In the Okavango Delta in northwestern Botswana, the water does not flow to the sea: it seeps into the desert sands of the Kalahari Basin. The delta is one of the few large inland deltas with no outlet to the sea and is a large alluvial fan with a gentle slope.
The Okavango Delta: Wetlands and Habitats
The Okavango Delta World Heritage Site encompasses most of the delta and more than two million hectares of largely undisturbed wetlands and seasonally flooded grasslands. Natural habitats include rivers and lagoons that carry water year-round or seasonally, as well as permanent swamps. They also include seasonally and occasionally flooded grasslands, riparian forests, dry deciduous forests, and island communities. This range shows that the delta cannot be reduced to areas with water year-round: temporarily flooded landscapes, forests, and island communities are also part of it.
The Okavango Delta is home to significant populations of cheetahs, white and black rhinoceroses, African wild dogs, and lions. Activity highlights include game drives and speedboat trips. Thus, alongside the different habitats and animal populations, a variety of excursions are also central to the trip. Game drives put wildlife in the spotlight, while speedboat trips focus on traveling over water; together, they offer two different perspectives on the delta.
The Okavango Panhandle
The Okavango Panhandle begins at Mohembo, where the Okavango flows from Namibia into Botswana, and extends about 80 kilometers to the southeast. Its approximate length and direction provide geographical context; Mohembo marks the river crossing described. The delta is characterized by its landform and water system, while the Panhandle is described in terms of the river crossing and its approximate extent to the southeast.
Tsodilo: Quartzite and Rock Art
The Tsodilo Hills are massive quartzite rock formations in northwestern Botswana, near the Namibian border. They rise between ancient sand dunes to the east and a dry fossil lakebed in the Kalahari to the west. The description thus connects the rock formations with the different landscape features on either side.
The shelters and caves of Tsodilo contain extensive rock paintings that apparently date from the Stone Age to the 19th century, but have not been precisely dated. Tsodilo also preserves archaeological evidence, rock art, and continuing traditions that document the development of human culture and the relationship between people and nature over many millennia. For the Hambukushu and San communities, Tsodilo's waterholes and hills form a sacred cultural landscape. Thus, approximately dated rock art and continuing traditions exist side by side.
Your choice of interests presents a clear contrast: the Okavango Delta can be explored through its water system, wetlands, and animal populations; Tsodilo through its geology, rock art, and cultural heritage.
Discover more destinations: South-East, North-West, Kgalagadi District, Central District, North-East District, Kweneng West, Southern, Kgatleng District, Kweneng District, North-West District, Ghanzi District.
