One of most exiting ways to explore the depths of Botswana’s Okavango Delta is to travel in a Mokoro.

Mokoro is a dug out canoe traditionally made from a single tree trunk.

The canoes are propelled through the relatively shallow channels that cut through the dense reed beds of the Delta by skilled guides who use a long pole to gently and silently thrust the craft across the crystal clear water.

This gives tourists fantastic bird watching opportunities and a sense of wilderness.

Some companies offer half or full day trips from luxurious lodges while others encourage overnight trips, visitors camping out on islands in the Delta.

Mokoro trips are also offered in the Caprivi region of Namibia and in the Bangweulu Swamps in Zambia, a birding hotspot.