Mokoro

Gliding by mokoro (plural mekoro) is one of the signature experiences of the Okavango Delta. A poler stands at the stern and pushes the canoe through papyrus-lined channels, giving you a silent, eye-level view of reed frogs, water lilies, birdlife, and sometimes elephants wading in the distance. Most modern mekoro are fiberglass, which spares the large trees once used to carve them.

Mokoro excursions depend on water. The Delta’s annual flood, which starts as rain in the highlands of Angola, typically peaks in the Delta around June to August, during the dry season. Water-based camps offer mokoro trips for much of the year, while land-based camps may offer them only seasonally.

Experienced polers read the water carefully and give hippos a wide berth. Many travelers combine a water camp with a land camp to get both experiences; see our Botswana guide.