bathe and play.
What To Do?
ACTIVITIES
Activities are organised around game drives throughout the Savute area in open 4×4 safari vehicles. Many trips will incorporate a visit to the Savute Marsh to give you a chance to see the historic presence of the Savute Channel at the marsh against a backdrop of teeming wildlife. Guests can also enjoy a visit to the ancient San rock paintings at Gubatsa Hills – a small hilly outcrop which forms a prominent landmark in the otherwise flat landscape.
Savute boasts the second-largest summer Zebra migration in Africa; its timing is determined by the rains, but usually occurs between November and December and again between February and April, when the Zebras move from the rivers in the north in search of the rain-ripe grasslands and full waterholes in the southwest of the park. The migration is always followed by large numbers of predators – the Zebra migration is a must for visitors.
Safari HighLights
Lays claim to a large summer zebra migration, which is determined by the rains, but usually between November and December and again between February and April when the zebras move from the rivers in the north to the lush grasslands in the south.
Home to the Gubatsa Hills, formed 980 million years ago during volcanic movement, rise 90 meters high, out of a completely flat landscape. These outcrops bear the reminder of the nomadic San people through clear evidence of their rock art.
Savute is one of the few areas in Botswana where the elusive Klipspringer antelope can still be found.
What makes Savute most interesting is the fables Savute Channel, which has a history of drying up and flowing again. Savute means “Unpredictable – Something that cannot be explained” – and refers to the history of the Savute channel, flowing like a river into the Savute Marsh, and then, without warning or reason, drying up again. (this sequence of water flowing has much to do with the movement of tectonic rock plates below the surface of the Kalahari Desert.
Löwen im Savuti Game Reserve (Chobe-Nationalpark, Botswana).
Lions in the Savuti Game Reserve (Chobe National Park, Botswana).
The Savuti Channel has a fascinating history of flooding and drying up independently of good rainy seasons and flood levels elsewhere – a mystery that has intrigued geologists and other researchers for many years.
In 2008, the Savuti Channel, having been dry for many years, once more became a deep, clear waterway harbouring Hippo and other aquatic life with a large variety of waterbirds. Wildlife, from plains game to predators, has had to adapt to a new source of water and all the opportunities and menaces it has brought with it. How long will it be before the water dries up again? Judging from historical records it could be more than a hundred years or less than ten. Nature has the final say in such matters.
The dead Camelthorn trees on the Savuti Marsh have become one of the most prominent features of the landscape – skeletons of trees drowned in the flood-waters at least 40 years ago. The shallow basin of the Mababe Depression is now the waterless bed of an ancient lake and the marsh itself is grassland that is home to large numbers of animals. The western edge of Savuti is formed by the Magwikhwe sand ridge, which is approximately 100 km long and 20 m high. This is the ancient shoreline of a super-lake that once covered most of Northern Botswana. It is hard to imagine that this harsh, dry landscape was once submerged under an enormous inland sea. Another part of the Savuti is characterised by the Gubatsa Hills, which were formed millions of years ago during volcanic movement. These hills rise to a height of about 90 meters out of an otherwise completely flat landscape.
The Savuti area offers great game viewing at certain times of the year. The annual Zebra migration is closely followed by many Lion prides. Good sightings of Cheetah and Leopard are possible and the endangered Wild Dog also occurs here. Savuti is famous for its large concentrations of Elephants that congregate around the waterholes, making game-viewing exceptional.
Birdlife is also amazing, with Secretary Birds and Kori Bustards often seen around the Savuti Marsh. Summer migrants and water birds include Abdim’s Storks, Carmine Bee-eaters, Fish Eagles. Red-billed Queleas, which gather in their thousands, are a spectacular sight as they wheel and turn in unison.
The only permanent game lodge situated on the banks of the Chobe River within the famous Chobe National Park, the Lodge is Botswana’s premier venue for guests looking for a perfect base from which to explore the National Park and Chobe Riverfront. This five-star Lodge has full eco-grading by Botswana Tourism Board.
WHERE TO STAY?
ACCOMMODATION
The Lodge can accommodate up to ninety-four people in total luxury. Each of the forty-four rooms at the lodge is river-facing and air-conditioned, featuring overhead fans, complimentary mini bar, en-suite bathrooms and a private terrace. For those guests who demand the ultimate in exclusivity, the Lodge has four river-view suites, each with its own plunge pool and separate lounge area.
THE LODGE
The Lodge is designed as a haven of peace and privacy – where relaxation is effortless and you can enjoy your own space. With six comfortably furnished viewing decks, a riverside boma, two bars, six different lounges and four dining locations, a comfy chair or lounger is never far away, each with a different perspective on the wilderness that surrounds the lodge. A large swimming pool provides welcome relief during hot afternoons and there is always a waiter on hand to bring you refreshments from the bar.
Guests wishing to pamper themselves are welcome to book one of the delightful treatments from the in-house beautician (for which there is an extra charge) or hit the gym for some exercise between the usual Lodge activities (complimentary).
Chobe Game Lodge caters for travellers with disabilities; all recent additions to the lodge were designed to provide easy accessibility.
CHOBE BOARDWALK & DECK
This is the perfect place to relax or explore during your spare time at the lodge, with excellent game viewing, bar facilities, toilets and plenty of areas to just sit back and watch the sunset or the Chobe wildlife parade.
Safari Highlights
ACTIVITIES & WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS
Chobe Game Lodge offers a choice of land or water-based activities and the most complete game experience in the Chobe National Park.
Early-morning and late-afternoon game drives are conducted by our expert guides in open-sided 4×4 vehicles to ensure maximum visibility of Chobe National Park’s spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife. The Lodge has introduced four electric-powered game drive vehicles for a more immersive, carbon-emission free safari. Meanwhile, riverside game viewing is done from the lodges full fleet of solar-electric powered safari boats offering silent safaris on Botswana’s renowned Chobe River.
Chobe’s diverse wildlife roams in abundance – it is, for instance, home to the largest concentration of elephant in Africa. During the dry season these large herds, as well as vast herds of buffalo, congregate on the fertile flood plains along the Chobe River to drink, bathe and play. There are frequent sightings of lion, African wild dog, puku, red lechwe, sable, giraffe and roan antelope.
Situated in the Eastern Caprivi, Zambezi Province of Namibia, a narrow strip of country on the northern bank of the Chobe River, Chobe Savanna Lodge overlooks the vast floodplains of the Chobe National Park’s Puku Flats. The Chobe River is home to large herds of Elephant, Buffalo and Hippo, as well as dense concentrations of other wildlife – including the rare Puku antelope – which come down to the river’s edge to drink and graze.
WHERE TO STAY?
THE LODGE
The Lodge is set in a classic African Savanna environment of sweeping vistas. The focal point of the lodge is a thatched, open-sided main building that features a 270 degree view over the Chobe River and beyond to the Chobe National Park.
Attractive gardens featuring a secluded swimming pool further enhance the lodge’s enviable location. In addition to the scheduled game-viewing activities, the Lodge is also a perfect venue for guests to simply take time out to watch the natural world go by in one of the most spectacular settings imaginable.
ACCOMMODATION
A private and secluded safari experience is guaranteed as the Lodge accommodates only twenty six guests in beautifully furnished thatched chalets, each with a private deck, an integrated bedroom and lounge area and en-suite facilities. Every chalet is air-conditioned and has its own complimentary mini bar.
HOW TO GET THERE?
Guests are linked from one camp to the other by means of light aircraft. Ensuring the crucial links from the hubs of Maun and Kasane to the network of lodges and camps is performed with ease; All of properties are in close proximity to airfields and some of the lodges have their own private airstrips. Unless a private charter is requested and booked as such, your flight transfers have been booked on a ‘seat on plane’ basis. Flight times are arranged according to each day’s requirements to fit in with activities and the movements of all our travellers on any given day. Therefore, aircraft and the day’s scheduling may pick up and drop off other guests en route to your destination. Times will vary from day to day and will be communicated to you the afternoon before departure. Flights to Kasane for the Chobe lodges and for Victoria Falls/Livingstone depart early to meet the scheduled road transfers; so early morning activities for guests departing on these flights could be curtailed. Should you wish, private charters can be arranged, in which case you will be the only guests in the plane and you may specify your departure times. We are happy to quote separately for private charters.
What to do?
ACTIVITIES & WILDLIFE SIGHTINGS
As this is a water-based lodge, guests have a choice of aquatic activities. River excursions in small, easily manoeuvrable boats are ideal for close encounters with the wild visitors to the river’s edge. Fishing is also a popular pastime; our catch-and-release fishing trips for Bream or Tiger Fish are a firm favourite with guests of all ages. Those wishing to experience some of the local Namibian traditions will enjoy a cultural village visit to one of the surrounding communities, where one can observe the ancient heritage of the local people.
Chobe National Park is in northern Botswana near the vast, inland Okavango Delta. It’s known for its large herds of elephants and Cape buffalo, which converge along the Chobe Riverfront in the dry months. Lions, antelopes and hippos inhabit the woods and lagoons around Linyanti Marsh. The floodable grasslands of the Savuti Marsh attract numerous bird species, plus migrating zebras.
The Chobe Riverfront (or Serondela area) forms the northern boundary of the Chobe National Park. It has lush plains and dense forests as well as the renowned Chobe River which attracts huge numbers of elephants, buffalo and general wildlife.
Habitats found in the Park range from floodplains, mopane woodland, baobab trees and acacia woodlands, to verdant flood grasslands and thickets bordering the Chobe River.
The most remarkable feature of the Chobe National Park is its huge concentration of Elephants. This Park supports the largest surviving Elephant populations in the world, currently estimated to exceed 120,000. This population is dispersed throughout much of northern Botswana, as well as parts of north-western Zimbabwe. The Chobe Elephants are migratory, making seasonal movements of up to 200 kilometres in a circuit from the Chobe and Linyanti rivers, where they concentrate in the dry season, to the pans in the south-eastern region of the park, where they gather during the rainy season.
Chobe National Park is home to huge herds of Elephant, Buffalo, and Zebra. There are high densities of predators such as Lion, Leopard, Spotted Hyena and Cheetah. The park also hosts more unusual antelope species such as Roan and Sable, Puku, Tsessebe, Eland, Red Lechwe, Waterbuck, and the rare Chobe Bushbuck. The better-known species such as Giraffe, Kudu, Warthog, Wildebeest and Impala also abound in the park.
SAFARI HIGHLIGHTS
Chobe National Park is in northern Botswana near the vast, inland Okavango Delta.
It’s known for its large herds of elephants and Cape buffalo, which converge along the Chobe Riverfront in the dry months.
Lions, antelopes and hippos inhabit the woods and lagoons around Linyanti Marsh.
The floodable grasslands of the Savuti Marsh attract numerous bird species, plus migrating zebras.
