Source: Southern Africa’s top 21 parks taken from the April 2010 Issue of Getaway Magazine.
A great mosaic of floodplains and a staggering variety of eco-systems make Moremi’s wildlife among the richest in Africa. By Lisa Johnston.
On a map of northern Botswana, Moremi Game Reserve perches like a skewed nucleus in the watery cell of the Okavango Delta.
At the heart of this protected stretch, which serves as guardian to more than 20 per cent of the Delta’s birds, beasts and verdure, are the reserve’s main patches of dry earth.
The first is Mopane Tongue, a triangle of land to the east, dominated by immense mopane trees. This was the original area of the reserve, proclaimed by the BaTawana in the early 1960s to stave off the evils of over-hunting and cattle encroachment.
By the 1970s, the reserve included the royal hunting ground, Chiefs Island – usually separated from the mainland by waterways and floodplains. Later, the strip of land between the Jao and Nqoga Rivers was added – largely to ensure that the park encompassed all the major Okavango habitats, including the northern Delta’s papyrus swamps and permanent wetlands.
At just less than 5 000 square kilometres, Moremi is small in comparison to most of Botswana’s protected areas, yet it remains one of the country’s major attractions because of abundant and varied fauna and flora.
The striking combination of water, swamp, mopane woodland, riparian forest, excellent game viewing and some of the best birding in Africa are its appeal.
Of the more than 400 bird species, birders can hope to tick specials such as slaty egret, wattled crane, brown firefinch, coppery-tailed coucal and the chirping cisticola.
Game fans can expect large herds of elephant and buffalo, as well as other members of the Big Five. Wild dog are common and Cape clawless and spotted-necked otters and pangolin are seen fairly regularly. Moremi is also home to the rare red lechwe and sitatunga live deep within the swamps.
Take a trip on a mokoro (traditional dug out canoe) for a close-up view of Moremi at the protected heartland of the Okavango Delta. The maze of lagoons and channels contain about 95 per cent of Botswana’s surface water and attract myriad birds, amphibians and wildlife. Leopard, hippo, elephant and lion are abundant and the rare red lechwe is found deep in the swamps.
As a result of Botswana’s high-yield/low-impact tourism policy, there are few lodges in Moremi and only two government-run campsites (at Magwee or South Gate and Khwai Gate). Camping facilities are basic, offering drinking water, showers and toilets. Sandy tracks and waterlogged roads attract experienced 4×4 self-drivers. Most visitors fly in on package deals to the reserve’s luxury lodges.
Travel adviser
When to visit
High season runs from July to October when the seasonal pans dry up and wildlife tends to hang around the permanent water. It gets uncomfortably hot from October through to the start of the rains in November/December and the winter nights (May to August) can be chilly. Malaria is prevalent and visitors are strongly advised to take prophylactics.
How to get there
Maun is the closest major town and acts as a gateway to the Okavango Delta. Stock up on food and fuel supplies there, as there’s no fuel available in Moremi Game Reserve and only a limited range of food can be bought in Khwai village. From Maun’s international airport, it’s easy to catch a charter flight into the park. The drive from Johannesburg to Maun, via Francistown and Nata, or from Victoria Falls, takes about 13 hours.
Park fees and hours
Moremi Game Reserve is open from 05h30 to 19h00 from October to March and 06h00 to 18h30 from April to September. Rates for visitors are P50 (about R56) a vehicle and P120 (about R134) a person a day. Children aged eight to 17 cost half. (Park fees are usually included in lodge package prices.) Park, camping and vehicle fees must be paid at the Parks and Reserves reservation office behind Maun’s police station, close to the Sekgoma Road roundabout. Tel +267-6861-264/5. For more information on Moremi, including camp numbers and tourism operators, e-mail dwnp@gov.bw or visit www.botswanatourism.co.bw.
