Luxury Safari Botswana: Okavango Delta & Kwando Private Reserve

Safari Overview

• Duration: 10 Days / 9 Nights
• Destinations: Okavango Delta & Kwando Private Reserve
• Camps: Pom Pom, Kwara & Lebala
• Best For: Safari traditionalists, photographers, wildlife enthusiasts and luxury travellers seeking strong predator viewing

This itinerary is designed for guests who want a classic Botswana safari with real variety. It begins with the watery beauty of the Okavango Delta, continues through another game-rich Delta region at Kwara, and ends in the remote Kwando Private Reserve, an area renowned for its predator densities and untamed wilderness. Across the journey, guests enjoy a strong combination of land and water activities, traditional tented comfort and excellent guiding.

The Okavango Delta

A UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Okavango Delta is one of Africa’s greatest safari landscapes. It is a vast inland delta of lagoons, channels, islands and floodplains set improbably within the Kalahari Desert. Seasonal floodwaters travel over 1,000 kilometres from central Africa to create one of the continent’s richest ecosystems.

Wildlife viewing is excellent throughout the year, with the Delta supporting everything from big cats and wild dogs to hippos, lechwe, aquatic birdlife and a wide diversity of smaller species. It is this ever-changing interplay between land and water that makes the Okavango so extraordinary.

Camp One: Pom Pom

Your safari begins at Pom Pom, a long-established camp on a beautiful island beside a hippo-filled lagoon in the Okavango Delta. This is a camp for safari traditionalists — classic canvas tents, warm hospitality and an exceptional setting where wildlife is consistently prolific.

Big cats are a major feature of the area, with leopard, lion and spotted hyena all seen regularly, while African wild dogs are known to hunt the floodplains. Pom Pom also offers a great mix of activities, including off-road and night drives, guided nature walks, seasonal mokoro excursions, motorboat safaris and fishing.

• 3 Nights
• Classic safari tents with sweeping Delta views
• Off-road and night game drives
• Seasonal mokoro and boat safaris
• Fishing and guided walks

Insider highlight: During flood season, mokoro excursions depart directly from the front of camp, offering a wonderfully intimate way to explore the Delta’s channels and aquatic life.

Camp Two: Kwara

The second stage of the journey takes you to Kwara, a traditional safari camp on the northern edge of Moremi, surrounded by seasonal floodplains and wooded islands. With just eight tented rooms, Kwara offers a highly personal and relaxed safari atmosphere.

Each guest tent has a private veranda overlooking either lagoon or floodplain, while the main camp areas look out across the water. This is a particularly rewarding area for predator viewing, with lion, leopard and other carnivores regularly encountered alongside zebra, giraffe, kudu, red lechwe and impala.

• 3 Nights
• Traditional tented safari camp
• Excellent predator viewing
• Beautiful floodplain and lagoon setting

Insider highlight: Kwara is known for especially strong big-cat viewing, making it a very rewarding camp for guests who prioritise classic game-drive excitement.

Kwando Private Reserve

The final part of the safari unfolds in Kwando Private Reserve, a vast wilderness in northern Botswana defined by savannah, riverside forest, wetlands and the mighty Kwando River. This is a landscape of scale, beauty and exceptional wildlife.

Large herds of elephant and buffalo move through the reserve, while lion, leopard, cheetah, hippo and crocodile all feature strongly. The concession is especially well known for predator sightings, which is why the area is often described as the “Place of Predators”.

Camp Three: Lebala

Your safari ends at Lebala, one of only two camps in this enormous concession. The camp is relaxed and intimate, with just eight spacious chalets offering en-suite bathrooms, outdoor showers and raised private verandas overlooking the surrounding wilderness.

The camp’s main areas are open and airy, connected by a footbridge and centred around a lounge, bar, dining area and plunge pool. It is a wonderfully comfortable base for exploring one of Botswana’s most predator-rich safari regions.

• 3 Nights
• Spacious chalets with verandas and outdoor showers
• Excellent predator viewing
• Relaxed camp style in a remote concession

Insider highlight: The name “Kwando” is closely associated with predators, and Lebala’s area regularly delivers sightings of lion, leopard, cheetah and smaller cats such as African wild cat and caracal.

Safari Highlights

• Three distinct safari camps across two exceptional Botswana ecosystems
• Classic Okavango Delta water and land experiences
• Strong predator sightings in both Kwara and Lebala
• Mokoro excursions, boating, walking, fishing and off-road drives
• Traditional safari style paired with comfort and excellent guiding
• Outstanding opportunities for wildlife photography and birding

Included

Throughout the itinerary, accommodation, meals, local beverages, game-viewing activities, complimentary laundry and emergency medical evacuation cover are included, with inclusions varying slightly by camp. All guests should still hold their own travel and health insurance.

Travel Logistics

The safari begins and ends in Maun, Botswana’s principal safari gateway. Charter flights connect the camps efficiently, with short road transfers between the airstrips and each lodge.

Pom Pom is reached via a road transfer of approximately 20 minutes, Kwara via a road transfer of around 15 minutes, and Lebala via a short road transfer after a scheduled charter into the reserve. This makes for a seamless safari flow while still preserving the feeling of remoteness that defines Botswana’s best camps.