This physical map of the Okavango Delta – shows the private safari concession areas and Moremi Game Reserve – as well as rivers, islands, roads and settlements. Click on the safari camps in the map for detailed camp descriptions, slide-shows and travellers’ reviews.
For a satellite view of this area, including camps and lodges, see: ►
Points of interest on our map of the Okavango Delta
We’ve drawn this map using original sources and our knowledge to highlight aspects of interest in Botswana’s Okavango region:
Moremi Game Reserve
The proclamation of this reserve in 1962 was an example of a forward-thinking government. It was extended to include Chiefs Island in 1970 and so saved the area from the depletion of game and the encroachment of cattle. The area consists of a network of rivers and palm islands contrasting with the drier ‘Mopane Tongue’ in the south. Moremi protects a fantastic diversity of flora, game and birdlife.
Mopane Tongue
There is a triangle of mopane forest lined with riverine edges which forms the south-eastern corner of Moremi Game Reserve. This area of the park is open to self-drive visitors and is where the park’s public campsites can be found. On this map it’s roughly bounded by South Gate, Khwai Tented Camp and Third Bridge.
Private Concessions
The grey spiders-web of lines on this map divide northern Botswana into a series of private concessions, or reserves. The all have names, written in grey, like NG20, NG21, NG22 .. etc The concessions are awarded to safari operators by the land board for a defined period of time and include strict regulations with regards to the management of the areas.
Lake Ngami & the Boteti River
Lake Ngami, although once known as the great lake of the Kalahari, can also be a dry dustbowl. It is fed from the overflow of the Okavango Delta via the Thamalakane River resulting from the Kunyere and Thamalakane fault lines. In recent years it has been much fuller, attracting spectacular birdlife. The Boteti River is a large tributary of the Thamalakane River and flows towards the Makgadikgadi Pans.
Okavango Panhandle area
Flowing south from Angola, the Okavango River forms the north-western channel (panhandle) which feeds into the Okavango Delta. Constrained by two parallel fault lines, the river gradient is low and meanders between papyrus stands until it fans out into the delta. The panhandle area, although not a place for big game, supports diverse birdlife.
Chief’s Island
Originally the hunting grounds of Chief Moremi, Chief’s Island was incorporated into Moremi Game Reserve in 1970. It is the largest island in the delta and is considered to be part of the same panhandle fault lines being pushed up in the formative warping of the area. Chiefs Island now hosts just two premier safari camps – Mombo Camp and Chiefs Camp and affords some of the best game viewing in the delta.
Maun
Maun provides the administrative capital of northern Botswana and has grown to a sizeable town over recent years. It has become the base for the delta’s safari industry and the hub for flights in the region. Visitors seldom stay longer than to change flights although occasionally guests do overnight here.
