Experience the Okavango Delta from the water
Camp Okavango offers a very different interpretation of a Botswana safari.
Located on remote Nxaragha Island in the heart of the permanent Okavango Delta, this is a water-based camp. There are no vehicle game drives.
Instead, exploration takes place by mokoro, motorboat and on foot across neighbouring islands.
That distinction is important. Camp Okavango isn’t simply another safari lodge with some boating available – the waterways are fundamental to the entire experience.
The camp
Camp Okavango was rebuilt with an open, elevated design intended to sit lightly within its island environment.
Raised walkways connect two lounge areas, the dining room, library and self-service bar. Lower decks contain open-air fire pits overlooking the Delta, while a separate deck houses the swimming pool and thatched lounge.
The result is a camp that continually draws attention back towards the water and vegetation surrounding it.
With a maximum of only 24 guests, it remains intimate.
Accommodation
There are 11 safari suites plus a two-bedroom family suite.
Each suite stands on its own raised wooden platform beneath the island’s vegetation and opens onto a private viewing deck.
En-suite bathrooms include double vanities, double showers and a separate WC.
The suites have fans rather than air-conditioning and are equipped with charging points, tea and coffee facilities, a safe and other practical amenities.
Wi-Fi is available in the rooms via satellite, although connectivity in such a remote location should not be expected to behave like a city hotel.
Mokoro safaris
Few experiences are more closely associated with the Okavango than travelling by mokoro.
These traditional-style dugout canoes are used to explore the Delta’s shallower channels and floodplains, moving quietly between reeds and aquatic vegetation.
Without the engine noise or elevated position of a safari vehicle, the perspective changes completely. Smaller details become part of the experience: birds, tracks, plants, frogs and the subtle signs of wildlife moving through the wetlands.
Boating and walking
Motorised boats allow guests to travel farther through deeper channels and lagoons, complementing the more intimate mokoro experience.
Guided bush walks take place on surrounding islands in small groups. Accompanied by experienced guides, guests can learn about tracking, plants, ecology and the land-based species inhabiting the Delta.
Seasonal fishing for species including bream is also available, while scenic helicopter flights can be arranged at additional cost.
Sleep beneath the Delta sky
Guests staying three nights or longer can currently experience Camp Okavango’s sleep-out deck.
Set away from the main camp, the open platform provides a proper bed beneath mosquito netting, bathroom facilities and the opportunity to spend a night beneath the Botswana sky.
It is a simple idea, but in a landscape this remote the absence of walls becomes the experience.
An important distinction
Camp Okavango does not offer game drives.
For many guests, that is precisely its appeal.
For travellers who want classic 4×4 wildlife viewing as well, we would normally suggest combining Camp Okavango with a complementary land-based property elsewhere in Botswana.
This creates a much richer itinerary than simply repeating similar game-drive experiences at several lodges.
Families
Children from six years old are accepted and a two-bedroom family suite is available.
Certain walking and water activities can be subject to age and safety considerations, so families should discuss their itinerary with us before booking.
Highlights
- Remote island setting in the Okavango Delta
- Dedicated water-based safari experience
- Traditional mokoro excursions
- Motorised boat safaris
- Guided island bush walks
- Seasonal fishing
- Optional scenic helicopter flights
- Sleep-out deck for stays of three nights or more
- 11 suites plus a two-bedroom family suite
- Private viewing decks
- Swimming pool overlooking the Delta
- Maximum of 24 guests
Why we like it
There are no game-drive vehicles chasing sightings here. Instead, you slow down and enter the Delta on its own terms – through channels by mokoro, across open water by boat and on foot across its islands.
Pair it with a strong land-based safari camp and you begin to understand why Botswana works so well as a multi-camp journey.
Speak to Private Hideaway Escapes about combining Camp Okavango with the right land-based safari for a complete Botswana experience.
