A Thrilling Botswana Walking Safari in the Okavango Delta

Where To Go on Safari in Botswana

The country has several national parks. We visited two of the most popular: the Chobe National Park in the north and the Okavango Delta. Okavango is the world’s largest inland delta and is UNESCO listed as a remarkable geographical area because it is a river delta that doesn’t flow into an ocean.

The Okavango is also one of the best places in the world to see wildlife. It is home to the ‘Big Five’ game animals (elephant, lion, buffalo, rhinos, which are there but are very rare, and leopards which are quite elusive) as well as plethora of other wildlife and birds.

When To Go On Safari in Botswana

The country’s dry season runs from April to October (the winter). Daytime temperatures will likely be around 30C, cooling to 20C at night. Then temperatures increase during September and October until the wet season (November to March). The area experiences the heaviest rains from December to February. Most visitors arrive during the dry season, April being the shoulder month and start of the tourist season. You can visit during the wet months and animals can still be sighted but the area becomes a lot more difficult to access.

The Okavango is unique in that it floods every year. Waters come in from Angola and the grasslands transform into waterways. When the delta is full, many safaris are taken by mokoro, a traditional dugout canoe. Drifting along the water viewing wildlife from the channel gives you a distinctive perspective. The delta is usually full by June/July.

We travelled in April while the waters were still quite low. Although we did manage some short rides in the mokoro most of our safari was on foot. And it was one of the most magical experiences we have ever had.

Oddballs Camp

Botswana is one of the most expensive places to go on safari, the country having a ‘low turnover, high value’ visitor policy. However, the camp at Oddballs, on Chief’s Island, offers a package that is a lot more affordable than most. That isn’t to say that it’s cheap, but we had previously researched trips to Botswana that were waaaay out of our price range, and Oddballs was affordable for us.

We flew into Oddballs from Kasane (there are also flights available from Maun), where we had enjoyed a vehicle and boat safari in the Chobe National Park. You won’t know your flight time until 24 hours before departure because the schedule of flights going into and out of the various camps at the delta needs to be organised and co-ordinated. We arrived at the airport an hour before our scheduled departure, where an official issued our tickets and took us through to the departure lounge. Our lovely pilot had arrived early, so we were taken to our tiny plane. We were the only passengers!

Flying over the delta was wonderful. Look out for watering holes, there’s a chance you will see elephants having a drink or a bathe.

Why Go On Safari On Foot?

Quite simply, it’s thrilling! It is a truly immersive experience. The guides at Oddballs carry radios but they do not carry rifles. This was the first safari we had been on where the rangers were not armed, and it was genuinely refreshing. We received a briefing on what to do if we encountered any of the animals at close range. First of all, everything can run faster than you, so don’t run away. Keep very calm and don’t make sudden movements. Back away slowly and try to get downwind of the animal if possible, so that they can’t smell you. But if you come across a big cat, stand your ground and look ‘em in the eye!

When walking through the bush you are a part of the environment. You learn to tune your senses looking for wildlife. You look for paw-prints and examine excrement for traces of visitors in the area. On each walk we managed to get very close to many animals. And, although people always talk about seeing the Big Five, the other wildlife is just as fascinating: zebras, hippos, giraffe, jackals, baboons and the birds, among many others, made this a very rich experience. Even the insects, such as dung beetles, are fascinating because they are as much a part of the eco-system as all the other creatures.

Elegant giraffes sauntered gently through the bush. We met a lovely lady – you can tell she’s female because her ‘horns’ (ossicones) have tufts of hair.

The zebra and impala were curious, observing us intently.

The baboons were initially interested then something else attracted their attention.

The wildebeest were hilarious, flouncing around, tossing their impressive manes and swishing their tails. They are most definitely the prima donnas of the Okavango.

We saw over 30 elephants in a single day, and that total included this delightful matriarchal family with their babies.

There was a large lake near the camp and it had many different bird species to view. They were enjoying a drink, a wash and a forage for fish, and the species we saw included egrets, maribou stork, sacred ibis, herons, pelicans, geese and fish eagles.

On one walk we had to avoid some 200 buffalo moving through the plains. Just when we thought it was safe to move on, we had to wait for the stragglers. But this is what makes a walking safari so special – you learn to slow down and observe, discovering how the animals interact with each other. We managed to get within a few metres downwind from a pool full of hippos, watching them bob up and down in the cooling water.  

The most exciting walk was a search for lions. A pride had been spotted by the guides from the camp, stalking buffalo, so of course we all set out on foot in search of them. The guides’ experience ensured that, even though we felt a teensy bit of trepidation, we were confident that they knew what they were doing. Our guides communicated well, knew exactly where to look for the lions and how close to get to them – safely. We reckon we were about 50m away. You’ll have to look, but the photo below shows one of the lions hiding in the grass, in the centre-left of the photo, a short distance from the termite mound. So exciting!

Remember: if you are after exceptional wildlife photos you probably won’t get the best shots on a walking safari. You are walking through grassland and will – necessarily – need to keep a safe distance from the animals. But sometimes it’s better to ditch the camera and enjoy the experience.

Packing Tips For A Botswana Walking Safari in the Okavango

Pack light! The aircraft are tiny and have very small luggage holds. Bags should be soft, squishable and should not have wheels. Oddballs offer a free laundry service (underwear excepted) so it’s possible to get shirts and trousers washed if needed. They dry very quickly in the hot sun.

Long trousers and long shirts are important on a walking safari. The grasses can scratch your arms and legs, and long sleeves help prevent insect bites. Neutral colours are advisable and you shouldn’t wear anything too bright.

Good walking shoes, with a closed toe, are also essential. The terrain is flat so you don’t need walking boots.

If you are travelling in the wet season, wet weather gear is also advisable. Ponchos are very handy as you can throw them on quickly and they can also cover your rucksack.

Water bottle. Drinking water is available at Oddballs and you can fill up any time. Our guide also carried water which we could use.

Suncream, sunhat, insect repellent. Oddballs did provide insect repellent and bite relief cream as well.

There are lots of mosquitoes and they are usually hungry, so check with your healthcare professional to see whether you should take anti-malarial medication.

Head torches are really useful, giving you hands-free light at night.

Camera, battery, memory cards – you won’t be able to get these easily in Botswana. There are charging facilities in the lounge area at Oddballs but you might want to consider taking a power bank. You will have your own preferred camera setup, whether that be a DSLR or a phone. We took a cheap bridge camera that had a good optical zoom which we found to be perfect. It was light to carry, got reasonable photos and was cheap enough that it didn’t matter if we dropped it.

Final Thoughts

Botswana is one of the best places on the planet to go on safari and we truly fell in love with this wonderful country. Throughout our time at Oddballs we felt we were part of the environment – whether walking through the bush or lying in bed at night listening to the rhythmic orchestra of insects, accompanied by occasional loud grunts from the local elephants and hippos. The experience of a walking safari, which was so immersive, was exciting and utterly exhilarating. We’d go back in an instant.