Chief's Island.

What to do in Chief's Island North-West District Botswana

Life on Chief's Island runs strictly to the rhythms of the wildlife and the Okavango flood. Days start before dawn with hot tea and a five-hour tracker patrol through mopane woodlands, returning for a hearty midday brunch while the heat settles. It suits patient travellers who appreciate raw wildlife encounters, knowledgeable local trackers, and the quiet comfort of remote canvas lodges.

24 hours in Chief's Island North-West District Botswana

Board a morning Cessna from Maun, touching down on the island airstrip by nine. Head straight out in an open four-by-four to track leopards near the Mombo concession, return for a lunch of braised beef seswaa, and finish with a sunset mokoro ride. Select 1 Day above to see it.

2 days in Chief's Island North-West District Botswana

A second day lets you explore the southern fringes toward the Boro River. Spend the morning tracking cheetahs across open plains, take a midday siesta, and gather for an evening boma feast of grilled boerewors and maize pap beside an open leadwood fire. Choose 2 Days to expand the plan.

3 days in Chief's Island North-West District Botswana

Three days unlocks a deep exploration of the inner waterways and seasonal pans. Take a guided walking patrol around ancient termite mounds, watch for Pel's fishing owls in dense riverine forest, and spend unhurried hours reading Kalahari sand tracks.

Chief's Island North-West District Botswana itineraries by interest

• Wildlife Viewing in Chief's Island North-West District Botswana

  Track resident lion prides, leopards in sausage trees, and packs of African wild dogs across the fertile grasslands of the Mombo area.

• Water Safaris in Chief's Island North-West District Botswana

  Glide along shallow papyrus channels in a traditional fiberglass mokoro, poled quietly by local polers through water lilies.

• Guided Walks in Chief's Island North-West District Botswana

  Step onto firm dry ground with armed rangers to study spoor, termite mounds, and medicinal uses of the silver terminalia tree.

• Local Cuisine in Chief's Island North-West District Botswana

  Dine in open-air bomas on slow-simmered beef seswaa, maize pap, and braised morogo cooked over leadwood coals by camp chefs.

• Birdwatching in Chief's Island North-West District Botswana

  Spot Pel's fishing owls along riverine canopies, wattled cranes in wet meadows, and carmine bee-eaters hunting insects.

• Landscape Photography in Chief's Island North-West District Botswana

  Capture the golden afternoon light across flooded plains, dead leadwood skeletons, and herds of red lechwe splashing through shallows.

• Aviation in Chief's Island North-West District Botswana

  Take a low-altitude Cessna flight from Maun to spot winding hippo paths and elephant herds from several hundred feet up.

• Conservation History in Chief's Island North-West District Botswana

  Learn how Batawana leader Chief Moremi III and his wife Elizabeth set aside this royal hunting ground as a sanctuary in 1963.

• Stargazing in Chief's Island North-West District Botswana

  View crisp southern constellations like the Southern Cross from unlit wooden viewing decks without any urban light interference.

• Bushcraft in Chief's Island North-West District Botswana

  Observe tracking techniques that read bent blades of grass, hyena scat, and fresh drag marks left on soft Kalahari sands.

• Evening Drinks in Chief's Island North-West District Botswana

  Pause the afternoon drive on a dry pan for cold gin and tonics or Amarula cream while the sun drops behind the palms.

• Botanical Life in Chief's Island North-West District Botswana

  Examine tall real fan palms, jackalberry trees, wild sage bushes, and the flood-adapted roots of dense papyrus beds.