The Beautiful Khwai River Lodge - Botswana

Sink into time-honoured indulgence as you overlook the vibrant floodplains and dramatic big game of the Moremi Wildlife Reserve.

Moremi Reserve is situated at the heart of the Okavango Delta and was the first wildlife area to be set aside by tribal people rather than colonial powers.

Although the only statutorily protected part of the Okavango Delta, it is surrounded by a carefully controlled buffer zone. This allows free movement of animals according to seasonal migration. Extending north and east to join Chobe National Park, it is a wildlife haven that stretches all the way to Kasane.

Accommodation

Belmond Khwai River Lodge is home to luxury tents seated on raised wooden platforms with traditional African thatch roof. Private decks with easy chairs and hammocks provide panoramic views.

Inside you’ll find a netted four-poster bed, an elegant bathroom, a stocked mini bar and discreet air conditioning.

Tucked away from the main tent, our private suite offers a more secluded, romantic experience. The large deck includes a heated splash pool with full views of the reserve. An open-air bathroom, complete with double showers and copper-framed Victorian bath, brings you closer to nature.

The Stunning Pom Pom Camp in Botswana

In the heart of the Okavango Delta within the MATSEBE concession area, Pom Pom camp is another jewel in Botswana’s crown! Here hippo grunt and frolic in front of camp’s permanent lagoon that is surrounded by miles of reeds. In a clear water oasis “mokoro” offer you a wonderful means of viewing wildlife as you glide between palm fringed islands.

An 18 – bedded safari camp, built and designed in the style of safari camps

9 large walk-in tents, all with en suite showers, flush toilets and although roofless, the bathrooms are
enclosed for privacy, security and importantly offer you a truly unique bush adventure

The main building is attractively designed and constructed of thatch and canvas and comprises lounge, dining, bar and pool areas, as well as a gift shop and the boma area. The swimming pool is situated close to the main lodge and the bar, making a perfect location to enjoy a relaxing afternoon in the heat of the day.

History and Culture of Botswana

The history of Botswana is characterized by migrations of peoples into the country from the north and west and particularly from the east and south, as well as internal movements of groups of people. The group which eventually emerged as most numerous, and dominant, were the Batswana. Their pattern of dividing and migrating saw the formation of numerous Tswana tribes, and they eventually occupied all areas of the country.

First Inhabitants

The earliest modern inhabitants of southern Africa were the Bushman (San) and the Hottentot (Khoe) peoples. They have lived an almost unchanged lifestyle in the country since the Middle Stone Age.

The physical characteristics of the Khoe and the San are similar. Both tend to have light, almost coppery skin color, slanted, almond-shaped eyes, high cheekbones, thin lips and tufted, tightly curled hair. Both speak click languages, though there are major differences between them. Both hunted and collected wild foods and neither grew crops.

Approximately 60,000 years ago, the peoples of sub-Saharan Africa were of one tribe, probably of Khoe/San type. It is believed that the Bantu-speaking people were an offshoot from the Khoe/San tribe. This occurred in the tropical rain forests of equatorial Africa about 10,000 years ago. The Bantu-speaking people gradually developed darker skin pigmentation and different physical attributes because of the different environments they eventually occupied.

The origins of the Tswana tribes

In Botswana, about 1,000 years ago, large chiefdoms began to emerge in the area between Sowa Pan and the Tswapong Hills. Large settlements developed on hilltops. These people are known as the "Toutswe", after the first of their capitals, which was excavated on Toutswemogala Hill. Soon these communities were eclipsed by the Great Zimbabwe Empire, which spread its domain over much of eastern Botswana.

Around 1300 AD, peoples in present-day Transvaal began to coalesce into the linguistic and political groups they form today. This resulted in the emergence of three main groups: the Bakgalagadi, the Batswana and the Basotho, each of which had smaller divisions. Each group lived in small, loosely knit communities, spread widely over large areas of land. They spoke dialects of the same language and shared many cultural affinities.

Two central features of the history of the Batswana are 

fission and fusion. Groups of people broke off from their parent tribe and moved to new land, creating a new tribe and absorbing or subjugating the people they found there. This is how a single group of Batswana living in the Magaliesberg Mountains in northern Transvaal evolved into the numerous Tswana tribes, which exist today.