Kwara Camp

Kwara in a Nutshell

NOTE: This camp just reopened on the 01 st of September after a complete rebuild.

This camp is located in the Kwara Concession (adjacent to the Moremi Game Reserve) and is run by Kwando Safaris. It is the “big sister” camp to Little Kwara, both operating in the same area (Little Kwara is still closed). The concession is renowned for productive game viewing and we often send people there as part of an itinerary to ensure amazing wildlife sightings on game drives. However, it offers 5 different activities all year round (water levels can affect mokoro activities though), so it is a great “one-stop-shop” on any itinerary. Kwara activities operate with a guide and tracker system – so two guides to help locate animals! Note that Kwara has a minimum guest age of 18!

Fast Facts

9 raised tented chalets
Camp accommodates 18 guests only
USD835 – USD1560
Game drives, night drives, walks, mokoro activities and boats
Access by boat or light aircraft transfer
Access from Moremi via one of our mobile safari itineraries
Excellent dry land area for game drives
Access to Gadikwe Lagoon (bird nesting sites)
Minimum stay of 3 stay nights

How to Get There

Most people fly into Kwara using the nearby airstrip. You can fly in from Maun (35 minutes) or Kasane (1 hour). Flying in to this lodge is an event in itself as you get to see the Okavango from the air. We also offer access from a boat station in Moremi via one of our mobile safaris – you might feel a bit special arriving in a unique way like this?

Game Viewing and Activities

This lodge is open all year and the nearby Maonachira channel is permanent, so boating activities are also year round (Mokoro activities are the only excursions that can be affected by flood water levels). The highlight here, for sure, is the game drives. There is a lot of dry land area with an established road network with habituated (not tame) predators and general game. The ethos of the drives at Kwara is to provide the ultimate game viewing experience in unspoilt wilderness:

Guides can move off road
Guide has a tracker to help locate animals
Flexible game drive times – lunch can be taken out to you if you want to stay out
Removable roofs on game drive vehicles for unhindered views
Private concession – no congestion or self drives in the area
Outside of the National park – less restrictive park rules
Removable roof on vehicles for unhindered views.

One must note that the emphasis at this camp, as well as all the other Kwando Safaris lodges, is the guided activities. Afterall, they provide each guide with a skilled tracker to help locate animals. The rewards of this ethos is guaranteed productive game viewing. In this regard, since its rebuild

Camp Environment

The old Kwara Camp had not seen a recent refurbishment as the lease for the lodge site has not yet been approved for renewal. The new lodge is right up there in terms of standards expected from modern safari camps, without going over the top – an emphasis is still put on activities rather than excessive luxury.

The accommodation is now in “tented chalets” on raised decks. Each unit has great views of the surrounding bush and floodplains and are well spaced to provide some privacy. We actually like Kwara because if does not offer excessive luxury but rather focuses on necessary comforts and excellent game viewing in their private concession. Indeed, this was the way that the original safari camps were set up when opulence was not the first requirement of a bush camp.

The lodge location is well shaded with mature tress so the canvas tents provide ample comfort from the heat. Kwara overlooks a lagoon in front of camp making for great views and sounds of the resident pod of hippos.

The main area has a bar and comfortable lounge and dining area. Two swimming pools are found at either end of the camp, providing a quiet retreat to spend your siesta. Everything is new and so the camp my take time to acquire its own identity and charm.

Some simplicity has also been kept as there is no decking between rooms and your feet actually do touch the ground in camp – a camp fire is lit on the ground at breakfast and for pre and after dinner drinks. This definitely adds a bit of charm to Kwara camp.

What we think

This is an area that we really rate highly. Seriously, they have a lot of animals, especially predators. The game drives are therefore very productive and no one leave disappointed in this regard.

The fact that one can do a full range of activities out of this camp is a big factor in choosing it – they have year round permanent access to one of the Okavango rivers.

The rebuild was most welcome, delayed by the process of securing the concession from government. The lodge is now at the high standard of modern safari lodges in Botswana

Kwando Safaris know how good their area is, and it is a new camp, therefore it is their most expensive property. However, it still competes well in price with other competitors.

Kwara is owned by Kwando Safaris and is one of a portfolio of well located lodges owned by the same group. You can therefore pick up good discounts when combining with other related Camps on their safari circuit.

You can pick up good discounts on 5 RIVER RATES for this camp…..follow the link for more on this….