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Camp Moremi
Front-row on Xakanaxa Lagoon, in the thick of the reserve itself.
From our guest surveys — how we gather evidence
A grandstand seat on the lagoon
You stay inside Moremi Game Reserve itself, not beside it. Camp Moremi stands at the tip of the Mopane Tongue, where the dry woodland peninsula runs out into the permanent water of the Okavango Delta, and its raised main deck looks straight over Xakanaxa Lagoon. The dozen thatched chalets sit back among the riverine trees, facing the bush — the lagoon is the camp's shared front row, not each room's window. Elephant come down to drink in the reeds, hippo hold the shallows, and the water traffic — herons, storks, kingfishers — carries on all day whether anyone is watching or not.
The main area stands on stilts to make the most of it. A sunken bar wraps a living ebony tree and a termite mound; open-sided lounges and a small library share the deck with the dining area, and a boardwalk winds down to the firepit at the water's edge. Dinner is often served under the stars, sometimes as a braai in the open-air boma, and a secluded pool sits off to one side with the lagoon beyond the sunloungers. The food runs to proper cooked spreads at brunch and a plated-and-buffet dinner at eight — good enough that guests mention it, without the camp making a performance of it.
Twelve thatched chalets above the bush
Under the thatch the midday heat loses interest — the chalets hold cool and dim against the glare outside, and through the gauze windows the reserve's commentary carries on: francolin, doves, something heavier moving through the mopane. Each is an open-plan room closer to a small house than a tent: a lounge at the centre with a sofa chair and writing desk, the bed — twin or double — beneath a wooden canopy and mosquito net to one side, and the bathroom to the other, where twin basins face the bush through a screened window and the shower stands part-walled to the air. Fold the doors back and the deck takes over: two sunloungers, the smell of dust and wild sage, tea from your own station while the morning light works along the treeline.
The detailing carries the comfort — charging points with multi-national sockets, the ceiling fan worked from the headboard, a digital safe, and canvas flaps that zip down over the windows when a storm rolls the lagoon — weather you'll hear arrive across the water before it reaches the thatch.
Two ways into the reserve, every day
The camp's two daily activities split between land and water, and the two halves are the reason to stay here. Morning and afternoon game drives work the Mopane Tongue's mix of mopane woodland, floodplain and grassland in open 4WDs seating six — three rows, a window seat for everyone. In the dry months the game concentrates hard along the permanent water: elephant and buffalo herds move in from the drier country, hippo and giraffe are daily company, and lion, leopard and wild dog are regular chances rather than promises.
The other outing goes to the water. Canvas-shaded boats run Xakanaxa Lagoon and its channels towards the Monachira, moving through papyrus where sitatunga and lechwe hold out and the birdlife is prolific — the lagoon is known for its heronries, breeding colonies that draw birders from across the Delta. The cruise is the other half of a stay in this corner of Moremi — take at least one.
Two nights here forces a choice between the drives and the boat that you shouldn't have to make. Three lets each get its turn — and leaves one outing free to repeat whichever went best.
This is shared reserve ground, and the park's rules bind Camp Moremi like everyone else: vehicles keep to the tracks, nobody drives after dark or sets off on foot, and other camps and self-drivers use the same tracks — around Xakanaxa you will meet other vehicles at sightings. What you get in exchange is the game density that makes this ground worth sharing. If exclusivity matters more to you than the traffic of the reserve proper, a private-concession camp will suit you better.
The Mopane Tongue takes its name from the mopane trees that cover the peninsula — their butterfly-shaped leaves fold shut in the midday heat to save water, which is why mopane woodland casts strangely little shade at noon.
A proper family chalet, from age six
Camp Moremi takes children from six, and houses families well. The family chalet is really two chalets joined — two bedrooms, two bathrooms, one front door — which works as easily for four as for two couples travelling together. The camp will set up children's activities on request, from football with the staff to pizza-making and an interpretive walk in camp, and a member of staff can sit with children through dinner or the siesta.
Two things to plan around. Families with children under twelve are required to pre-book private activities, at an additional rate per vehicle or activity — worth building into the budget from the start. And the camp is open to the reserve: an electric strand keeps elephant out, but other wildlife moves through freely and the pool is unfenced, so children stay under your eye here.
The tip of the Mopane Tongue
Camp Moremi stands in the Xakanaxa area of eastern Moremi Game Reserve, where the peninsula of dry land narrows into the Delta's permanent water — the reason this corner carries both big-game country and true wetland in one traverse. Xakanaxa Airstrip is around 25 minutes by air from Maun and about an hour from Kasane, and the ride from the airstrip to camp is already a game drive.
What it costs.
Rates are per person per night, based on two guests travelling together (sharing).
Density over exclusivity
Most of Botswana's famous camps sit in private concessions outside the reserve; Camp Moremi puts you inside it, on the water. The trade is plainly made: you follow park rules and share the ground, and in return you wake up on the Mopane Tongue with some of the richest dry-season game country in the Delta outside your chalet. Add the boat, the substance of the chalets and a staff with a long-standing name for warmth, and it is a straightforward case.
Is this for you
- ✓You want to stay inside Moremi Game Reserve itself, with the game density that brings
- ✓You want land and water safaris from one camp, without moving
- ✓You'd take the reserve's game density over having the ground to yourselves
Our guide, Baba, was amazing. The staff, service, accommodations, food, and Maun airport support was also fantastic.
Tell us your dates and we'll build the combination around Camp Moremi — the flights, the nights, and where to go on to from the lagoon.
The fine print.
- —All meals
- —Refreshments, local spirits and wines
- —Two scheduled safari activities daily
- —National-park fees
- —Return Xakanaxa airstrip transfers
- —Laundry
- —Flights to and from Xakanaxa Airstrip
- —Premium-brand drinks
- —Private activities and vehicle hire
- —Travel and medical insurance
- —Gratuities and items of a personal nature
Children from six years are welcome. Families with children under twelve pre-book private activities at an additional rate per vehicle or activity.
Fly to Xakanaxa Airstrip by light aircraft: the hop is about an hour from Kasane, or around 25 minutes from Maun. A game drive brings you on to camp.
WiFi in the main area and chalets; there is no mobile signal at camp.
The camp runs on solar power with a backup generator, and guests are escorted to their chalets after dark — wildlife moves through camp freely.