Safari in Chobe Nogatsaa

remote green season waterholes

Nogatsaa is a relatively remote and little-visited part of Chobe National Park.

It comprises a collection of seasonal waterholes, set in a vast hinterland of dry mopane forest.

The area is virtually devoid of wildlife for most of the year, due to the lack of water, but comes to life during the Dec-Mar green season, when rain showers fill the pans.

The huge numbers of animals that migrate away from the Chobe Waterfront during this green season can congregate in this area in big numbers, including herds of elephants, buffaloes, oryx, elands and roans, along with their associated predators.

In recent years, the establishment of a permanent lodge in this area means that they may be pumping water into the pans during the dry season, enabling wildlife to remain in the area year-round. It is not easy to criticise this practice too heavily when it is so widely used in the Hwange area of Zimbabwe.

Safari planning

Historically, the Nogatsaa area would only be visited during the Dec-Mar, when a few intrepid overlanders would use this as an alternative route between Kasane and Savute.

We say intrepid, because at this time of year, the rain can make the usually difficult roads extremely challenging.

It’s also very hot during this period, with temperatures soaring to 35C (95F), which can be very uncomfortable, given the elevated humidities.

The establishment of Nogatsaa Pans Lodge, alongside the substantial Kwikamba Pan, has changed the picture. It is now possible to fly into the nearby bush airstrip at any time of year.

However, whether or not the area ever becomes attractive enough to visit is another matter. During the May-Oct dry season, we would definitely rather be in the prime concession areas of the Okavango Delta and Linyanti Waterfront. During the Dec-Apr green season, when Nogatsaa has historically been at its best, we would rather visit the Khwai River concession, which shares the same waterholes-in-mopane-forest landscape, but is completely private and free from overland traffic.

occasionally worthwhile during the Dec-Mar green season