Choosing between Zambezi National Park and Chobe National Park

by Tony Peel
(Victoria Falls)

This is a tough choice and tricky question. Zambezi National Park is right on your doorstep, but Chobe is world renowned for its game viewing.

What does one do... well I guess if I can point out the pros and cons of each you can make up your own mind.

Chobe without doubt has fantastic game viewing, far greater abundance than in the Zambezi National park.

However Chobe is far more commercialised than The Zambezi National Park. There will be lots of tourist on all sorts of game activities, if a pride of lions is spotted the words gets around quickly and there will be lots of vehicles descending upon that spot (Kenya style - lots of minibuses). The Zambezi Nat Park in comparison is extremely quiet with only a few vehicle entering the park so although you might not see as much, what you do see you will be able to enjoy much more. Don't get me wrong here, there is still plenty of game of all species in the Zambezi Nat park.

If you take a tour with one our recommended operators in the Zambezi Nat park, you will be sure to have truly bush experience, which means not only only looking for the big five but understanding and getting to know about the birds and insects, grasses and trees in fact the whole eco system, you will be able to walk if you wish and really get interact with the African bush.

A Chobe day trip if you are staying in Victoria Falls involves at least 3hrs of travelling time (return trip), plus some time spent clearing customs and immigration between Zimbabwe and Botswana, a simple procedure, still it has to be done, and if you are on a foreign passport you will now have to buy another visa upon entry back into Zimbabwe or will have had to purchase a double entry visa when you first arrived. Zambezi National park in comparison is 10mins drive from the centre of Victoria falls and there obviously are no border posts and extra visa costs.

Chobe river is outstanding in beauty, but equally so is the Mighty Zambezi river along which the Zambezi National Park borders.