Moremi Game Reserve

What and Where It Is

Moremi is the main government reserve inside the Okavango Delta. About 30 percent of it is dry land, mainly on Chief's Island and the Moremi Tongue in the east, and the rest is part of the wetland. Chief's Island, the Delta's largest island, is more than 70 km long and was once the chief's private hunting ground.

Well-known areas include Xakanaxa Lagoon, Third Bridge and South Gate, each with public campsites, and the Mombo area on Chief's Island. The Khwai community area borders the reserve to the northeast.

Wildlife and Activities

Lion, leopard, spotted hyena, cheetah, elephant, buffalo, hippo, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, impala and red lechwe are all found here. African wild dog are a highlight: a research project has followed Moremi's packs since 1989, so you may see dogs wearing research collars. Black and white rhino occur but are hard to find, and Botswana lost dozens of rhinos to poaching in 2019 and 2020. Nearly 500 bird species have been recorded.

Activities depend on where you stay. Lodges offer game drives and, when the water is up, mokoro and boat trips. Moremi is also one of the few parts of the Delta open to experienced self-drive visitors in a well-equipped 4x4.

Best Time to Go

Game viewing is best from July to October, when wildlife gathers at permanent water and the vegetation thins out. November to April is the green season, with fewer vehicles, lower rates and good birding, though some roads become hard going. Our month-by-month safari guide has more on how the seasons work.

Getting There and How Long to Stay

Light-aircraft flights from Maun reach airstrips across the reserve in well under an hour, and South Gate is a few hours' drive from Maun. Three nights is a good stay, often paired with a water camp elsewhere in the Okavango Delta.

Where to Stay in and Around Moremi

Wilderness Mombo is on the northeast corner of Chief's Island, inside the reserve. It is a land camp first, with day and night game drives across floodplain that draws big herds and their predators.

Xigera Safari Lodge stands on an island in Moremi, with water activities while the flood is in, alongside game drives.

&Beyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge is in a private concession on Moremi's border, a land camp with game drives that continue after dark.