Seasonal Water Camps

Safari camps in the semi-permanent waters are known as seasonal camps and offer water-based activities from June/July to October.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

June to Oct

Overview

Seasonal water camps lie in the part of the Okavango Delta which floods seasonally from June to October, depending on the rains. During this time, they offer the full range of water-based safari activities. And yet. all year round they offer 4×4 game drives in open vehicles as well as game walks.

The waters of the Okavango Delta offers a unique boat-based safari experience. Choose between the silence and gentle pace of a poled mokoro, or the faster pace of a comfortable shaded motorboat. A network of waterways, feathery papyrus reeds, and diverse animals, large and small, are waiting to be discovered.

Some seasonal water camps are more water-orientated (such as Kanana Camp) and some are more land-orientated such as Shinde Camp. Some are even on private concessions within the Moremi Game Reserve, such as Chiefs Camp, which as accesses to seasonal flood waters on the edge of the Island.

Leopard at Seasonal water camps in Okavango Delta

Exactly when each seasonal water camp can offer mokoro trips or boat excursions varies from camp to camp. And also by season, depending on the strength of the Okavango flood. Plus the water channels are continually forging new routes.

The Okavango seasonal camps are a good option if you don't have time to visit more than one camp in the Delta.

Features

Why you may love it

  • Offer the full range of water and land-based safari activities during the seasonal flood
  • Private concessions so they offer night drives and walking safaris
  • These private concessions also offer walking safaris, night drives and off-road driving on occasion
  • Remote locations giving a great sense of tranquillity and wilderness

When to visit Seasonal Water Camps

Overview

Seasonal Flood

Though the camps are open year-round, they are obviously at their best during the flood from mid-June to mid-October. The exact timing varies from year to year and also from camp to camp.
PEAK SEASON RAINFALL 1mm
AVG HOURS SUNSHINE 10
MAX TEMP 25 ℃ / 77 ℉
MIN TEMP 6 ℃ / 43 ℉

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Accommodation

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Review of Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge

Sandibe is a great new design-orientated lodge, which is the flagship product. I loved the open layout of the main area with the light airy decor. The rooms are very spacious with the sitting area at the entrance and then an open bathroom with outdoor shower.

There are some design features at Sandibe, where perhaps the designer got a little too carried away, which are not so practical. The inside shower is a little claustrophobic as it’s a very small entrance with solid walls that surround you. If they didn’t show me where the toilet was, I don’t think I would have found it… Sun shines right into the bedroom ii the late afternoon and also reflects off the plunge pool which is in the middle of the veranda. So I would have liked a bit of shading over the back door to try and block the sun a little. They do have wooden blind doors that you could close, but then you wouldn’t get the views on to the waterways outside.

They also have quite a lot of baboons coming through camp. Plus quite a lot of spiders which are quite noticeable as they move around quite a bit and are quite fast… bad for arachnophobics. (They apparently love the type of wood design that’s been used in the main lodge…)

Again, one of the few camps with air conditioning. There’s a stable power source with solar electricity back-up.

Cedarberg : Gloria Darvall
Did you know
  • SizeDelta swells 3 times in size between March and August
  • TimingHow early it floods depends on the Summer rains

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