Welcome to Safaris for Africa online: Botswana

The Okavango Delta in Botswana must be Africa's most amazing wildlife sanctuary. This remarkable area is a wetland paradise located within the dry arid Kalahari desert. It rose between the shallow fault lines at the end of the Great Rift Valley and annual rainfall is low. Every year, floodwater flow into the Okavango from its source - the central African Highlands, more than 1 000km away -flows into the catchment area of the Okavango and further into the Kalahari.

All the major habitats and ecosystems are preserved and in the heartland of the Okavango, is located The Moremi Game Reserve. Around the reserve are large private concessions leased to safari companies - where the very best safari experiences are offered. Activities offered by the safari camps in this beautiful area are game drives in open safari vehicles as well as game walks, boating and canoeing excursions on the waterways of the Okavango Delta.

XIGERA CAMP (OKAVANGO & MOREMI)
This is a waterland paradise situated within the Okavango , in the Moremi Game Reserve. With water year round, it overlooks a floodplain and waterhole. There are eight furnished rooms with en suite bathrooms, shower, flush toilets and an outside shower. Raised walkways connect the rooms with the dining area and plunge pool. There is excellent birding, featuring Pel's fishing Owl, Wattled Crane, eagle, Raptors and Vultures. An abundunce of good game to be found, including Red Lechwe, Sitatunga Antelope, Lion, Hyena and leopard. Guests can also sleep out on an island on the Xigera mokoro trail. Activties are game drives, bird watching, guided foot safaris, canoeing (by mokoro ) swimming pool.

THE XIGERA MOKORO TRAIL (OKAVANGO & MOREMI)
The best way to experience the Okavango is to travel by mokoro ( canoe), walk, and camp out on its remote islands. Xigera is located in the heart of the Okavango Delta and the trail starts soon after you land at the airstrip and meet with you guide. After a short drive to the starting point and safety talk, board the mokoros (canoes) and set off into the wilderness. The safari is always accompanied by a senior guide and the trips run every three days from mid May to end October, thus fitting in with fluctuating water levels due to the annual flood. Stops are made along the way during the day to walk and explore. The tents are specially designed with the tops made out of netting creating a feeling of sleeping under the stars. However, it is safe and secure whilst you are tucked up for the night in comfortable bedrolls. The mokoros carry the camping equipment, drinks and food, as well as the guests and their personal luggage - making the safari totally self contained and able to operate at its own pace and needs. Bathroom facilities are bucket showers and "long drop " toilets.

XAKANAXA CAMP MOREMI RESERVE
Located in the heart of the Moremi Game Reserve rated as being of the finest game viewing areas in Africa. Xakanaxa Camp has an excellent location. Game drives are along winding tracks, through mopane forests, across lush grasslands and savannah.
Waterways are forded by vehicles or crossed by rustic log bridges. Camp faces over the Xakanaxa lagoon, on which boating and canoeing trips are offered. Camp comprises of nine tents, tastefully furnished with twin or double beds and en suite facilities. All tents are located on the edge of the lagoon with private viewing decks and comfortable loungers overlooking the reed fringes. The dining room, lounge and bar area fire deck and swimming pool are all slightly raised on wooden platforms with wonderful views over the lagoon. A new addition to Camp is Pandanis Camp.
Game drives is by open safari vehicles.

PANDANIS CAMP MOREMI RESERVE
A seperate camp. Located next to Xakanaxa Main Camp . consisting of just four furnished en suite tents in the same style as main camp (Xakanaxa). This separate camp is ideal for families or private safari groups. Pandanis camp has it's own separate kitchen, viewing deck, dining room and lounge-bar area. All raised on wooden decks. Game viewing is by open safari vehicles, and boating and canoeing on the Xakanaxa lagoon also forms part of the activities offered from camp.

CAMP MOREMI MOREMI RESERVE
Located on the eastern side of the Okavango Delta, within the Moremi Game Reserve, on the edge of the Xakanaxa lagoon shaded by giant ebony trees is Camp Moremi, consisting of eleven twin East African style tents with en suite bathroom facilities.
Each tent is individually situated and raised on teak platforms. Facilities include a swimming pool and game viewing platform as well as a tree house, where al fresco dinners are enjoyed. Game viewing activities offered are game drives in open safari
Vehicles as well as boat cruises on the lagoon.

KHWAI RIVER LODGE (KHWAI RIVER AREA - MOREMI RESERVE)
Located on the banks of the Khwai river in the Moremi reserve, the lodge offers guests an extraordinary African experience. The lodge offers accommodation in luxurious en suite chalets with private wooden decks with views over the flood plain where hippo, elephant and vast varieties of birds can be viewed. Game activities offered are game drives, night drives and guided walks.

VUMBURA OKAVANGO DELTA
This camp has excellent game viewing all year round and offers both water and land activities. Location has scenic waterways and is also near the Okavango's outermost dry savannahs. Guests can view both wetland and savannah species of wildlife - Red Lechwe, Waterbuck, Hippos, Crocodiles, while Sable, Kudu, Wildebeest and Tsessebe roam the open plains. Herds of Buffalo and Cheetah can be seen. Guests can also expect to see a number of birds. Vumbura accommodation consist of large tented rooms, each with hot and cold running water, flush toilet and indoor and outdoor shower - providing comfort in remote Africa. The main dining room, lounge and bar area is bucket beneath a canopy of indigenous trees with a spectacular view of the floodplains. There are eight guest rooms including a family room. Activities are game drives, night drives, bird watching, guided walks, canoeing, fishing and a swimming pool.

LITTLE VUMBURA OKAVANGO DELTA
Little Vumbura accommodates ten guests on a wonderful island in the same region as its sister camp - Vumbura. Accommodation in five guest rooms, with en suite shower and toilet facilities, under the canopy of an ancient Okavango forest. Camp has a stronger emphasis on water activities than Vumbura, as it is surrounded by water, and closer to the permanent waters of the big fast-flowing rivers. The game viewing is consistently good all year. The camp is part of a community participation plan - bringing the communities around the Okavango Delta into the tourism mainstream.

EAGLE ISLAND CAMP OKAVANGO DELTA
This luxurious camp is the perfect base from which to explore the Okavango delta.
The camp forms part of the Orient Express selection of camps and accommodation is luxurious. Located on the island of Xaxaba, surrounded by Ilala palms, overlooking a tranquil lagoon. Built into its environment each en suite room has its own private deck. Game viewing is by mokoro (canoe) motorised boat and at sunset, enjoy a cruise on a fourteen seater boat - game walks are also offered. Game viewing opportunities are excellent in this area of the Okavango Delta.

STANLEYS CAMP OKAVANGO DELTA ( hot air ballooning\ elephant activity)
This Luxury camp is located in a 260 000 acre private concession, affording guests absolute exclusivity. Eight classic styled safari tents with handcrafted beds dressed with finest linen, antique furniture and oriental carpets creates a wonderful atmosphere. Camp offers some of the best game viewing in the Okavango, including an abundance of buffalo, giraffe, leopard , cheetah and wild dog. The main feature at Stanleys Camp is an interactive experience with a herd of semi habituated elephant.
Other activities include boating and canoeing, walking and game drives, as well as night drives. Hot Air Ballooning safaris are also offered from this camp.

BAINES CAMP OKAVANGO DELTA (hot air ballooning \ elephant activity)
Set among shady trees and the water of the Okavango Delta, featuring only five luxurious suites on elevated platforms in the tree line. Wooden decks offer expansive views of the Boro River and a lagoon teaming with life. Elevated suites offer a spacious bedroom with softly draped fabrics and fully mobile four poster beds allowing guests to slumber under the sky. Private decks allow for stargazing. The main area features a deck for outdoor dining and view over the lagoon.
Activities on this private concession adjacent to the Moremi reserve are by Mokoro (canoe), silent motor boats, and walking. Two very special activities on offer are the elephant interactive walks as well as hot-air ballooning over the Okavango Delta.

CAMP OKAVANGO OKAVANGO DELTA
Camp is located on a remote island in the heart of the permanent Okavango Delta.
This assures a year- round water wilderness experience. Camp Okavango accommodates only twenty two guests in eleven elegant twin en suite East African style safari tents, all individually situated - on raised teak platforms. For the ultimate luxury, guests can be accommodated, in the Okavango Suite, a stylishly thatched bungalow which affords private dining and activities. Year- round canoeing (mokoro trails), boating, fishing and walking activities are offered.

KWANDO KWARA CAMP OKAVANGO DELTA
Located on a private concession in the northern part of the Okavango Delta.
This is a magnificent wilderness area of 1 700 sq kilometres, bordering the Moremi reserve. Camp fronts a huge floodplain adjacent to the permanent water of the Delta, and at the back - extensive bush. Kwara encompasses a wide variety of habitats from the clear waters of the delta with its reed lined lagoons and channels, to open grassland , mopane woodlands and palm fringed islands. Accommodation is in eight twin en suite luxurious safari style tents raised on decks, within a grove of massive African Ebony trees. Resident hippos are generally seen year round from the open flood plain in front of the camp. Each tent has its own viewing deck, private en-suite facilities - with flush toilets and showers. Activities are mokoro trails (canoeing) walking, boating and game drives in open safari vehicles.

XUGANA ISLAND LODGE OKAVANGO DELTA
Possibly the best located permanent water camp in the Okavango Delta, Xugana Island Lodge accommodates just sixteen guests in twin en suite chalets on the edge of the Xugana Lagoon. All chalets have private decks with views of the lagoon.
Facilities include a pool located in lush gardens and a unique floating deck for al fresco meals on the lagoon. Activities include canoeing (mokoro trails), motor boat game viewing, walking and fishing. Camp has been refurbished during November 2004.

MOMBO CAMP MOREMI GAME RESERVE
Mombo Camp - hidden, and situated off the north-western tip of Chiefs Island, has enormous tented rooms raised off the ground with breathtaking views over the plains. Bathrooms are en suite and include indoor and outdoor showers. The main living area is under thatch and the camp has a boma for wonderful dinners under the stars.
Large concentrations of wildlife occur in front of the camp and guests may view a variety of open 4x4 vehicles explore the savannah and the floodplains where wildlife and birds abound. Experienced guides accompany guests, ensuring that early morning and late afternoon excursions are interesting and educational. Elephant, Lion, Leopard and Cheetah and all other major predators are common in the area.
Accommodation is in eight luxury guest rooms. Activities are game drives, bird watching, swimming pool, hides, night drives.

LITTLE MOMBO MOREMI GAME RESERVE
Little Mombo camp shares the same island as the main camp described above. It has only three rooms, but can be enlarged for bigger groups by booking out some of the rooms from the main camp. Little Mombo has it's own dining room, kitchen, lounge and swimming pool and offers the same experience and standards as main camp. Activities are game drives, bird watching, swimming pool, hides, night drives.

CHIEFS CAMP MOREMI GAME RESERVE
Located on Chiefs Island on the exclusive Mombo concession of the Moremi Reserve, a predators paradise, with lion, wild dog, cheetah and leopard abounding. This area of Botswana offers the Big Five. Accommodation consist of twelve secluded, luxurious bush pavilions designed for privacy and utmost comfort. Each room has private bathroom facilities and private game viewing deck. Activities are game drives in open safari vehicles accompanied by professional guides. Seasonal mokoro (canoe) trips are also offered, water levels permitting.

KWETSANI CAMP OKAVANGO DELTA
Kwetsani Island is surrounded by enormous open plains and is heavily wooded with palm, mangosteen and fig trees. It is a small, intimate, ten bedded (five guest roomed) luxury camp raised on wooden decks above the lush vegetation. Five Lavish "tree-house" chalets, each with its own en-suite bathroom, provide guests with open, airy accommodation. The dining room, lounge and bar area is situated under a cool thatch. Kwetsani offers excellent land and water activities, dependent on the water levels from annual floods. Game viewing is by mokoro (canoe) , or by exploring The island by foot. Game drives allow guests to experience diverse game viewing, including Lion, Leopard, Cheetah,. Zebra, Tsessebe and Lechwe. Aardwold,
Serval, Genet, and Bush Baby can be observed on night drives.

JAO CAMP OKAVANGO DELTA
Jao is located in a private reserve bordering on the Moremi Game Reserve, and offers both water and land activities - depending on the fluctuating water levels of the Okavango. This area ranges from waterways and lagoons to dry Kalahari grasslands. The camp has nine beautiful rooms - featured in Architectural Digest in March 2002 - and is entirely raised on wooden decks, with lush palms below and beneath a canopy of indigenous trees. Each room has en suite facilities and a "sala" for afternoon naps. The main dining , lounge and pub area is under cool thatch beneath the tree canopy. Camp has a boma for dining under the stars. Jao offers guests many activities, mokoros (canoeing) boating. Game walks, game drives and night drives - are usually on offer all year round. Lion, Cheetah, leopard, Wildebeest are but a few species to be seen. There are nine guest rooms, including a family room, a swimming pool and massage is offered.

CHITABE CAMP OKAVANGO DELTA
Chitabe has all the Okavango scenery with waterways, marshlands, dry acacia, mopane woodland, riverine areas, open grasslands and seasonally flooded plains.
A variety of wildlife can be viewed at this camp, including Elephant, Buffalo, Lion, Lepoard, Cheetah, Wild-dog and many more. Night drives provide opportunist for guests to view Civet, Serval, Genet, Pangolin and Aardwolf. Chitabe is built in amongst trees and offers accommodation in eight luxurious twin bedded en suite tents on raised platforms. An additional outdoor shower can be found under the stars. The dining room, bar and lounge area are linked by raised waterways, and the raised decks provide superb views across the floodplains. Activities are game drives, night drives, bird watching, guided walks, hides and swimming pool.

CHITABE TRAILS CAMP OKAVANGO DELTA
Chitabe Trails Camp, located on the same island as Chitabe Camp, accommodates ten guests in five luxurious roomy tents with en suite bathroom facilities. The only difference - these tents are not raised off the ground. Camp is ideal for parties looking for their own private safari camp, and for those who appreciate smaller camps. Chitabe Trails is exclusively a game viewing camp - no water activities are offered. Trips are taken into the field during mornings and afternoons to view wildlife and nocturnal animals viewed on night drives. O f the five rooms, one is a family room. Activities are game drives, night drives, bird watching, guided walks, hides, swimming pool.

CHITABE WALKING TRAILS OKAVANGO DELTA
A walking safari is regarded as one of the finest ways to experience the African wilderness. Chitabe Walking Trail is located in one of the Okavangos best areas for this activity. For those wanting to be close to nature, a one or two night walking trail
Experiece is offered - to really feel, smell and touch Africa. Guests are accompanied by an armed guide wakling through the different habitats of the Okavango Delta. Nights are spent sleeping out at two hides located at different parts of the Chitabe Reserve. At night, the silence, punctuated by nocturnal sounds, the roaring of lions and calls of hyenas is as if magic and is one of the highlights of an African safari.
Hides and decks accommodate guests on elevated platforms with each person sleeping under a mosquito net. Chemical toilets and hot bucket showers are provided. Simple, delicious, home cooked meals are prepared on the open campfire, and are enjoyed under the stars.

DUBA PLAINS OKAVANGO DELTA
This is one of the Delta's most remote camps. Small and intimate, accommodation twelve guests in six guest rooms, ensuring a highly personalised experience. A variety of activities include game drives, night drives, walks and in time of good floods, canoeing excursions - floods are usually between May - September. The wildlife is spectacular. Large herds of Buffalo and Elephant feed on the islands.
Hippo concentrate in the deeper channels and Leopard are found on the forested islands. Duba Plains is known for its classic Lion versus Buffalo encounters currently being documented by National Geographic. Duba also boasts impressive birdlife.
Accommodation consist of six large tents with en suite bathroom, and additional outside shower. All tents are raised, as are the dining room and bar, located under large riverine trees. Activities are game drives, night drives, bird watching and swimming pool.

SANDIBE SAFARI LODGE OKAVANGO DELTA
Located alongside the Santantadibe River, one of the main branches of the Okavango delta. Accommodation in eight twin en suite terracotta cottages facing the river, each with private verandah and an additional outdoor shower. The main guest area is a soaring structure with a plunge pool and boma nearby. Activities include day and night game drives in open safari vehicles, mokoro trails, boating and game walks.

NXABEGA OKAVANGO SAFRI CAMP OKAVANGO DELTA
Camp is located in the permanent Okavango Delta. Accommodation is offered in ten spacious en suite safari tents and is linked by a path through the natural bush. Guest areas are spacious and stylish with an elegant lounge, well stocked bar and long candle - lit dining table. Activities offered include game drives in open safari vehicles, mokoro trips (canoeing) motor boat excursions and guided walks.

GUDIGWA CAMP OKAVANGO
Camp provides guests the opportunity to experience the cultural richness of Botswana and the Bukakhwe San people who are indigenous to the Kalahari. The camp is a hundred percent community owned eco-cultural tourism venture developed in partnership with Wilderness safaris, Conservation Internationals and the Bukakhwe Cultural Conservation trust. Gudigwa camp highlights the intimate connection between the Bukakhwe peoples cultural heritage and the natural environment.
Guests partake4 in walks, revealing the secrets of the bush and learn about medicinal uses of plants, discover where to find underground water and learn how to survive off nature's abundant resources. Accommodation is in large. Cozy grass huts with comfortable beds and solar lighting, each with its own open air flush toilet and hot bucket shower. This is a great one night stay and adds a cultural aspect to a Botswana game viewing safari itinerary. Activities - cultural learning and guided bush walks.

JACANA CAMP OKAVANGO DELTA
This is a true water camp offering mokoro (canoe) and walking safaris all year round. As the floodwaters recede towards the end of the year, day and night drives in open Land Rovers are possible. Guests can expect to see Elephant , Lion, Leopard and Buffalo. Bird enthusiast can spot Pel's Fishing Owl, Slaty Egret and Wattled Crane . Accommodation is meru- style with each tent raised on a wooden deck with private bathroom. The main dining area is on elevated wooden deck between two sycamore trees, with wonderful views over the Okavango. A bar, lounge and open fire are situated under the stars, making this camp best situated for gests who want exclusivity. The camp is blocked off for groups of six or more with no surcharge.
Camp offers five twin guest rooms, game drives in summer months (dependent on water levels) bird watching, guided walks, boating (dependent on water levels) Canoeing and fishing.

KAPAROTA CAMP OKAVANGO DELTA
Located on a tranquil island covered with huge sausage trees. Camp offers land and water-based activities. Guests can elect to go on game drives, on guided walks, or on mokoro (canoe) excursions on shallow floodplains or the deeper channels. Fishing is also offered. Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Wild Dog, Elephant and Red Lechwe are some of the game that may be viewed. Birdlife in the area is abundant. Meru-style tents with en-suite bathrooms are raised on decks and provide guests with wonderful views over the surrounding islands and floodplains. The thatched dining and bar area is connected to the opposite island by a walkway bridge and is raised on a wooden deck overlooking the channel. Lantern-lit dinners are served under the tree canopy.
(Note- this camp is only available for guests travelling on a 'Jacana Safari", or groups wanting to book the entire camp.)
Camp offers five twin guest rooms, game drives. Night drives, bird watching, guided walks, fishing and canoeing (water levels permitting)

POM POM CAMP OKAVANGO DELTA
Located to the west of the Moremi Game Reserve, is ideal for the traditional safari.
Camp is built in the style of safari camps of old and offers guests large walk-in tents all with en suite showers flush toilets and 220v lighting. The camp overlooks a scenic lagoon and is built under mangosteen trees. A variety of activities are offered, including game drives, night drives, canoeing and walks. All the big game can be encountered here and birdlife is abundant. Six en suite guest rooms are offered, including one family room. Activities offered are game drives, night drives, bird watching, guided walks, boating and canoeing, fishing. Canoeing will denpend on the water levels.

TUBU TREE CAMP OKAVANGO DELTA
This is a small camp, located on the Jao reserve in the Okavango Delta. Built on the western side of an island called Hubda, the camp has diverse habitats, ranging from riverine forest on the edge of permanent waterways. It is built in a traditional style with tents on raised wooden platforms, allowing great views over the floodplains.
Each tent has en-suite bathroom facilities and private outdoor showers with front decks. The main dining lounge areas are also on raised platforms and the outdoor bar area is built under the canopy of a large marula tree. The diverse habitats that make up Tubu Tree Camp ensures interesting game viewing and spectacular birding.
Big game to be seen are Elephant and lion, whilst on the floodplains a variety of plains game such as Kudu and Imapala amongst many are found.
Accommodation in five twin en suite guest rooms. Activities offered are game drives, night drives, bird- watching ,guided walks, swimming pool and canoeing - water levels permitting.

ABUS CAMP OKAVANGO DELTA (SAFARIS ON ELEPHANT BACK)
The camp is concealed in a riverine forest , consisting of five custom built , stylishly
Furnished tents with en suite bathrooms. The private tree - shaded deck with hammocks overlooks a lagoon frequented by a myriad of bird species and animals.
Facilities include a raised dining room \ bar area with deck and curio shop. An expert chef offers a variety of mouth- watering bush cuisine. (Please refer to "ON ELEPAHNT BACK" for full description of the Elephant Back Safari)