CHOBE & KALIZO, Botswana & Namibia

CHOBE

The Chobe National Park is located in the Northern part of Botswana and lies along the Chobe River, which borders Botswana and Namibia.

The park is the second largest in Botswana and is known for its superb wild- and birdlife.

The most remarkable feature of the Chobe National Park is its huge concentration of Elephants. Here you will witness herds of elephants crossing from islands in the river to the banks of the Chobe River.

Chobe National Park is home to huge herds of Buffalo and Zebra. There are high densities of predators such as Lion, Leopard, Spotted Hyena and Cheetah. The park also hosts more unusual antelope species such as Roan and Sable, Puku, Tsessebe, Eland, Red Lechwe, Waterbuck and the rare Chobe Bushbuck.

The better-known species such as Giraffe, Kudu, Warthog, Wildebeest and Impala are also abound in the park.

Chobe is one of the top places for a photography birding safari in Southern Africa  – more than 450 species have been recorded.

As a photographer on the Photography Boat you will see many waders and other water-associated birds, which makes for fantastic photography opportunities.

There are many Fish Eagles on the river, and their call is one of the most iconic sounds of Africa.

The top five birds to see in the Chobe National Park is the Long-toed Lapwing, Pennant-winged nightjar, African Finfoot, Rosy-throated Longclaw and White-backed Night Heron.

Other bird species you will find on the Chobe River are the African Openbill, African Skimmer, Pied Kingfisher, African Spoonbill, Marabou Stork, Carmine Bee-Eater, Coppery-Tailed Coucal and African Jacana.

KALIZO

In the heart of Southern Africa lies Namibia’s best-kept secret, the Zambezi Region, every  bird-lover’s dream !!

On the banks of the Zambezi river at Kalizo near Katima Mulilo lies one of the last substantial breeding colonies of these  incredible birds. 

This area is home to over 450 species of birds and hosts one of the prolific colonies of the Carmine Bee-Eaters in Africa .

This species is a richly coloured bird, predominantly carmine in colour, but with the crown and under-tail coverts blue.

Zambezi Mubala Lodge is a newly-built lodge known as a secret river hideaway where water laps the shores of the mighty Zambezi, hippos laugh and the calls of fish eagles echo through  the vast blue sky.

The photographic opportunities in this area are endless and will include bird actions which are fantastic to capture through your lens. 

You also can expect the ultimate split second when raptors such as the Yellow-Billed Kites feed on the Carmines in high angled attacks.

During our photography boat trip on the river, your bird photography will advance  to the next level because of a the different angles you shoot from.

Other bird species we could encounter in this region are  African Skimmers, Fish Eagles, Storks, Kingfishers and Ibis to name a few.

This is definitely a bird photographer’s bucket list destination.