If you are planning  a safari in Africa, the Okavango Delta could be the perfect place for you. It is also known as Okavango Swamp and it is located in Botswana. It owns the title of the world’s largest inland delta.

Credits: Flickr

Okavango Delta forms from the water of Okavango River which creates a huge swampy area in Kalahari desert. A few of millions of years ago the Okavango River was flowing into the Lake Makgadikgadi but, due to tectonic activity, the flow has been interrupted and this caused emergence of the Okavango Delta.

Credits: Flickr

The main source of the water for the delta are seasonal Angolan rains which are lasting from October to April. When the flods are most intensive, Okavango Delta covers more than 16,000 square kilometers but, during the dry period of the year, its surface is less than 9,000 square kilometers.

A number of canoes are waiting to carry tourists to explore the Delta, Credits: Flickr

Unlike the other rivers which are flowing into the sea or some bigger river or lake, the Okavango River meets its dead end here creating a huge swamp. The river provides about 11 kubic kilometres of water, every year, and most of that watter is spended into evaporation and in feeding the vegetation system. A small percentage of the water is flowing into Lake Ngami.

A couple of apparently happy tourists is exploring the Delta with their guide, Credits: Flickr

The Okavango Delta abounds in various kinds of vegetation and animals and some of them are considered as endemic. This is the place where you could easily spot an african bush elephant, african buffalo, hipopotamus, lechwe, giraffe, Nile crocodile, lions, leopards, hyenas, antelopes, zebras etc. All this made the delta very popular tourist attraction. The most often way of visiting this place is by using traditional mokoro canoes which are best for exploring numerous waterways. There is also a number of offers where you get the opportunity to explore the area riding on the back of an elephant.

Exploring the Delta on the backs of an elephant, Credits: Flickr

There are about 40 lodges and camps which are hosting visitors but the prices are not as low as expected because of the initiative of the Botswana Gowernment which tries to keep this place from mass-tourism in order to protect the wildlife and the eco-system.

Credits: Flickr

Credits: Flickr

Credits: Flickr

Credits: Flickr

Credits: Flickr