While most visitors to Botswana head south to the Okavango Delta, the more intrepid head north to Chobe National Park.
Covering a huge swath of northern Botswana, this less-traveled nature reserve is filled with all the usual African suspects. But the real wildlife draw in the Chobe is the elephant. The world’s largest pachyderm population of more than 100,000 is drawn to the Chobe River each dry season, along with every other creature in the region, in a genuine life or death struggle to stay alive. Visitors can watch the food chain in action as prides of lions feed on the weak and hyenas pick at the scraps. The end of the rainy season is prime viewing time, as giraffe, zebra and every other creature comes to the Chobe for a little get-together. You can be part of the picnic, too, though hopefully not as part of the menu.