Okavango Delta
Fly-in to private island camps, mokoro through crystal channels, and sleep to the sound of hippos beneath a billion stars.
The Okavango Delta is southern Africa's crown jewel of exclusive safari — a 22,000-square-kilometre inland delta where the only access is by light aircraft, the only transport is by mokoro (traditional dugout canoe) or 4x4, and the only sound at night is the chorus of reed frogs and distant hippo. Our curated Okavango properties occupy private concessions where each camp of eight to twelve beds has exclusive traversing rights over areas larger than many national parks. Mombo Camp and Little Mombo on Chief's Island consistently rank among the top safari experiences on Earth, while Jao Camp and Vumbura Plains offer water-based safaris through papyrus-lined channels that are genuinely unique to the Delta ecosystem. The seasonal flood cycle (peaking June-August) transforms dry floodplains into a shimmering aquatic wonderland, creating one of the most photogenic landscapes in Africa. For exclusive travellers, we design multi-camp Okavango itineraries that combine a water camp, a land camp, and a mobile fly-camping experience — revealing the Delta's full ecological spectrum.
Fly-in to private island camps, mokoro through crystal channels, and sleep to the sound of hippos beneath a billion stars.
Best Time to Visit
June-August for peak flood and water activities (mokoro, boat safaris). September-October for concentrated dry-season game at permanent water. May for the flood's arrival and fewer visitors at top camps.
What You'll See
130, 000+ elephants in the greater ecosystem, lion, leopard, cheetah, African wild dog (one of the Delta's signature species), 800+ red lechwe, sitatunga, Pel's fishing owl, and over 500 bird species.
Getting There
Light aircraft from Maun (20-45 minutes to various camp airstrips) or Kasane. International connections via Johannesburg to Maun. Private charter from any southern African city available.
Okavango Delta in Pictures
Where to Go in Okavango Delta
Chief's Island
Chief's Island is the largest island in the Okavango Delta, stretching approximately 70 kilometres in length and forming the heart of the Moremi Game Reserve. Named because it was historically reserved as the personal hunting ground of the chief of the Batawana tribe, Chief's Island today hosts some of the delta's most prestigious safari camps and offers what many consider the finest game-viewing in the entire Okavango system. The island's elevated terrain remains dry even during peak flood, making it a critical refuge for large mammals when surrounding floodplains are inundated. This concentration effect produces extraordinary predator-prey dynamics: lion prides specialise in hunting buffalo, leopards patrol the dense riverine forest fringing the island's edges, and wild dog packs use Chief's Island as a denning site during their breeding season (June-September). The island's interface between dry land and flooded delta channels creates a landscape of remarkable beauty and ecological productivity. Game drives and walking safaris on the island are complemented by mokoro and boat excursions through the surrounding channels, providing a complete Okavango experience within a single location.
Moremi Game Reserve
Moremi Game Reserve covers approximately 5,000 square kilometres of the eastern Okavango Delta, unique in Africa as a community-declared protected area — established in 1963 by the Batawana tribe to protect the wildlife they saw diminishing due to unregulated hunting. The reserve encompasses a mosaic of habitats from dry savannah and mopane woodland to permanent swamp, seasonal floodplain, and island forest, supporting one of the most diverse and concentrated wildlife populations in southern Africa. Moremi's combination of terrestrial and aquatic environments allows for an extraordinary range of safari activities within a single reserve. The Xakanaxa Lagoon area is renowned for its heronry — thousands of herons, storks, and cormorants breed in the drowned trees of this photogenic waterway. The Third Bridge campsite, set on a narrow island between two channels, is one of Africa's most atmospheric bush camping locations. Moremi is the only formally protected portion of the Okavango Delta, and its game-viewing reliability — Big Five plus wild dog and cheetah — makes it the backbone of most Okavango itineraries. Self-drive visitors can access Moremi from Maun via the South Gate, though most luxury travellers fly into private camps.
Chief's Island & Mombo
Chief's Island is the Okavango Delta's largest island at approximately 1,000 square kilometres, situated in the heart of Moremi Game Reserve. Mombo Concession on the island's northern tip is widely regarded as Africa's premier game-viewing location — National Geographic has named it the 'Place of Plenty.' Both black and white rhino have been reintroduced here, making it one of the only locations in Botswana for Big Five sightings. Mombo Camp (by Wilderness Safaris) is one of Africa's most iconic luxury lodges.
Inner Delta & Permanent Waterways
The inner Okavango Delta's permanent water channels, lagoons, and papyrus-fringed islands are accessible only by mokoro, motorboat, or helicopter. Water-based camps like Xigera, Jao, and Vumbura offer mokoro excursions gliding silently past hippo pods, sitatunga hiding in papyrus, and African jacanas walking on lily pads. The Okavango's crystal-clear water — filtered through the Kalahari sands — supports remarkable underwater visibility and seasonal bream fishing.
Abu Concession
The Abu Concession is a private 180,000-acre wilderness area in the southwestern Okavango Delta, named after Abu — a famous African elephant who was the foundation of the concession's pioneering elephant-back safari programme. While riding elephants is no longer offered (in line with evolving ethical standards), the concession's legacy of close elephant interaction continues through unique walking-with-elephants experiences, where guests walk alongside a habituated herd of rescued elephants guided by their dedicated handlers. Beyond its elephant programme, the Abu Concession offers a classic Okavango Delta wilderness experience of exceptional quality. The private concession means that only guests of the single camp have access to the area, ensuring maximum exclusivity. The landscape varies from dry palm islands to seasonal floodplains and permanent channels, supporting lion, leopard, wild dog, buffalo, hippo, and an outstanding variety of waterbirds. Game drives, mokoro excursions, boating, and catch-and-release fishing are all available. The concession's position in the delta's western reaches means it floods later in the season, extending the peak water season into September and October.
Safaris in Okavango Delta
Serengeti & Ngorongoro Private Safari
7 Days
A 7-day private luxury safari through Tanzania's Serengeti plains and Ngorongoro Crater with exclusive lodge stays and dedicated guide.
$4,500 per person
Uganda Primates & Wilderness
7 Days
A 7-day luxury Uganda safari combining mountain gorilla trekking in Bwindi, chimpanzee tracking in Kibale, and Queen Elizabeth NP wildlife.
$4,800 per person
Rwanda Gorilla & Golden Monkey Trek
5 Days
A 5-day luxury Rwanda experience combining mountain gorilla trekking, golden monkey encounters, and Nyungwe Forest canopy walks.
$5,500 per person
Kenya Private Conservancy Safari
8 Days
An 8-day luxury Kenya safari through private conservancies — Ol Pejeta rhinos, Laikipia walking safaris, and Masai Mara's big cats.
$6,200 per person
Kruger to Indian Ocean
9 Days
A 9-day luxury journey from Big Five game drives in South Africa's Sabi Sands to the pristine Bazaruto Archipelago in Mozambique.
$7,500 per person
Great Migration Luxury Experience
10 Days
A 10-day luxury migration safari tracking two million wildebeest across Tanzania's Serengeti, with stays at Africa's finest tented camps.
$7,800 per person
Explore Other Destinations
Masai Mara National Reserve
Africa's most famous reserve — Great Migration river crossings, 850 lions, and the pioneering conservancy model.
Read Guide →Serengeti
Home to the only championship golf course inside a major national park — Par 72, 7,065m, wildlife on every hole
Read Guide →Bwindi Impenetrable Forest
Trek to meet mountain gorilla families in 25,000-year-old UNESCO forest — Africa's ultimate wildlife encounter.
Read Guide →Volcanoes National Park
Africa's first national park — 604 mountain gorillas across the Virunga volcanoes where Dian Fossey made history.
Read Guide →Greater Kruger
25,000 km² of Big Five bushveld — world-class leopard sightings in the Sabi Sand and Africa's greatest wildlife reserve.
Read Guide →South Luangwa National Park
Birthplace of the walking safari — the world's densest leopards, night drives, and the untamed Luangwa River.
Read Guide →Ready to Explore Okavango Delta?
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