The Okavango Panhandle: A Guide to the River Above the Delta
Where the Okavango is still a river
Most people picture the Okavango Delta as a maze: lagoons, islands, channels spreading in every direction. Before it becomes that, the Okavango is a river — one deep, winding channel lined with papyrus, running through the far north-west of Botswana. This stretch is the Panhandle.
It is the part of the Okavango that most safari itineraries skip. There are few fly-in camps and no big game reserves. What there is, is the river itself and everything that lives along it: fishing villages, papyrus taller than a person, birdlife that draws birders from far away, and a World Heritage site of rock art a short drive inland.
This guide explains what the Panhandle is, when to go, what to do there and how to reach it — from Namibia or from Maun.
What the Panhandle is
The Okavango rises in the highlands of Angola, crosses Namibia and enters Botswana at the border village of Mohembo. For roughly the next 100 kilometres it is held in a strip only around 11 to 15 kilometres wide, between two parallel fault lines in the earth’s crust. That confined stretch is the Panhandle — the “handle” of the pan-shaped Delta on the map.
Inside the strip, the river meanders in wide loops. Its course keeps shifting: bends are cut off and left behind as oxbow lakes, and the channel splits and rejoins. Along the banks lie permanent swamps dominated by papyrus, which here grows up to four metres tall. Only beyond the Gumare fault, at the lower end of the Panhandle, does the river break into the many channels that form the Delta proper.
The flood arrives here first
The water that floods the Delta each year falls as rain in Angola, mostly between December and February. It reaches Mohembo first: the peak at the top of the Panhandle generally comes between mid-March and mid-May. From there the flood front creeps on at about a kilometre a day. It takes roughly four months to reach Maun at the bottom of the Delta, where the water peaks around August.
That timing is the key to the whole region. When the Panhandle is at its fullest, much of the inner Delta is still waiting for its water. And because the river here is confined between its banks, the seasonal rise and fall is gentler than further downstream, where the same water spreads across thousands of square kilometres.
What to do in the Panhandle
Birding
For many visitors, birds are the reason to come. The combination of deep main channel, papyrus, riverine forest and backwaters supports species that are scarce elsewhere on a typical safari route. Pel’s fishing owl, which hunts fish from overhanging branches at night, is the one birders talk about; the white-backed night heron and the African skimmer, which feeds by slicing the water surface with its lower bill, are others the Panhandle is known for.
From October to March, migrant species arrive from the north, which makes the green season the richest time for birding. Boat trips are the natural way to look — some of the shyer river birds are easiest to find from the water, early in the morning or after dark.
Fishing
The Panhandle has a long reputation among anglers, and several lodges and fishing camps along the river cater for them. The fish that brings most of them is the tigerfish, a fast, hard-fighting predator; bream species such as the nembwe, sharp-tooth catfish and African pike are also caught.
Tigerfish fishing is generally at its peak from September to November. Around the same time comes the “barbel run”: as the floodwaters recede, small fish leave the drying floodplains for the main channel, and packs of catfish hunt them in the shallows — with tigerfish following. Two rules apply to everyone: a recreational fishing licence is required in Botswana, and there is a closed season in January and February, when fishing is not allowed. Most sport fishing here is catch and release.
Tsodilo Hills
About 40 kilometres from the river at Shakawe, reached on a graded dirt road, four hills rise out of the Kalahari sand. The Tsodilo Hills are a UNESCO World Heritage site: UNESCO estimates more than 4,500 rock paintings in an area of only around ten square kilometres. Many are linked to the ancestors of the San, while the white paintings are associated with later Bantu-speaking peoples. The writer Laurens van der Post brought them to a wide audience in his 1958 book The Lost World of the Kalahari.
The hills are known locally as Male, Female and Child, and they remain a sacred place to the people who live around them.
Life on the river
Wildlife here is shaped by water. Hippos are a constant presence — you hear them grunting long after dark — and crocodiles bask on the sandbanks. Elephants come down to drink and cross the channel, often swimming with only their trunks above the surface. Red lechwe, the antelope of the floodplains, graze where the papyrus opens up, and the papyrus itself hides the sitatunga: a shy, swamp-adapted antelope with splayed hooves for walking on floating vegetation. Seeing one takes patience and some luck, which makes it all the more memorable when it happens.
Further downstream, where the Panhandle begins to open into the Delta, the channels multiply and the wildlife with them. It is a different rhythm from a game drive: you watch from the water, at the river’s pace, with fish eagles calling overhead. Our hippo guide explains why you keep a respectful distance from those grunts in the dark.
Getting there
From Namibia
The most direct approach for anyone travelling through northern Namibia: from Divundu on the B8, the C48 runs about 33 kilometres south through Mahango to the Mohembo border. Mohembo is open from 06:00 to 18:00. On the Botswana side, the A35 follows the western bank of the river south through Shakawe and Sepopa. Rental cars need written permission to enter Botswana — arrange it before you set off.
From Maun
From Maun, the A35 runs north along the western side of the Delta to Shakawe. It is a long drive, and parts of the road are still under repair and can be difficult after heavy rain, so check conditions before you go.
The eastern bank and Seronga
Seronga, on the eastern side of the Panhandle, is reached on a single sandy track from Mohembo. It needs a high-clearance vehicle or a 4×4. Many travellers prefer to drive to the western bank and cross by boat.
By air
Light aircraft can land at Shakawe, and charter flights connect the Panhandle with Maun and the rest of the Delta.
Where to stay
Accommodation follows the river: lodges and fishing camps line the western bank around Shakawe and Sepopa, with campsites among them. On the water itself, houseboats offer a different way to stay — you sleep on the river rather than beside it.
Our two boats, Ngwezi and the Okavango Endeavour, are moored on the main channel near Seronga and head downstream from there to where the Panhandle opens into the Delta. You can drive to Sepopa and be taken out by boat, or drive all the way to Seronga with a suitable vehicle. The Endeavour is new — read about the boat and its three decks.
If you want the classic Delta experience as well, the Panhandle combines naturally with a stay further south — and with a mokoro trip through the shallow channels that the Panhandle’s water eventually feeds.
Planning a visit
How long to stay. Two or three nights give you time on the water, a morning at Tsodilo and a slower pace after a busy safari. Birders and anglers often stay longer.
Seasons. The flood peaks in the Panhandle between mid-March and mid-May. The hottest months are around October and November, before the rains. From October to March, migrant birds are present.
Health. The Panhandle is a malaria area. Ask your doctor about prophylaxis before you travel, and use repellent in the evenings.
Borders. Mohembo is open from 06:00 to 18:00. Arrive well before closing — there are two sets of formalities, one on each side.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Okavango Panhandle part of the Okavango Delta?
Yes. The Panhandle is the upper part of the Delta system: the stretch of roughly 100 kilometres below Mohembo where the Okavango is still held in a single channel between two fault lines, before it fans out into the Delta proper.
When is the best time to visit the Okavango Panhandle?
It depends on what you come for. Birding is at its richest from October to March, when migrants are present. Tigerfish fishing generally peaks from September to November. The flood reaches the Panhandle first, usually peaking between mid-March and mid-May.
Can you fish in the Okavango Panhandle?
Yes. Several lodges and fishing camps along the river offer fishing. You need a recreational fishing licence, and fishing is not allowed during the closed season in January and February. Most sport fishing is catch and release.
How do you get to the Okavango Panhandle?
From Namibia, cross at the Mohembo border, open 06:00 to 18:00, and follow the A35 south. From Maun, drive north on the A35. Seronga on the eastern bank needs a high-clearance vehicle or a 4×4. Charter flights land at Shakawe.
Will I see big game in the Okavango Panhandle?
The Panhandle is river country rather than a classic big-game reserve. Hippos, crocodiles and elephants are regular sights, red lechwe graze on the floodplains, and with patience you may see the shy sitatunga in the papyrus. Towards the Delta the channels and the wildlife increase. Many visitors combine the Panhandle with a game-drive safari further south.
Stay on the river
Two houseboats on the main channel near Seronga — the Panhandle seen from the water, at its own pace. Ask us about dates and how to combine it with the rest of your trip.
