Things to do in Kasane
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Kasane
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Dry and cooler, game concentrating on the river, Falls medium in June and July.
Best Riverfront game and largest elephant gatherings, September to October very hot and Falls low.
Wet green season, peak birding, calving and lower rates, game disperses and Falls peak flow is February to May.
What's on
- Southern carmine bee-eater nesting season November to March
Spectacular colonies nest in river banks in the wet season, with African skimmers in the channels.
Best things to do in Kasane
Sunset Boat Safari on the Chobe River
Afternoon boat safari past Sedudu Island for elephants, hippos and buffalo at eye level as herds come to drink.
Early-Morning Game Drive on the Chobe Riverfront
Open 4x4 drive along the Riverfront for lions, leopard and buffalo before the day trip crowds arrive.
Pangolin Photo Safaris
Specialist photo boats and vehicles with swivel seats, gimbal mounts, camera hire and a photo host.
Sedudu Island
Large river island grazed by buffalo, elephant and puku, best circumnavigated by boat in the dry season.
CARACAL Biodiversity Centre (World of Wildlife)
Conservation education centre with Botswana snakes, small mammals, raptors and owls that cannot be released.
Kasane Forest Reserve
Forest reserve with elephants, buffalo and antelope, waterholes and drives without park gate queues.
Baobab Prison Tree
Huge hollow baobab at the police station once used as holding cells, worth a brief free stop.
Vuche Vuche Basket Weavers
The place in Kasane to seek out woven Botswana baskets and wood carvings and judge weave quality item by item.
Where to stay in Kasane
Chobe Riverfront strip, Kasane town
first trip, all-round base
Lodges along the river west toward Sedudu Gate, with jetties at your door and town shops five minutes east.
In the park, Serondela
pure safari splurge
Start drives inside the park at dawn without queuing at Sedudu Gate, at luxury price and in isolation from town.
Kazungula and Old Kazungula
quiet and value, self-drivers
Quieter, greener and often better value east of town, with its own river frontage and longer drives to Sedudu Gate.
Think twice about
- Roadside motels on the A33 far south, Lesoma side
No river access and no activities desk, so you pay for transfers for everything and see no wildlife from the property.
- Victoria Falls town as a base for Chobe
Daily border commuting gives slower, pricier Chobe access and only midday park hours. Base in Kasane and day trip to the Falls.
- Unfenced budget camping far from the river without a vehicle
Not unsafe from people, but stranded, as Kasane has almost no public transport and activities leave from lodges.
Best restaurants in Kasane
Pizza Plus Coffee & Curry
Central independent for pizzas, proper curries and coffee, useful for lunch, dinner or a transfer day wait.
The Old House
Small house and garden deck near the river serving grills and fresh fish in Kasane most atmospheric town setting.
The Coffee Buzz
Kasane cafe for the best coffee in town, breakfasts, light lunches and cakes between activities.
Tandurei
Dedicated Indian restaurant with tandoor dishes, curries and a strong vegetarian choice.
Sedudu Restaurant
Lodge restaurants and bookable grills where non residents can get a river view dinner without a luxury stay.
Di Kubu Bar & Kitchen
New local favourite steakhouse, pizza and grill with a bar, promising on early small base evidence.
Pepe Nero Ristorante Italiano
Italian kitchen serving pasta and pizza, a genuine alternative after several nights of lodge buffets.
Hunters Pub & Grill
Town pub grill for burgers, cold beer and a local bar atmosphere, with food at pub standard.
Outdoor things to do in Kasane
Full Chobe Day: Boat Safari and Game Drive
The canonical Chobe day combining a three hour boat safari, lodge lunch and a three hour game drive.
Victoria Falls
Day trip to the Zimbabwe side rainforest viewpoints, with a dual side Zambia option for the fullest view.
Tiger Fishing on the Chobe and Upper Zambezi
Catch and release guided fishing for tiger fish, bream and catfish, with tackle provided by the operator.
Impalila Island Cultural Tour
Boat trip and guided Subiya village walk with fishing, weaving and cooking demonstrations and local food.
Kazungula Bridge
Curved bridge to Zambia near the four country quadripoint area, worth an hour en route rather than a full day.
Chobe Riverfront Birding
Specialist boat and drive birding for carmine bee-eaters, skimmers, fish eagles and Pel's fishing owl.
Mowana Golf Course
Nine hole bush course at Cresta Mowana where elephants, warthog and antelope sometimes wander the fairways.
Self-Drive Chobe, Sedudu Gate
Drive the Riverfront routes in your own high clearance 4x4, paying only park and vehicle fees.
Best hotels in Kasane
Chobe Game Lodge
Only permanent lodge inside the park on the Riverfront, with dawn starts before Kasane vehicles arrive.
Sanctuary Chobe Chilwero
Bluff top luxury lodge with elevated views to Namibia, a pool suite and the only full spa on this circuit.
Pangolin Chobe Hotel
Small hotel built around photography, with a gallery and editing studio for Pangolin photo safari guests.
Chobe Bakwena Lodge
Eco luxury river chalets, locally built and staffed, with a chemical free pool and strong value for its tier.
Chobe River Lodge
Small charming riverside lodge on Kasane outskirts, rated the best value lodge in town.
River View Lodge
Lodge with large clean rooms and river views, rated second best value in Kasane.
Chobe Bush Lodge
Modern lodge next to Chobe Safari Lodge with a pool, strong activities desk and good dinners.
Cresta Mowana Safari Resort & Spa
Large resort with spa, golf course and big grounds, best for facilities and families rather than intimacy.
Is Kasane expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | BWP 1,150 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | BWP 3,700 a person |
| Splurge | BWP 14,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Early-Morning Game Drive on the Chobe Riverfront: a few days ahead
- Pangolin Photo Safaris: weeks ahead
- Full Chobe Day: Boat Safari and Game Drive: a few days ahead
- Victoria Falls: a few days ahead
- Impalila Island Cultural Tour: a few days ahead
- Savuti Marsh: months ahead
- Scenic Flight and Okavango Add-on: weeks ahead
- Chobe Game Lodge: weeks ahead
- In dry season June to October, book Pangolin photo boats, top lodges, Ihaha campsite and morning drives weeks to months ahead.
- Book activities with the room, not on arrival.
- Confirm park fees at booking, as the published fee has been under review.
Is Kasane safe?
- Never walk in town or between lodges after dark, as hippos, elephants and other wildlife move through Kasane.
- Never approach or feed any animal, and keep balcony doors shut and food inside against baboons.
- Drive slowly at dawn and dusk, especially in Kasane Forest Reserve and on the A33 where elephants cross.
- Never swim in the Chobe River because of crocodiles and hippos.
- Kasane and Chobe are high risk for malaria, highest October to May, so seek medical advice on prophylaxis.
Kasane travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- One day Chobe trips from Victoria Falls in October heat, with border queues and midday only park hours.
- Paying luxury money for Chobe Safari Lodge rooms instead of its campsite and activities.
- Morning only boat cruises sold as equal to sunset cruises.
- Fishing sold as guaranteed, and Prison Tree or quadripoint stops sold as paid half day tours.
- Big Five marketing for Chobe, as rhino are essentially absent from the Riverfront.
Getting around Kasane: public transport and more
- Kasane International Airport is five minutes from the river lodges and most lodges include the transfer.
- Town runs along President Avenue and the A33, lodges west and Kazungula east, with no useful public transport for visitors.
- Move by lodge transfer, operator pickup, hire car or on foot in daylight only between neighbouring river lodges.
- Self drive in the park needs a proper high clearance 4x4, and fuel and supermarkets are in town only.
Who Kasane suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Kasane your trip
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