Jao Camp; Luxury Safari Camp in Okavango Delta, Botswana

Jao Camp

Without doubt the most luxurious of the lodges in this concession, you could be excused for thinking that this amazing tree lodge was somewhere in the heart of the Amazon Rainforest. Jao is the flagship camp for the waterways of the Jao Concession bordering the Moremi Game Reserve in the Okavango Delta.

Jao Camp – The Facts

Jao Camp – The Detail

Located on a large remote island in this private reserve and in close proximity to dry Kalahari grasslands this camp offers a range activities on both land and water. The guiding is very good and overall the lodge is extremely well run.Huge herds of red lechwe can be seen in this region, as well as prides of lion - their primary predator. Other game includes elephant, buffalo, leopard, tsessebe, zebra and wildebeest, hippo and crocodile. A network of wooden walkways and decking lead to 2 separate pools, a boma for dining under the stars along with a separate fire place for pre dinner drinks. The main communal area is one massive structure on stilts set inside a huge canopy of indigenous trees, the top of which houses the dining and lounge areas, completely open to the elements.Raised wooden walkways to either side of the main area lead off to the lavish individually hand crafted, thatched roof tents complete with decking area and outside sala. All rooms have en-suite bathrooms with indoor and outdoor showers along with 2 basins and stand alone baths.

Jao Camp - Our View

Jao is one of Africa’s most famous camps. Built high up into the trees the design of Jao truly takes your breath away; the rooms are absolutely beautiful with vast beds, lounges and outside double ‘sala’ beds. The communal areas offer views out over the flood plains from amongst the high trees surrounding camp and the game is very good throughout the year. With all that said, the price tag is exceptionally high and overall we have to question the value due to its close proximity to the other lodges in the same concession. Don’t get us wrong here, we love Jao but for the price it really should exceed expectations…..and a purest safari lover would say that it misses the character that safari connoisseurs yearn for. If luxury is what you are after then Jao is without doubt the place to go……but for authentic safari we would send you elsewhere!