In 2008, Moremi Game Reserve was voted '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 deceased 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. As such, it holds tremendous scientific, environmental and conservation importance. To this day, 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. It includes the Moremi Tongue and Chief's Island, boasting one of the continent's wealthiest and most diverse ecosystems.
This makes for spectacular game viewing and bird watching, including all significant, naturally occurring herbivore and carnivore species in the region and over 400 species of birds, many migratory and some endangered. Both Black and White Rhino have recently been re-introduced, making the reserve a 'Big Five' destination.
Covering approximately 3,900 sq. km, where land and Delta meet, Moremi Game Reserve is a profoundly picturesque preserve of seasonal and perennial floodplains. The landscape includes waterways, lagoons, pools, pans, grasslands, and forests. This terrain makes driving Moremi's many tracks and trails delightful and exceptionally inspiring.
