This gem of a national park has garnered several important distinctions. In 2008, it was voted the best game reserve in Africa by the prestigious African Travel and Tourism Association at South Africa’s premier tourism fair, Indaba. It is the first reserve in Africa to be established by local residents. Concerned about the rapid depletion of wildlife in their ancestral lands—due to uncontrolled hunting and cattle encroachment—the Batawana people of Ngamiland, under the leadership of the late Chief Moremi III’s wife, Mrs. Moremi, took the bold initiative to proclaim Moremi a game reserve in 1963.
It is the only officially protected area of the Okavango Delta and, as such, holds tremendous scientific, environmental, and conservation importance. Undoubtedly, Moremi ranks as one of the most beautiful reserves in Africa—possibly in the world.
Moremi Game Reserve is situated in the central and eastern areas of the Okavango and includes the Moremi Tongue and Chief’s Island. It boasts one of the richest and most diverse ecosystems on the continent.
This makes for spectacular game viewing, including all major naturally occurring herbivore and carnivore species in the region, as well as over 400 species of birds—many migratory and some endangered. Both black and white rhino have recently been reintroduced, now making the reserve a “Big Five” destination. Covering an area of approximately 5,000 square kilometers, it is where land and delta meet to create an exceedingly picturesque preserve of floodplains—either seasonally or perennially wet—waterways, lagoons, pools, pans, grasslands, and riparian, riverine, and mopane forests. This terrain makes driving Moremi’s many loops and trails both delightful and, at times, truly inspiring.
Moremi is often combined with Chobe National Park to the northeast. The rustic Third Bridge campsite, situated near the beautiful Sekiri River and flanked by thick stands of papyrus, is a favorite, creating lasting memories of resplendent Okavango sunsets
