Until very recently all self-drive visitors ever did here was drive on their own game drives, or perhaps take a boat trip for a few hours from one of the lodges. Recently more organised water activities have started to become available, which seem likely to become very popular in time.

By vehicle

There's a lot of exploring to do in this area which is veined by game-viewing loops and tracks. So take your time. Drive around slowly, and stop frequently. There are a number of specific areas that you might aim for, or just end up at:

Floodplain Roads
The network of tracks to the west of the main track between Xakanaxa and Third Bridge are probably the most rewarding in Moremi for game. Many are also very beautiful.

Goaxhlo Island and Pan
Also known as Dead Tree Island, you'll recognise it by the number of skeletal trees that surround the pan of open water. Like those at Savuti, these were killed by drowning – when the channels changed and inundated the area. Most are mopane trees, and because of their resistance to termites, and semi-submerged state, they're decomposing very, very slowly indeed.

This is quite an eerie sight, and photographers will find plenty to inspire them, especially if there are any animals present. Keep a particular lookout for the graceful pink spoonbills which breed here.

Gcodikwe Lagoon
Gcodikwe Lagoon (GPS: GCODIK) is one of the Okavango's largest and most famous lagoons. This is a huge, ox-bow lagoon that's now almost circular and has several large tree-islands in it. It is only reachable by boat. Xakanaxa is 18km away, or about 90 minutes by boat. It is perhaps best visited from one of the lodges just outside of the park, the best being Kwara which is 6km northeast, Shinde, 11km northwest or Camp Okavango, 15km west – though you can double all these 'straight-line' distances to allow for meandering through the waterways.

These 'islands' are made up mainly of water fig trees and a little papyrus growing in shallow water. Over the millennia these have accumulated a mass of bird guano and detritus under them to raise their levels and grow. Now they're large, but still isolated from any predators that are not aquatic. Hence they've become a vital breeding ground for the Okavango's waterbirds. Thousands of pairs of birds come to this heronry to breed, including herons, egrets, storks, ibises, cormorants and many others.

Most of the nest-building activity starts around August, and breeding seems to be timed so that the chicks hatch around October and November, when water levels are low and thus the birds find fish easiest to catch. Certainly when I last visited in late February, there were only a few birds around.

Watch carefully and you'll see that the larger, more robust species like marabou and yellow-billed-storks tend to nest in the canopy of the trees, while the smaller, more vulnerable species can be found within the trees. Also keep an eye out for water snakes and Leguvaans, which both come here in search of chicks.

Dobetsaa Pans
Take a left in a southerly direction, perhaps a kilometre after crossing Fourth Bridge on the way to Third Bridge, and you'll find a short loop leading down past a few very scenic pans. Veronica Roodt comments that this is 'one of the few places in Moremi where the African skimmer can be seen'. But even without the skimmers it's a good birdwatching spot with some very open pans.

Mboma Island
West of Third Bridge is a large, long island, circled by a loop road which stretches for about 50km around it. There's a spur to this at the north end, and a short cut back to Third Bridge halfway round. It's worth spending a day here, as Mboma's environments are varied and beautiful, though different from the floodplain loops nearer to Xakanaxa. I've had great sightings of cheetah on the northern side of the island, and the south is said to be a popular haunt of buffalo herds.

By boat

If you're staying at the campsite then I'd strongly recommend that you take at least one trip onto the lagoons and waterways by boat or mokoro. It's certainly worth the cost, unless you're due to be going to a camp with water activities later in your trip.

Until recently, you had to rely on the boats of the lodges around Xakanaxa – which was often not possible in the high season, when they were full. It required you to approach them politely, whilst there, and ask to hire a boat and driver for a few hours to explore the lagoons and channels, or to take a half-day trip out to Gadikwe Lagoon. Usually you had to enquire, and then set a time for the trip. Xakanaxa and Camp Okuti were the best chances for this; Camp Moremi, though friendly, is least likely to be able to help. Mokoro trips were not possible; the water of Xakanaxa Lagoon is far too deep.

However, the good news is that a new 'boat station' has been set up in Moremi, at the far northwest tip of Mboma Island. This is about an hour's drive (15km) from Third Bridge, or three hours (63km) from South Gate. The turn-off to this from the main loop road is at (GPS:MBOMAT), and the station is about 1.5km drive west of there. Remember that boat fuel is costly to buy and transport, and you're in a very remote location, so these trips aren't cheap.

For short trips a motorboat and driver can be hired in advance for about P250 per hour, which takes up to nine people. If you just turn up in hope, and there's a boat available, this reduces to P180. Alternatively mekoro trips are P90 per mokoro (seating two) per hour when reserved in advance, or P60 if you take your chances and turn up.

Longer trips are possible if pre-booked, and there are three islands nearby on which camping is now allowed: Gcodikwe 1, Gcodikwe 2, and Xhobega. These islands are in the area of the Gcodikwe and Xhobega lagoons, just northwest of Mboma Island. See above for a description of the Gcodikwe Lagoon with its heronries. To stay overnight here you will need your own camping equipment and food; only a boat and driver are supplied.

Costs for these longer trips are P1,000 per boat per day, and P350 per mokoro per day – plus, of course, your park fees for the game reserve and any camping fees. However, note that you cannot, yet, stay overnight on islands as part of a mokoro trip. The water is too deep to reach any of the the designated islands for camping. Instead your mokoro will explore the floodplains just off Mboma Island, on the southeastern side of the boat station, and return to the boat station each afternoon.

Note that vehicles can be left safely at the boat station. Contact Kgori Safaris in Maun, who run this boat station, for bookings and further details.