Guests come to rest on the banks of the Khwai River, in the community-run Khwai Concession on the eastern edge of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, where seven tents shelter beneath leadwood and sycamore trees and look across a permanent Delta channel to the Moremi Game Reserve beyond. The river forms the boundary between concession and reserve, and the animals cross it constantly. Elephants wade through in loose lines, hippos surface mid-channel, and now and then a lion swims from one bank to the other.
The river forms the boundary between concession and reserve.
Because you sit on community land rather than inside Moremi, the rules change, and with them the possibilities: night drives, walking safaris and seasonal mokoro excursions all become part of the day, drawing on the wildlife density of the reserve next door without the park’s limits on off-road driving or viewing after dark. The channel becomes a stage watched from every angle. Elephants and hippos move through the water within sight of the pool deck, the main area and each private veranda.
The Khwai River holds its water year-round, and that steadiness keeps the game close through the dry months when other channels retreat. Hippos surface in the deeper stretches while elephants feed in the reeds and buffalo, giraffe and lechwe work the riverine fringe. Lions move freely between reserve and concession, and across the wider Khwai area the mixed country of forest, floodplain and mopane woodland carries leopard, cheetah and wild dog.
The transfer is itself a first look at the wildlife here.
You arrive by light aircraft, roughly forty minutes from Maun or an hour from Kasane, and from the airstrip a game drive of about forty-five minutes runs through the concession to camp. The transfer is itself a first look at the wildlife here. Khwai village lies around thirty minutes away, close enough for genuine engagement with the community whose land this is, and whose stewardship makes the whole place possible.
The look of the camp, the work of the South African firm Fox Browne Creative, is a contemporary take on classic safari canvas with no brick and mortar in sight. Honey tones run through the palette, lifted by mustard accents drawn from the Delta’s own water lilies, and local craft threads through the spaces, woven baskets appearing overhead in the chandeliers and behind you as headboards, set alongside beaded detail, natural timber and stone. The tents rest on raised wooden decks, each with a broad view over lagoon and river. Evenings settle around the fire pit, with a gin and tonic and the sound of hippos in the channel.
At the heart of it all, an open-plan lounge, bar and dining space face the water, set beside a swimming pool and a viewing deck built out over the river. Meals move indoors or onto the deck beneath the leadwood and sycamore canopy, a continental breakfast before the morning drive, a fuller brunch on return, and dinner served with a wine presentation as the light goes. Families are made especially welcome, the two-bedroom family tent giving interconnecting rooms and space to spread out.
The tents rest on raised wooden decks, each with a broad view over lagoon and river.
Younger guests have the Ngwana Club, where nature-based activities run from cooking lessons and arts and crafts to short walks around camp, and children of all ages are welcome. Walking safaris and mokoro excursions, though, are kept to guests aged sixteen and over, a limit set by the water and the walking rather than the camp. Seven tents make up the whole: five luxury tented suites, one honeymoon suite with a free-standing bath on its private deck, and the family suite, each with an en-suite bathroom, indoor and outdoor showers, and a private veranda.
Behind all this stands Khwai village, whose Khwai Development Trust manages the concession on its behalf and takes a share of the tourism revenue from camps like this one straight back home. That money funds housing for the elderly, stipends for pensioners and support for local entrepreneurs. Members of the community work in the camp directly, and its wider foundation has backed the local kindergarten with a new kitchen, a renovated classroom and solar power, the same source that in turn supplies most of the camp’s own energy.
accommodation
Seven tents on raised wooden decks: five luxury tented suites, one honeymoon suite with a free-standing bath on its private deck, and a two-bedroom family suite with interconnecting rooms. Each has an en-suite bathroom with indoor and outdoor showers, a private veranda over the river, and views across to Moremi Game Reserve.
activities
Because Khwai Leadwood lies on a community concession rather than inside Moremi, guests can take day and night game drives, guided walking safaris and seasonal mokoro excursions as water levels allow. Birding along the wetlands is strong, and visits to Khwai village are part of the experience. Walking and mokoro are for ages sixteen and over.
conservation
The Khwai Development Trust manages the concession for Khwai village and receives a share of tourism revenue, funding elderly housing, pensioner stipends and support for local entrepreneurs. The camp employs community members, and its foundation has provided a kitchen, a renovated classroom and solar power to the local kindergarten. A solar installation supplies most of the camp's own energy.
Get in touch and let’s start the conversation. An initial consultation helps us understand what you’re looking for, whether that’s specific experiences, luxury touches, or marking a special occasion, and from there we’ll guide you through what’s possible so you can decide if we’re the right fit.
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The Okavango Delta
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By light aircraft from Maun, roughly 25 to 30 minutes to the Khwai airstrip, then a short game drive to camp on the banks of the Khwai River. We fold the charter into your itinerary and time it to your Maun arrival.
Seats are shared and the schedule is fixed the day before, so a flight may call at another strip on the way. If you would rather fly on your own schedule, we can arrange a private charter instead, typically a Cessna Caravan or Pilatus PC-12, flown direct to the Khwai strip and timed to your arrival in Maun. Bring soft bags of around 20kg, which we confirm with you in advance.
Yes. The Khwai area, on the eastern edge of the Delta, is part of northern Botswana's malaria belt, so it is not a malaria-free destination. The risk is seasonal, at its lowest in the dry winter from June to October and higher through the summer rains.
Advice varies from year to year, so please check the current position with a travel clinic or your doctor before you travel, and take the usual care against bites in the evening.
June to October is prime, when the Kalahari dries and animals gather on the permanent water, with July to September the strongest stretch and October the hottest. The green summer from November is quieter and good for birds.
The Khwai River holds its water all year, so game stays close along the channel even in the dry months, and land drives are the mainstay. Mokoro outings are seasonal and open up when levels allow, usually after the flood builds, so if a mokoro is on your list we will check the timing for your dates.
Winter days from June to September are warm and clear, around the mid-twenties, but dawn drives can be genuinely cold before the sun climbs. Layer up for the early start with a fleece and windproof jacket, then peel down as the day warms. October heat can pass 40 degrees.
Neutral colours are best, sun protection matters all year, and a light rain jacket is worth packing for the green summer, when afternoon storms come through.
Yes, and it is set up for it. Children of all ages are welcome, there is a two-bedroom family suite with interconnecting rooms, and the camp runs a children's programme. On shared game drives the camp asks that children under six travel on a private vehicle, which we can arrange.
Walking safaris and mokoro excursions here are for ages sixteen and over, so for younger families the days centre on drives. Tell us the children's ages and we will shape the trip around them.
There is wifi in the main area of camp, though not in the tents, and it runs over satellite for light use rather than streaming. There is no mobile phone signal along this stretch of the river.
Keeping the wifi to the central area is deliberate, so the tents and the riverbank in front of them stay screen-free.
rated five stars by our clients
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our approach
Every journey starts with a conversation. We take the time to understand your vision before we start planning.
Whether by phone or in person, we work with you directly to shape something that is considered, personal, and expertly delivered.
