Extraordinary Africa>Botswana>Okavango Delta and Moremi>Kwara
Set in a private concession neighboring the Moremi Game Reserve, Kwara’s a very comfortable camp with a focus beyond luxury: they are very serious indeed about their game viewing.
What’s Kwara really like?
While Kwara was once a much-beloved but slightly tired bush camp, a beautiful refurb means that the nine tents are looking fresh and sparkling. To be honest, we probably wouldn’t really call them tents- the walls are stretched canvas, but the whole feel is much more solid and chalet-like. Plus they’re really pretty big- as well as the outside deck, there’s a sitting area, then a step up into the bedroom and beyond the bathroom, which has both indoor and outdoor showers and tub. If that’s not sufficient to wallow in, Kwara also has two pools, one at each end of camp. While we don’t always use these on safari, they are a real treat in the sweltering heat at the end of the year. The beating heart of Kwara is the centre of camp, where you’ll find the firepit, lounge and dining area. Meals tend to be good warming food, if not necessarily haute cuisine, and you’ll have the chance to trade tales with your fellow guests around the communal dining table. Other guests tend to be outdoorsy types, and adult- the minimum age for Kwara is 18. The other thing to mention is that there’s no wifi at Kwara, so it feels really intimate- a thousand miles from the outside world.
What can I do at Kwara?
The focus at Kwara is, and always has been on the game viewing. If you are serious (and we do mean serious) about your safari, you have come to the right place. There are just four guests per vehicle and guides and trackers are very committed, especially to finding predators. They will put in long hours to give you the best possible sightings- mealtimes and lie-ins are very much secondary to the wildlife. Amongst more common predators, a stay at Kwara does often mean reasonable chances of spotting both cheetah and wild dog, and guides are able to drive off road to find them.
While day and night game drives are often excellent, as the Kwara concession has an especially varied habitat, you have a wide range of activities available. Mokoro trips are possible throughout the year, though we will caveat that as with all things in nature, it does depend on water levels. There’s fishing, except for during January and February when it’s breeding season, and also boat safaris. With typical consideration for sightings, the boats at Kwara are double-deckers, so you can see over the high papyrus reeds. Twitchers in particular, should visit over the green season to visit the nearby heronry. Kwara does also offer walking safaris, though for us, we’ve always found boating and game drives to be more of a highlight in the Okavango Delta.
Giving back at Kwara:
One of the wonderful things about Kwara is that it’s Botswana-owned, and this really reflects in their commitment to the local community. Amongst several other excellent programmes, it is part of the Pack for a Purpose scheme and supports Mummy’s Angels- a scheme for new mothers in Maun- if you have space in your luggage let us know and we can pass the very much needed wish list!
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