Travel Guide Ng/31

The NG/31 concession, named Chitabe Concession, is located about 50 km from Maun. It is a sort of outpost within the Moremi Reserve, on the southeastern edge of the reserve. Two rivers irrigate this area, the Santantadibe and the Gomoti, feeding large areas of permanent water to the north and northwest of the concession. The flood flow reaches here in June, sometimes in August, but the central and southern areas are essentially non-floodable land. Dried up since 1984, the Gomoti River returned to its normal course in 1999 and is again feeding the floods. Thus, water is relatively present on this concession and lagoon or riverside vegetation is widespread. One finds hippo grass, reeds, rushes, sausage trees, African ebony trees. But the higher and drier lands are covered with all varieties of acacias and some baobabs. In the south, the clay soils are suitable for mopane forests. There is no preferred season to visit this concession, because of the permanent presence of water. The only variation is that the wildlife is denser during the dry season, from April to October, and the birding is richer from November to March, during the rainy season. Three lodges 12 km apart share this concession and its single airstrip. To the south, the two Chitabe lodges are owned by Flamingo Investment, but the commercial activity is handled by Wilderness Safaris. To the north, Sandibe is owned by &Beyond.