Moremi Game Reserve
Dual-natured Moremi Game Reserve is as fascinating as the rest of the Okavango Delta. With lilies floating on the waters and a kaleidoscope of habitats from dry savannah scrub to woodlands and lagoons, this land is wildly beautiful and populated by majestic rhinos, elephants, lions and other symbolic African wildlife.
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Best Time To Go
July – October
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Average Safari Cost
$200-$1,500pp/day. Park fee: $75 - $200
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Highlights
Best wildlife viewing in the Okavango Delta, the Big Five, over 400 bird species, excellent guides, stunningly diverse landscape, mokoro canoe safaris and more.
Why Visit Moremi Game Reserve
As one of Okavango Delta’s most accessible areas, Moremi is a popular safari destination. The reserve has several habitats ranging from mopane woodland, grassland and savannah, to marsh, lagoons and the floodplain. With such a diverse landscape, is it no wonder that the wildlife is thriving with such abundance?
Game drives and mokoro canoe trips are the perfect ways to view wildlife in Moremi. With the recent reintroduction of rhinos, the Big Five is complete in Moremi, and the wild dog and red lechwe populations are some of the largest in Africa.
Birdwatching is excellent with plenty of water and woodland birds easily spotted. Mokoro canoe safaris are the only way to see the most birds in Moremi, as walking is not allowed in the reserve. Gliding along through the shallow waters will allow you to get very close to the birds, making amateur photography look amazing.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- The Big Five: Elephant, rhino, lion, buffalo and leopard
- The best area for Okavando River wildlife viewing
- Several camping options
- Canoe safaris
- Beautiful landscape
- Over 400 bird species
Cons
- Heavy rains cause many roads and areas to be inaccessible from November to April
- Night drives, walking safaris and off-road driving are not permitted
Best Time to Go
Botswana has a warm climate that can become uncomfortably hot and humid in October.
It rains heavily from November to March, with January and February having the most rain. This time is the best time of the year for birwatching. The rains taper off in April.
From May to September is the dry season. The weather is warm and dry during these months, making it the best time for wildlife viewing.
For more information when to visit see our Botswana Safari - Complete Travel Guide.
Start your African Adventure
Popular Tours
Guided Tour of Zimbabwe Featuring Chobe
This tour will take you to most of Zimbabwe's tourist attraction which will give you the opportunity to explore the diverse landscape and culture of the country. A must do tour as it takes you to two countries in one trip.
Wildlife Galore and The Falls
This tour gives you the opportunity to see abundant wildlife as well as one of the seven natural wonders of the world, The might Victoria Falls.
7 Days Extreme Botswana Tours
The Chobe River forms the northern boundary of the Chobe National Park, renowned for its reliable and diverse game viewing. Safaris are conducted both by boat and on land. This section of the park is best known for its elephant and hippo populations but the waters attract all manner of game including large herds of buffalo and the lions that prey on them.
Botswana Short & Sweet
From an island in the heart of the Okavango Delta to an island in Moremi Game Reserve, this four nights safari is ideal for travellers who are short of time, but who still want an authentic Okavango Delta experience, inclusive of land and water safari activities.
Wildlife and Birds
Moremi Game Reserve offers one of the best big game safaris that Botswana has to offer. Located in the Okavango Delta with its mosaic of habitats, the reserve spots large densities of a diverse range of wildlife. Bird watching is brilliant here too, with passionate guides and over 400 species of birds recorded in the reserve.
Moremi is filled with an abundance of wildlife, including the Big Five – although rhino sightings are rare. The reserve has one of the largest packs of wild dog left in Africa, making spotting these endangered predators easier than anywhere else. Buffalo, elephant, giraffe, hippo, zebra and wildebeest can all be seen roaming in large herds.
- Lion
- Elephant
- Cheetah
- Leopard
- Buffalo
- Hyena
- Giraffe
- Black Rhino
- White Rhino
- Spingbok
- Wild Dog
- Zebra
Rare Animals
- White rhino
- Black rhino
- Cheetah
- Sitatunga antelope
Infrequently Seen Animals:
- Roan antelope
- Sable antelope
- Leopard
- Eland
- Wild dog
- Hyena
- Spotted-necked otter
- African clawless otter
Frequently Seen Animals
- Elephant
- Buffalo
- Lion
- Blue wildebeest
- Burchell’s zebra
- Impala
- Kudu
- Waterbuck
- Reedbuck
- Giraffe
- Duiker
- Red lechwe
- Bushbuck
- Steenbok
- Warthog
- Baboon
- Vervet monkey
With over 400 species and a diverse range of habitats, birdwatching in Moremi Game Reserve is fantastic. Drifting along in a mokoro canoe, with one of the reserve’s passionate guides, is the best way to enjoy this experience. Be on the lookout for the Wattled Crane and the Slaty Egret.
The best time for birdwatching is from November to April, when the birds will be in full mating plumage, and you may get to witness a hatching or two. Migratory birds are present during this time as well.
Endangered Birds
For a complete list of endangered birds in Botswana see our Botswana Safari - Complete Travel Guide.
Special birds
- African Fish Eagle
- African Pygmy Goose
- African Red-eyed Bulbul
- African Skimmer
- Black Coucal
- Black-chested Snake Eagle
- Bradfield’s Hornbill
- Brown Firefinch
- Chirping Cisticola
- Coppery-tailed Coucal
- Fulvous Whistling Duck
- Greater Swamp Warbler
- Green-winged Pytilia
- Lesser Jacana
- Martial Eagle
- Pel’s Fishing Eagle
- Rosy-throated Longclaw
- Senegal Coucal
- Slaty Egret
- Southern Carmine Bee-eater
- Swamp Boubou
- Wattled Crane
- White-rumped babbler
Getting There and Safety
Maun Airport is the best entry point into Botswana for those visiting Moremi Game Reserve (or anywhere else in Okavango Delta).
You can reach Moremi by plane or 4x4. It is important to note, however, that many campsites and lodges can only be reached by chartered plane. The road into Moremi can also become inaccessible after heavy rains, making chartered flight the only option.
For the flights to Botswana, it is advised to check Skyscanner (for multiple destination flights), to see which airlines can take you there and compare various ticket prices.
If you are based in the UK and Europe, check out these flights to Botswana.
If you are based in the USA and Canada, check out these flights to Botswana.
For more information on visas see our Botswana Safari - Complete Country Guide.
The risk of malaria in Moremi Game Reserve is high. Please speak to your doctor or travel clinic about anti-malaria medication that you will need for this region.
For a first line of defence, buy a good insect repellent (30% DEET or more) and keep your arms and legs covered, especially at night.
Check your local travel health authority for more information:
Going on a safari in Africa comes with obvious risks. We recommend you get travel insurance for all safaris in Botswana. Make sure your insurance has full medical coverage, emergency air evacuation, repatriation and the standard travel insurance for cancellations, delays and luggage cover.
Check World Nomads’ travel insurance calculator to see the cost of your safari trip cover.
For more details on what to pack see our Safari Packing List.