Wilderness Kwetsani
Wilderness Kwetsani overlooks an open floodplain on the private Jao Concession in the north-western Okavango Delta area.
Wilderness Kwetsani is an intimate and luxurious camp built into the palms and fig trees of an island in the beautiful Jao Concession. The camp is built entirely on raised platforms and walkways, giving it a ‘tree-house’ feel, and overlooks a huge open flood plain. The landscape is open and really stunning, especially when the flood waters are in. To the rear of the island is a permanent channel and a 15 minute boat ride gets you to Hunda Island where game drives often take place if it is too wet to drive from Kwetsani. The camp offers a very seasonal experience – when water levels are high, the wetland experience is magical but game viewing is more limited, and when water levels are low the wetland experience is more limited but game viewing is excellent. Regardless of when you visit, Kwetsani offers a very exclusive, tranquil stay in the heart of the Okavango Delta wilderness.
Rooms
The camp caters for just 10 guests in five luxuriously appointed tented suites, each built onto wooden decking and raised above the ground vegetation to offer the appearance of treehouse style accommodation. Each suite is spacious and light with modern furnishings including a bedroom area and lounge area, with glass doors opening on to a verandah with chairs and views out across the plains. En suite facilities comprise inside and an outside showers, basin and flush toilet.
Central Areas
There is a central bar, lounge, dining area and small curio shop which are also raised on stilts and built under a cool makuti thatch roof, leading out onto a wide viewing deck with superb views. Steps then lead down to another deck where you’ll find an infinity edge swimming pool overlooking the plains.
Facilities
Wi-Fi – Yes
Power for charging – Yes
Swimming pool – Yes
Habitat & Wildlife
The Jao Concession is one of the most beautiful areas in the Okavango Delta, and is home to six camps all operated by Wilderness Safaris – Tubu Tree, Little Tubu, Kwetsani, Jao, Jacana and Pelo. The concession has good concentrations of big game, including elephant, buffalo, hippo, giraffe all the main predators, however the concession is best known for its stunning wetland landscapes when the Okavango Delta is in flood.
Kwetsani is located in the heart of the concession and the game-viewing experience can be quite seasonal. When water levels are high, the wetland experience is absolutely magical but game-viewing is more limited, with moist game drives taking place on nearby Hunda Island. However, when water levels are low the wetland experience is naturally more limited but game-viewing is excellent. When it is really dry it is possible to drive extensively from Kwetsani.
Activities
Activities are both land and water based, with both being dependant on water levels. Game drives are offered by day and night, with full day drives including Hunda Island (during high water guests boat to the island) which is the largest land mass area on the concession. When water levels allow, boat cruises and mokoro trips are offered, as well as fishing (seasonal). Guided nature walks can also be arranged but are seasonal and subject to the availability of a guide so need to be pre-booked. Scenic helicopter flights can be arranged at extra cost. Guests also have the option (at an extra cost) of arranging an excursion to learn more about CLAWS (Communities Living Among Wildlife Sustainability – an organisation focussing on reducing conflict between people and predators) or a “Life With Elephants” village visit with EcoExist (an NGO aiming to reduce conflict between people and elephants).
Seasons
Wilderness Kwetsani is open year round but is best visited for the incredible wetland experience when the Okavango is in flood, usually from May through to August. For big game, September to December may offer greater traversing.
Children are accepted from the age of six years, but there is no dedicated family accommodation and the location and experience naturally lends itself to families travelling with older children.
Wilderness Safaris established the Children in the Wilderness programme (CITW) focusing on the children from villages close to the remote areas in which they operate, educating them in environmental awareness and training them in the life skills needed to care for and nurture their natural environment. Some of these programmes include operating annual camps for up to 30 children at a time in their lodges, running regular Eco-Clubs in rural schools, Youth Environmental Stewardship (YES) which mentors particular children who have shown a strong interest in their environment and scholarship programmes for primary, secondary and tertiary education.
The Wilderness Wildlife Trust is involved in conservation, anti-poaching, community empowerment and education. The Trust has many projects throughout Botswana (Wildlife Research Increasing Capacity), Namibia (Desert Dwelling Giraffe Study), Zimbabwe (Hwange Elephant Movement Study), Zambia (Zambian Carnivore Program), Malawi (Mobile Response Unit) and Rwanda (Shoebill Arial Survey).
In Botswana, Wilderness Safaris has been working in partnership with the government since 2001 on a Rhino Reintroduction Project which has seen both black and rhino successfully returned and reintroduced.
Mombo is 100% solar powered and has a reverse osmosis water filtration system providing drinking water to guests and therefore reducing the need for bottled water. Eco friendly detergents and chemicals are used in all Wilderness Safaris camps, adhering to strict in-house environmental standards.
