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When the Okavango River enters Botswana it flows for about 70 kilometers before fanning out into the Okavango Delta.

Wildlife of the Okavango Panhandle

This deep channel, with its side streams, lagoons and swamps is known as the Okavango Panhandle. This is a little known area, but a real gem. There are stretches of open waterways, papyrus, common reeds and carpets of water-lilies.

The area is ideal for animals such as sitatunga, lechwe, crocodile and hippo. It is a birder’s paradise with kingfishers, bee-eaters, cormorants, darters, jacanas, herons and skimmers in abundance. It is a particularly good spot to see the Pel’s fishing owl.

Off the beaten track

The Panhandle is not usually reached on a fly-in safari but is ideally suited to a circular self-drive safari combing Namibia and Botswana.

It is ideally suited to those people wanting to see areas that nearly all tourists never go to. You can drive to the lodges where you’ll leave your car and explore the wilderness by 4x4 and boats.