MOKOLWANE

Okavango Delta

Productive plains of the southern Okavango where documentaries have been filmed

Mokolwane Camp is a small, intimate safari camp tucked deep into the south-western Okavango Delta in Botswana, set within the vast, private Xudum (NG29) concession which spans around 200 000 hectares of largely untouched wilderness. Because it sits on the Matsebi river system amid floodplains, grasslands and riverine pockets, the setting is wild and dramatic — the landscape literally changes with the seasons, turning emerald and watery during peak flood and opening into sweeping grasslands around a waterhole in the dry months.

This remote location means there are no other camps nearby, so the feeling is of genuine isolation and immersion in true Okavango bush. Access is currently by helicopter only until they build an airstrip, and then by safari vehicle, underlining just how far off the beaten track the camp lies.

The camp’s style is relaxed and eco-minded rather than ultra-luxurious, blending seamlessly into the environment with structures raised on wooden decks beneath fig, jackalberry and ili-ala palms. There are just seven tented chalets, including one family tent, each perched on stilts about three metres above the ground. Inside, the décor is earthy and comfortable with canvas walls, wooden floors, mosquito nets and en-suite bathrooms with hot and cold showers and flush toilets, while private verandas invite you to sit and watch wildlife wander by. The main area is similarly casual, with a raised lounge, dining platform and firepit where guests gather for meals and storytelling beneath wide open skies. There is a small swimming pool to enjoy during summer months. Solar power and generators keep essential comforts running without detracting from the bush experience.

Activities at Mokolwane centre on exploring this extraordinary wildlife habitat with seasoned guides. Morning and evening game drives in open 4×4 vehicles are the backbone of the safari, with opportunities to see elephants, buffalo, lions, wild dogs and good leopard. When water levels allow, mokoro (dug-out canoe) excursions provide a quieter, more contemplative way of gliding through channels among birdlife and smaller animals, and night drives may also be offered. Birdwatching is a highlight too, with species such as Pel’s fishing owl and wattled cranes among the rich avian life.

Access to the lodge is currently by helicopter only so it gives you an opportunity for low level flights to the camp and on to other camps. Our guests have enjoyed the exceptional wildlife encounters and the back-to-basics safari vibe, as well as the untamed sense of place and relative solitude - exactly what we like too!

FACILITIES & ACTIVITIES

This is what so many Okavango lodges used to be like, not fancy and focused on wildlife, it is more affordable and accessed only by helicopter - doesn't always have water activities but great viewing it does have!