The Savute (also spelt Savuti) area is a prime game viewing destination and covers almost 5,000 square km in the south west of the Chobe National Park. The area offers great game viewing at certain times of the year. The annual zebra migration is followed by large concentrations of lion. Good sightings of cheetah and leopard are possible and the endangered wild dog also occurs here. Savute, however is famous for its large concentrations of elephants that congregate around the waterholes at sunset. This makes for exceptional observation of the interaction of Africa’s wildlife. Birdlife is also great and a spectacular sight is the redbilled queleas that gather in their thousands.

The Savute Channel has a fascinating history of flooding and drying up independently of good rainy seasons and flood levels elsewhere - a mystery that has intrigued geologists and other researchers for many years. The channel dried up in 1885 and started flowing again in 1967 until the end of 1982. Since 1982, the channel has been dry.

The dead Camelthorn (acacia erioloba) trees on the marsh have became one of the most prominent features of the landscape and are the result of drowning. This is closely related to the flooding and drying up of the Savute Channel. The Magwikhwe sand ridge is 100km long and 20 metres high and is situated on the western edge of Savute. This ridge is the ancient shoreline of a super-lake that covered much of northern Botswana. It is difficult to imagine that this dry landscape was once covered by a huge lake. Watching the sunset on the eastern part of the marsh is an experience remembered by travellers for many years.

Best time to visit Savute will be dependant on your interests. During the months of November and December thousands of zebras migrate from the Linyanti in the north and move south through Savute to the grasslands of the Mababe Depression. In early part of the year the herds congregate once again before heading northwards again. From May to October the seasonal water dry up and the wildlife can be found around three artificial waterholes. September and October offers excellent game viewing as predators are concentrated around the waterholes but it can be extremely hot during this time.