One corner of the Mopane Tongue's triangular peninsula juts towards the centre of Moremi, and at the end of the tip is Xakanaxa Lagoon. Beyond it, on three sides, is the Delta's maze of channels, floodplains, lagoons and islands. A few of the larger, closer islands are accessible via simple pole bridges – like Goaxhlo and the large Mboma Island. Beyond this, Moremi becomes inaccessible without a boat: that's the realm of the small, fly-in safari camps.

The patchwork of environments found here is typical of the inner reaches of the Delta. It's also phenomenally beautiful, and one of the most reliably good areas for wildlife on the subcontinent. Expect phenomenal densities of game and birdlife here and, as it's been protected for years, the animals are generally very relaxed.

For the self-driving visitor, the game and scenery here is as good as it gets in Botswana – don't miss this area.

Orientation

The main route from North Gate to Xakanaka roughly follows the northern edge of the Mopane Tongue. Similarly, the main road from South Gate to Third Bridge roughly follows the southern edge of the Tongue. This sections covers the area around and between Xakanaka and Third Bridge.

In Veronica Roodt's map of Moremi (see Further Reading) there are some detailed insets of the road layouts around this area, so make sure that you buy a copy of this before you get here. You'll also find plenty of useful references and background information on the reverse of the map.

Flora and fauna highlights

Picking out the 'wildlife highlights' for an area like this, and trying to point out what's special here, is virtually impossible. There's usually something special around every corner. It's not that you'll see different things here than you will elsewhere in Moremi, or even Botswana, it's just that you'll see them all in a very small area here.