Kwando Safaris Activities – Botswana

Early Morning
After an early morning wake-up call, gather around the fireplace for a quick meal.

Sunrise
Piping hot tea and coffee, as well as a bowl of sumptuous porridge and freshly baked muffins are on offer before you head out. An early morning departure really increases the chances of unusual sightings, as the majority of mammals are active at the beginning and end of the day when temperatures are lower.

Noon
After your morning activity, return back to camp for brunch and to share your sightings with your camp manager and other guests around the table. Afterwards, you have the opportunity to take a siesta; or cool off in the pool or simply relax and enjoy your surroundings.

Tea Time
Rendezvous again at the main area for tea and snacks before heading out on your afternoon activity.

Sunset
As the sun casts its last rays over the horizon, it’s time for a classic safari tradition – sundowners. Stop at a scenic spot to marvel at the beauty of nature and return back to camp after, or continue on your night drive.

Evening
Back in camp, grab a drink by the fire before dinner. Dinner is a 3 course affair with the main course being a buffet.

Night
You have the option to retire to bed after dinner or linger a little longer by the fire under the stars.

Game Drives

Our custom game vehicles comfortably seat maximum of 6 guests in three rows of three seats at all our properties. At Kwara, we take no more than 4 guests at a time in the same 9-seater vehicle. Guests are guided by a two person team, enabling the guide to communicate points of interest while the tracker ensures no sightings or tracks are missed.
Night drives are a Kwando Safaris speciality. Beginning in the late afternoon as the sun sets, the African day is transformed into a soft colourful evening canvas; unexpectedly revealing the creatures of the night!

Nature Walks

While game vehicles traverse much greater distances, nature walks inspire, humble and afford a remarkable appreciation of Africa’s natural environment. Your eyes will be opened up to a world of smaller plants, insects and tracks easily missed while in a vehicle.
Game walks are not hikes, and are meant to be comfortable strolls providing you with a chance to experience the wilderness in all it’s beauty. Walks can be combined with game drives or mokoro trips and the length of walk can be adjusted to suit your personal desires or level of fitness.

Fishing

The Okavango and Kwando Rivers are both renowned as an excellent destination for fly fishing and traditional spin fishing.
Species targeted by sports fisherman are several species of tilapia (including the olive bream or nembwe, red breasted tilapia, purple faced largemouth and three spot tilapia), the sharp tooth catfish, African pike and the mighty Tiger fish.
Unfortunately fishing is not possible during the months of January and February due to government regulations.

Boat Cruises

Available at Lagoon, and the Kwara Reserve camps, the boat experience is soothing and relaxing as you drift along the river. Watch elephants bathe, gaze at a multitude of spectacular birds species or hear the snort of a territorial hippo! Double-decker boats are used to provide a better vantage point and offer a wonderful position to enjoy the waterways and their varied inhabitants.

Mokoro

This traditional dug out canoe is surely the experience definitive of the Okavango Delta. The complete stillness of an early morning in the Delta is truly a sublime experience. Glide through its varied and unique waterways and floodplains in this traditional mode of transport.

Private Vehicles

Move to the beat of your own drum… Should you wish to go out on a full day drive, long walks or simply want to benefit from the 1 on 1 interaction and knowledge of your guide, you may choose to book a private vehicle for your stay, and perhaps one of our seasoned private guides.

Kwando Camps

Fact Sheet

Overlooking the legendary Chief’s Island and bordering the Moremi Game Reserve, Gunn’s Camp is one of the last few remaining luxury, vintage safari camps. Set under leafy palms and African Ebony trees,to blend naturally with its unique surroundings, eco-friendly Gunn’s Camp achieves a fine balance of comfort without isolating guests from the sights and sounds of the wilderness.

The Camp

Set on raised platforms overlooking the delta plains, Gunn’s Camp consists of six, fully furnished, deluxe Meru tents with en-suite bathrooms featuring stand-alone baths and outside private showers. All our tents are furnished with an eclectic mixture of solid wood and African furniture, with a lounge area and a private veranda.

The accommodation area is connected to the main camp via raised wooden walkways crossing the wetlands and magically lit by fairy-like lanterns. All our guests can enjoy the elevated bar, lounge and dining room, our campfire boma and the sparkling pool.

The top deck boasts a large bar with magnificent views overlooking Chief’s Island and the dining deck is on two separate levels.

Activities

At Gunn’s Camp, set along the papyrus-clad banks of the Okavango Delta, one becomes part of the bustling river life. Explore the wilderness with our game drives, guided bush walks, or sit back and absorb the scenery from a traditional ‘mokoro’ canoe. Another great way to explore the crystal clear channels of the Boro River is by motor-boat. Watch the sun set whilst drifting along a lagoon and sipping sundowners. For the adventurous, we also offer a rustic island camping experience. Game drives will be available only when water levels are low. There will be no game drives when water levels are high as areas of the concession become inaccessible. Mokoros, boat cruises & fishing are also water level dependent.

The Camp Map

Fact Sheet

Overlooking a secluded lagoon in the northern Okavango Delta, Kwara offers the ultimate Delta experience. Its location allows access to the permanent waterways of the Delta as well as expansive dry land areas, admired for their quality game viewing.

Kwara offers, within the exclusive concession in which it is located, a wide variety of activities. In addition to game drives, both day and night, the camp offers mokoro trips, as well as fishing (spinning equipment is provided but fly fisherman need to bring their own equipment). Boat trips are on a double-decker boat that visits the Godikwe Lagoon in the waters of the Moremi Game Reserve, which is known for the abundant varieties of birdlife especially during nesting season.

Kwara is known for its consistent sightings of predators, including lion, cheetah, leopard and on rare occasion – white rhino! Herds of elephants also frequent the area, as well as giraffe, zebra, sitatunga, lechwe, impala and hippos.

(Please note fishing is only offered in the open season March-December).

We are pleased to announce that Kwara camp has reopened after an extensive rebuild, on 1st September 2019.

The Camp

Kwara sits on the beautiful lagoon of the original site and is a larger and more luxurious camp than its predecessor.

The décor of Kwara pays homage to the authentic African style of Kwando Safaris and has 9 canvas tents. Each tent has a spacious deck overlooking the lagoon, an ensuite bathroom with both indoor and outdoor showers and a gorgeous bath – all of which have views out to the floodplains. There is a ceiling fan in the room and mosquito nets around the beds.

The main area of the camp, sits in the Centre of the camp, has a dining area, lounge and curio shop. Kwara also has 2 small pool areas at each end of the camp providing guests with more private lounge areas. Each poolside has a small bar and pool loungers for guests to enjoy the afternoon siesta period. There is one additional pilot/guide tent of a lesser standard than the other guest tents.

Like other Kwando properties, Kwara offers a digital detox experience (no Wi-Fi, no cell phone connectivity) allowing our guests to truly enjoy and embrace the natural setting of the camp. All activities will be accompanied by a guide and tracker. However, unlike other Kwando Safaris camps, all 9-seater vehicles take a maximum of 4 guests. We operate game drives (off-road and at night), walking safaris, mokoros, boat cruises, and seasonal fishing. The site is 15 minutes from the Kwara airstrip.

*The age limit for Kwara is a minimum of 18 years of age and there are no family rooms. (These are available at Splash).

*Kwara must be booked for a stay of minimum of 3 nights.

The Camp Map

The camp itself is comprised of nine custom designed tents, with unique mosquito net walls, allowing an unobstructed flow of cooling breezes and stunning views. Each spacious tent has its own viewing deck, bathroom and luxurious double outside showers.

There is also one family tent which consists of an additional twin bedroom within the unit itself, ensuring that parents and young children sleep in the same tent for their peace of mind.

The main areas of the camp include a small swimming pool, a communal fireplace and dining room, a curio shop, bar and lounge area complemented with a small library.

Outdoor private dinners can be organised by the poolside or by the fireplace for special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries and honeymoons.

The Camp Map

Fact Sheet

Lagoon is perched on the banks of the wild Kwando River, nestled beneath towering ebony and marula trees. The heavily forested site is home to a wide variety of birds and mammals, while elephant and hippo are normally visible from the camp. The stunning views and close proximity of wildlife all contribute to the pervading sense of calm at Lagoon.

Lagoon’s area in the Kwando Reserve has a well-earned reputation for big game and large herds of elephant and buffalo, especially in the winter months, when herds of up to a thousand are not uncommon. This vast concentration of game attracts the attention of large predators. The Lagoon wild dog pack regularly den close to the camp, providing excellent viewing opportunities.

Seasonally large herds of elephant drink at the river bank near to the camp in full view of the main deck, while pods of hippos are commonly seen languidly sunbathing in the water.

The Camp Map

Fact Sheet

Moremi Crossing is a 16 tent, eco friendly camp built on a palm fringed island surrounded by the Moremi’s game-rich seasonal floodplains and overlooking Chief’s Island. Moremi Crossing is a new style safari camp combining luxury with simplicity. This is a 100% eco-friendly development featuring the latest in solar and waste disposal technology.

The Camp

Accommodation consists of 16 en suite and spacious tents on raised decks, each with their own veranda overlooking Chief’s Island. Tents have their own eco-friendly outdoor shower heated by solar power. We have both a Family Tent sleeping four (2 adults and 2 children) and a Honeymoon Tent with an outdoor bath.

The main building consists of a large open plan deck that has a spectacular view over the Boro River onto Chief’s Island. This crescent-shaped area is built on different levels to give you the feeling of space. The dining room, bar and lounge are covered by a large, thatched roof that hugs the tree line. Various small private lounge areas have been created for comfort, privacy and spaciousness.

Activities

Become part of the bustling river life along the papyrus clad banks of the Okavango Delta. Explore the wilderness with our game drives, guided bush walks, or sit back and absorb the scenery from a traditional ‘mokoro’ canoe. Another great way to explore the crystal-clear channels of the Boro River is by motor boat. Watch the sun set while drifting along a lagoon and sipping on sundowners. For the adventurous, we also offer a rustic island camping experience. Game drives will be available only when water levels are low. There will be no game drives when water levels are high as areas of the concession become inaccessible. Mokoros, boat cruises & fishing are also water level dependent.

The Camp Map

Fact Sheet

Mma Dinare is set in a private 272 km2 concession, adjacent to Moremi Game reserve on the south-eastern side of the Delta. It overlooks the Gomoti River and its flood plains and the camp has been designed to embrace the natural surroundings. This is a 100% eco-friendly development, featuring the latest in solar and waste technology.

The Camp

Accommodation consists of nine stylish tents, including a family tent all of which overlook the Gomoti River. There is also one guide’s tent.

Both central areas have been built in keeping with our other properties – open, thatched spaces that allow guests to relax and enjoy the natural surroundings, whilst watching wildlife and birds from the comfort of an armchair or the bar. The swimming pool and curio shop at each camp complete the luxurious, relaxed feel for which Under One Botswana Sky safaris are known.

Activities

Day and night game drives take place in the private concession adjacent to Moremi Game Reserve. These are on and off road safaris, comprising six people, a guide and a tracker (at night). Mma Dinare also offers seasonal water activities on the Gomoti river and game walks available depending on local conditions. Mokoros are water level dependent.

The Camp Map

Fact Sheet

Nxai Pan is located on the western edge of the fossil pan from which the camp takes its name. The camp faces east over the open grasslands of the pans. The biggest draw to Nxai Pan National Park are the zebras that migrate by the thousands to the area – the second largest land animal migration in Southern Africa.

Day trips to Baines’ Baobabs are highly popular, and include a picnic lunch at the site. These age-old trees were immortalized in paintings by the artist and adventurer Thomas Baines in 1862. If you were to compare Baines’ paintings to the scene today, you would find that after 150 years, the trees are nearly identical – testament to the age of these magnificent giants.

Another classic activity at Nxai Pan is a walk with one of the San bushmen trackers, an informative walk that takes place within the camp’s footprint. Learn about how the San used to live nomadically: how they used to hunt, gather food, water sources, and which plants were used for medicinal purposes. Their wealth of true bush knowledge is unparalleled, and one of our guests’ favorite experiences at our desert camps.

The Camp

The camp’s nine tents face the waterhole, with the main area being the central best place for game viewing from the water hole. Frequent visitors to the water hole include elephants, cheetah, as well as the migratory herds of zebra (usually) from late December to early April, however this is entirely dependent on the summer rainfall in Botswana which affects the migratory cycle.

The minimalistic white-washed design of the camp is in keeping with the surrounding white salt pans. Nxai Pan accommodates a maximum of eighteen guests in thatched units specially designed to provide a constant and comfortable temperature throughout the year, when seasonal temperatures can fluctuate from below freezing to well over 45 degrees Celsius.

The main areas of the camp include an expansive open-air lounge and dining area, with a bar, pool and curio shop.

Nxai Pan is a 100% solar-operated camp.

The Camp Map

Fact Sheet

Known for its ‘soul’ and appeal to safari traditionalists, Pom Pom Camp is an eco-friendly camp located on Pom Pom Island in a private concession in the heart of the Okavango Delta and on the head waters of the Xudum river system. The area lies on the western boundary of the Moremi Game Reserve and not only offers superb Okavango scenery but also consistent game viewing all year round. Pom Pom is the real deal for those who live & breath Africa.

The Camp

Pom Pom Camp consists of nine luxury safari tents in true traditional safari style, furnished with en-suite, semi-open ablutions. The tents are uniquely positioned under the shade of the surrounding trees that overlook the Pom Pom lagoon. Our family safari tent, which is close to the main lodge, accommodates four (two adults and two children), with en-suite facilities.

The Camp is set in the tree line overlooking Pom Pom lagoon and each tent has stunning, private views. The camp also boasts a dining room, lounge, bar and swimming pool.

Morning and evening game drives with our qualified guides are an opportunity to view the ‘big game’ and night life that this breath-taking environment can offer. A mokoro trip is a fantastic way to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Okavango’s waterways and wildlife. Although seasonal, boating and fishing are possible at Pom Pom and our guides will be happy to take you to their secret spots to try for African pike and a variety of bream species. Mokoros, boat cruises & fishing are water level dependent.

The Camp Map

Fact Sheet

Rra Dinare is set in a private 272 km2 concession, adjacent to Moremi Game reserve on the south-eastern side of the Delta. It overlooks the Gomoti River and its flood plains and the camp has been designed to embrace the natural surroundings. This is a 100% eco-friendly development, featuring the latest in solar and waste technology.

Activities

Day and night game drives take place in the private concession adjacent to Moremi Game Reserve. These are on and off road safaris, comprising six people, a guide and a tracker (at night). Rra Dinare also offers seasonal water activities on the Gomoti river and game walks available depending on local conditions. Mokoros are water level dependent.

The Camp Map

Fact Sheet

Splash Camp is situated in the heart of the Okavango Delta, within the Private Kwara Reserve. This brand new camp will offer a very relaxed, friendly and authentic atmosphere.

The area has long been known as Splash due to the huge water crossings that had to be negotiated to access the camp area.

The Kwara Reserve shares a 30km water boundary with the famous Moremi Game Reserve and its unique location boasts both permanent water and seasonal flood plains as well as extensive dry bush wilderness. Favoured by labyrinths of permanent water channels and secret islands this area offers the perfect delta experience, and is considered to be amongst the best in Botswana for game viewing and activities.

The Camp

Located around a pan, each of the 12 rooms is situated on a deck overlooking the pan which attracts game year round. All are en-suite with a flush toilet, double sinks and both an indoor and an outdoor shower. In addition each room has a private veranda with outdoor lounge chairs, the perfect place to relax and take in the magnificent views and soak up the atmosphere.

The rooms and main area are simply and elegantly decorated with contemporary furniture, complementing the atmosphere of the camp.

The main area has a plunge pool, bar, and lounge as well as an orientation center and a curio shop.

Just in front, towards the pan is the fire pit where a light breakfast is served each day before heading off on activities, and stories are told after supper in the evenings.

Splash Enclave

The camp has a second satellite main area (within the camp layout itself) with plunge pool, dining area, lounge and bar. This will be can be booked, on request, for exclusive use for groups of 6-10 looking for a more intimate experience on safari. Such groups who have booked exclusive use of Splash Enclave will have no age restrictions, making the Enclave the perfect location for larger family bookings. Only groups may book Splash Enclave on a request-only basis. The rooms are identical to the Splash rooms, and are part of the 12 rooms in Splash camp itself.

The Camp Map

Fact Sheet

Tau Pan is the first semi-permanent camp inside the Central Kalahari Game Reserve and offers truly incredible views from the elevated ridge of an ancient sand dune, an unusual experience in a land as flat as Botswana and overlooks the famous Tau Pan – recognized for its stark beauty and remoteness.

Activities offered at Tau Pan are game drives, day trips to the well-known Deception Valley, Sunday, Piper and Passarge Pans, star gazing, and nature walks with Bushman trackers.

‘Tau’ which means lion in Setswana, is so named for the pride of iconic black-maned Kalahari lions who frequent the camp (with a particular preference for the family tent!).

Species that can be found in the Kalahari include oryx, the desert-adapted springbok, jackals, the rare brown hyena, red-crested Korhaan and herds of wildebeest.

The Camp

As with its sister camp, Nxai Pan, Tau Pan has been constructed with the area’s ecologies in mind. Both utilise only solar power for the generation of electricity, heating of water and pumping of water from deep under the Kalahari sands. Waste water is treated in a state-of-the-art sewerage treatment plant and the fully treated water is returned to the sands from whence it came.

9 environmentally adapted en-suite tents including 1 family tent are set on raised decks, affording the same spectacular views over the plains. Each has an indoor and outdoor shower, double-basin vanity, open wardrobe, King-sized double bed, living area and writing desk.

The main area of the camp is set around the fireplace, which is the ideal spot for game viewing down to the waterhole. A telescope is also provided for guests’ use. The bar, lounge, curio shop and dining area all encircle the fireplace.

The camp also has a sleep-out deck, which is on the eastern side of the camp. In an area as remote and isolated in the Kalahari Desert, the light pollution is minimal to none, and consequently the stargazing is simply magnificent and unrivalled by most other locations on earth. Having an unobstructed view of the night sky to fall asleep under is a truly memorable experience. The elevated sleep-out deck consists of a double bed, and a basin and WC. This experience is available on a ‘first come first serve’ basis upon arrival in camp, however guests staying 3 nights or more in Tau Pan can reserve this pre-arrival with their agent.

The Camp Map

PHOTO CREDIT