Earlier today we posted an image of a peachy sunset over shimmering waterways, a flickering campfire on the sandbank, and a few very lucky individuals toasting to the good life from their canvas chairs in the cool, shallow waters. Many veteran safari goers might have accurately guessed this secret location as the pristine Okavango Delta – the spill of river water injecting the the arid Kalahari countryside with liquid life. There is nowhere else quite like the Delta, and it is true that this is one of the most popularly visited safari destinations in Southern Africa, but no one does it quite like Afrika Ecco Safaris at Xaxaba Island.
Tented Accommodation
This is a mobile safari camp, meaning it is totally eco-friendly – disappearing entirely once guests depart – and it has very little in terms of lodge luxuries, which might distract from the raw, unadulterated wilderness you find yourself in at Xaxaba Island. There are classic, canvas dome tents, which are kitted out with two beds complete with comfortable bed linen, and are kept cool with bug-proof mesh in the windows and canvas flaps which can be dropped down on chilly nights. Each tent has an en suite bush bathroom, which is attached to the back entrance of the tent. It is open to the sky, but surrounded by canvas sides for privacy, and includes a short-drop toilet, a bucket shower (filled with fire-heated Delta water!), and a standing hand basin. These tents are ideal for the environment, and we love the idea of being so close to the outside world. It’s simple and comfortable, and the experience is unbeatable.
Dining and Drinking with Elephants
Ok, maybe this is our favourite part of the whole Xaxaba Island experience: Sundowners on a sandbank and dinner under the stars, surrounded by the abounding animal and birdlife. Elephants thrive in the Okavango, and they have become accustomed to living among people (and vice versa) after many years of sharing their space, so as guests at Xaxaba, one can enjoy the calm presence of these African giants from the water while on a mokoro or boat cruise; on foot while on a guided walking safari; or just from the comfort of your safari chair parked off in the shallows of the river. The best bit of this mobile safari is the sunset experience. It is the ultimate luxury to arrive at a colourfully set up bush bar, a welcoming fire, and a table set for dinner after a glorious mokoro cruise. The light is at its most golden, and the heat of the day is beginning to drop. You will have the opportunity to paddle in the water while sipping on something cool and chatting away to friends, new and old.
Access and Activities
In the high water season (mid-year), Xaxaba is reached via a 3-hour boat cruise from Maun, which is a fantastic experience in itself. Guests take their bags and gadgets (keep those cameras and binoculars at the ready), and are transported through the Delta channels to Xaxaba Island, which is a beautifully shady patch of land beneath tall trees near the well known village of Xaxaba. The camp will be set up prior to guests’ arrival. If travelling during low water season (end and beginning of the year), guests will reach Xaxaba Island via a game viewer, which also offers game viewing opportunities (naturally, as Botswana is an unfenced country).
The water levels also affect which activities are available, but Xaxaba is best known for it’s long walking trails on Chief’s Island – a premier location in Botswana. Mokoro cruises are another highly sought after, and perfectly executed activity in this area. Pollers are well trained from years of using this form of transportation to get around. The guides and the owners of this camp were born and grew up in the Okavango Delta, and in fact, the village of Xaxaba is nearby and a fantastic place to visit on an afternoon or mokoro cruise. Guests can enjoy a walking tour through the village, guided by a local who will explain how their houses are built, how the subsistence farming works, how the villagers deal with elephants and other wild animals, and how they keep cool during the scorching summers. There is an incredible cultural element that adds enormously to this in-depth and wild experience in the Delta paradise.
