Savuti (Chobe National Park)

Savuti (Chobe National Park): History & Culture

Discover Savuti (Chobe National Park)

Savuti (also spelled Savute) is the western stretch of Chobe National Park in Botswana. The Savuti Marsh area covers 10,878 km². It is known for predator encounters, large elephant herds and a channel that has repeatedly dried up and flowed again. It also holds some of the park’s oldest human history, in the San rock paintings on the Gubatsa Hills.

Savuti at a glance

• Country: Botswana
• District: Chobe District, within Chobe National Park
• Known for: lions that have adapted to hunt elephant, large elephant numbers, the zebra migration, San rock art and more than 450 bird species
• Main activity: game drives
• Getting around: a 4×4 is essential for self-drivers
• Eating out: there are no independent restaurants, so meals are at lodges and camps or self-catered at the campsite

Why visit Savuti

Savuti is a crossroads between the Okavango Delta and the Chobe riverfront side of the park. The landscape is the Savute Channel and marsh, with extensive savannah and rolling grassland around them.

Predators

Savuti is known for high predator encounters. The lions here have adapted to hunt elephant. Hyena and wild dog are also found, and cheetah are occasionally seen in the rains.

Elephants

Savuti has what one safari operator describes as massively high elephant numbers. If you stay at a lodge with a waterhole, you can watch them without leaving the property.

The zebra migration

There is an annual migration of zebra, followed by the predators that hunt them. One safari operator calls it somewhat unpredictable but truly spectacular. We have no sourced months for it, so ask your lodge or operator what is currently happening before you plan around it.

Birds

More than 450 bird species have been recorded, including secretary bird and kori bustard. Birdwatching is a worthwhile addition to any game drive.

Dry-season game

In the dry season, wildlife concentrates at water. Species mentioned in general descriptions of the park include warthog, kudu, impala, zebra and wildebeest.

The Savute Channel: the river that comes and goes

The Savuti Marsh is the relic of a large inland lake whose water supply was cut by tectonic activity. The Savute Channel dries up for long periods and then flows again.

• David Livingstone found the channel flowing in 1851.
• It had dried up about 30 years later and stayed dry for almost 80 years.
• It flowed again from the late 1950s until the early 1980s.
• In January 2010, water reached the marsh for the first time since 1982.

The channel is nicknamed the river which flows in both directions. One safari operator describes this as an optical illusion. Dead trees along its banks are a reminder of the long dry spells.

San rock paintings at Gubatsa Hills

The first inhabitants of the area were the San. Their ochre paintings of giraffe, elephant and antelope survive on the Gubatsa Hills, a roughly 90 m outcrop. A visit to the rock art is one of the quieter things to do here, and it adds human history to a trip that is otherwise about wildlife.

Things to do in Savuti

• Game drives: the primary activity
• Birdwatching
• Rock-art visit to Gubatsa Hills
• Self-drive 4×4 and camping trips
• Waterhole watching from lodge decks

Getting to Savuti

Roads here are typically thick sand and tricky to drive, so a 4×4 is essential. The Savuti campsite sits about 50 km north of Mababe Gate, the southern entrance to this part of the park. Mababe Gate is also the route towards Moremi and the Okavango Delta.

Drivers’ reports describe the road from Ghoha Gate to Savuti as poor and very sandy. For the Savuti to Mababe leg, one estimate is about 3 hours, but one driver reported about 6 hours. These reports are anecdotal, so allow generous time and check current conditions before you set out.

Most fly-in guests use lodge or camp transfers, so ask your lodge how to reach it. Other places to combine with Savuti include the Chobe riverfront at Kasane, Linyanti and Selinda, and Victoria Falls.

Where to stay in Savuti

Savute Safari Lodge

Run by Desert & Delta Safaris, this lodge has 12 thatched chalets sleeping 24 guests, on the Savuti Channel. Guests mention friendly staff, excellent guiding and views over the channel. Two pumped waterholes draw elephants to drink in the afternoon.

Savuti Camp

Savuti Camp, also from Desert & Delta, is an intimate camp with simple rooms overlooking the spillway.

Savuti Campsite (self-catering)

The campsite has 14 pitches. Each has a braai stand, a cold water tap and a dustbin. You bring your own food and firewood. Camping is privatised, but park and vehicle fees are paid to the Department of Wildlife.

Eating and drinking

There are no independent restaurants in Savuti. Guests at lodges and camps eat on site, and campers cook for themselves at their pitch.

Best time to visit

The green season brings the zebra migration. The dry season concentrates wildlife at water. We have no sourced month ranges for either, so confirm timing with your lodge or operator when you book.

Explore more of Chobe

Savuti is one part of Chobe National Park. Read our Chobe guide to see how it fits with the riverfront and the rest of the park.

Photo by diego_cue, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.