Chobe Under Canvas offers a rustic, throwback safari experience just like traditional safaris of yesteryear, with simple but comfortable walk-in tents, bucket showers, and activities along the seasonally spectacular Chobe River.

The camp is technically a mobile operation, but is actually considered semi-permanent, as it remains in its location just north of Chobe National Park in a small wildlife concession on the banks of the Chobe River. Its prime location is the place to be during the dry season, when the area is a magnet for all of Chobe's wildlife, as it is the only place with fresh water for many miles around.

The camp's 5 Meru-style safari tents are spacious and comfortable, with 2 twins or a double bed, a separate toilet, and a bucket shower (hot water provided). The camp's main area is comprised of an open-sided canvas tent for dining and lounging and all meals are prepared over an open fire by the attentive staff.

There is no electricity and no W-Fi, which allows guests to disconnect from their everyday lives and enjoy a safari like those of yesteryear. Battery-powered and solar lighting is available to light the camp at night.

Activities include morning and afternoon drives in Chobe National Park and along the Chobe Riverfront, as well as boating on the Chobe River. A stay of at least 2 nights includes a half-day outing on a customized photographic safari boat with the use of top-range camera equipment included.

Wildlife along the Chobe River peaks between July and October, when the interior land in the national park had become completely dried. Elephants are present in huge numbers, with herds after herd drinking along the banks swimming in the river.

Other wildlife present at this time includes buffalo, red lechwe, waterbuck, greater kudu, impala, zebra, and others. Predators seen regularly include lion, spotted hyena, African wild dog, and black-backed jackal. Leopard are seen on occasion. Hippo and crocodile are present in large numbers in the river. Birding along the river is also very good, with plenty of warbirds and raptors.

The further outside of the dry, peak season your stay, the less rewarding is the wildlife viewing and once the rains have arrived, the wildlife disperses into the core part of Chobe National Park.

About Chobe National Park

Chobe was the first national park (proclaimed in 1968) in Botswana and covers a massive 4 250 square miles (11 700 sq kms) of mostly dry habitat other than along its northern border (close to the Chobe River) and in the Savute Marsh (southwest Chobe).

The Chobe Riverfront and Savute Marsh offer the best wildlife viewing in the park and the permanent safari camps and lodges, as well as numerous public camping sites, are located almost exclusively in these two areas.

The majority of the national park is dominated by mixed woodland and Acacia scrub, with some areas of mature mopane tree forest. The northern border of the park, which is just south of the Chobe River is mostly floodplain grassland, while the Savute Marsh is fed by water from the Savuti Channel, which originates in the Linyanti Swamp.

Chobe is situated atop the eastern extent of the Kalahari sands and there are some areas of vegetated sand ridges and dunes. The park also has many numerous pans that fill with water only during the rainy season between December and March. There are also some sand that have borehole pumps to help sustain the wildlife during the longer dry season.

During the dry season (July through October), Chobe's vast interior has little to no water, so the wildlife congregates along the Linyanti-Chobe river system, which forms the northern edge of the park. Safaris on the river during this are are spectacular, with hundreds of elephants visiting the rivers constantly.

Buffalo, red lechwe, greater kudu, impala, tsessebe, giraffe, zebra, and warthog are common in Chobe and hippo and crocodile are found in large numbers in the rivers. Eland, roan, and sable are present in smaller numbers. The most common predators in Chobe are lion and spotted hyena. African wild dogs are seen regularly and leopard, cheetah, black-backed jackal, and side-striped jackal are found along the northern floodplains and in the Savute Marsh.

Like too many other places in Africa, rhinos once roamed throughout Chobe, but were sadly exterminated by hunters by the 1990s. Birding in Chobe is very good, especially along the rivers, which have an abundance of waterbirds, raptors, and passerines. The Savute March also offers excellent birding, dependent upon water levels. Over 450 species of bird have been recorded in Chobe.

About the Chobe Riverfront

The Chobe River forms the northern boundary of Botswana and is just north of the national park boundary, with a small wildlife concession between the two.

Lodges and safari camps located along the Chobe River starting just west of Kasane town offer boating safaris on the river, as well as game drives just south in Chobe National Park.

During the middle and latter part of the dry season, from July through October, the wildlife viewing on the banks of the Chobe River is nothing short of spectacular. Boat-based wildlife viewing is by far the best way to see the wildlife properly, and you will certainly see a lot.

Hundreds of elephants can be seen in a day on the river, with herds coming to drink, swim, and play in the river, some crossing the river back and forth between Botswana and Namibia to the north. Other wildlife includes herds of buffalo and good numbers of red lechwe, greater kudu, impala, waterbuck, blue wildebeest, puku, bushbuck, and sometimes roan and sable.

Lion and African wild dog patrol the river bank and are seen regularly. Birding on the river is outstanding, with African fish eagles around every bend, plus plenty of herons, egrets, African skimmers, storks, kingfishers, and many more. Hippos are found along the banks in great numbers, as are Nile crocodiles, and both species can be seem up close from a boat while they sun themselves on the banks.