Celeste, one of our senior consultants, enjoyed an educational safari in Botswana courtesy of Ker & Downey and Desert & Delta. Below is her review of each of the camps.
I visited some of the Ker and Downey and Desert and Delta Safaris camps in May 2013. The temperature in Botswana is very pleasant this time of year, the days are sunny and the mornings cool. I wore long pants on most days and alternated between t-shirts and long-sleeved tops. You definitely need a warm waterproof jacket, gloves and a beanie for early morning game drives and especially on boat cruises and mokoro trips!
Footsteps in the Delta is a mobile tented camp located in the Shinde Concession of the Okavango Delta. This camp offers game drives, extensive bush walks and mokoro (dugout canoe) trips.
This property defines “glamping”, the tents are spacious and the beds extremely comfortable. You wake up in the mornings, surprised that you even slept in a tent. The only hint is when you visit the en-suite bathroom and find you are walking on sand …
A day at Footsteps starts with breakfast at around 6 am and then a bush walk. The walk is between 1.5 and 3 hours long and the pace is very relaxed. It is very informative and you learn lots about the plant life, insects and animals of Botswana. If there are avid walkers in the group, the pace can be adjusted to suit. It is all about flexibility and satisfying guests here!
Shinde is located on a lagoon in the northern Okavango Delta. They offer game drives, bush walks, mokoro trips, motor boat rides and fishing. There is so much to do here, one can easily stay for five nights!
This is a lovely property and the game viewing is spectacular. The landscape is vast and open and finding animals is very easy. We saw four male lions feasting on a hippo and the following day they were joined by a female.
We were surprised with a bush dinner one evening and it was a silver service feast. A hyena casually walked by the dining table whilst we were having our main course!
Okuti Camp is a quaint looking camp in the Moremi Game Reserve. The focus is on game viewing and the landscape is scattered with trees.
This is a luxurious property and the rooms are set in massive tent and thatch domes. There is an indoor and outdoor shower and all the units overlook the river.
Kanana Camp is on the Xudum River in the southwest Okavango Delta. This property specialises in motorboat rides, mokoro excursions and bush walks; and game drives are also offered.
The camp has just opened a hide and also has a seasonal heronry – so this is just the place for twitchers!
This is the camp to either start or finish your safari at. It is the Okavango Delta at its best and meandering on the waters offers total relaxation whilst enjoying the beautiful scenery.
Savute Safari Lodge is in the Savuti area of the Chobe National Park. The camp is set right on the Savuti channel, so you can lie in bed and watch the elephants drink and play in the water. What could be better?
The landscape here is vast and there are open grassland spaces with some hills. Game viewing is phenomenal – there is something else behind each corner. We saw massive herds of buffalo and elephant, lions feasting and four leopards on a rock!
The rooms are set in chalets and they are very spacious. The food is amazing and you are surrounded by elephants at dinner.
Camp Okavango is on Chief’s Island in the Okavango Delta. Here you can do boat trips, mokoro excursions and bush walks.
The property grounds are large and each tent offers complete privacy. The swimming pool overlooks the water channel and you can relax here and see some spectacular birds. There is also an elevated viewing deck which also serves as a private dining spot.
I recommended spending at least two or three nights at the water camps and three to four nights at the others.
