Makgadikgadi Pans National Park - Botswana

Meno A Kwena Tented Camp

Camp Kalahari 

Jack's Camp 

Updates On Botswana!

A new boutique guest house has opened in Gaborone, Botswana.

Opened in early May this year, Bannerloft Guest House offers nine rooms, accommodating a maximum of 18 guests.

Ed Bannerman, GM, says five of the rooms are deluxe rooms with queen-size beds, while four twin rooms have two three-quarter beds.

The guest house has free WiFi for guests and facilities include a conference room for 20 delegates.

The guest house is located 12 kilometers northeast of Sir Seretse Khama International airport, about 15 minutes’ drive in Maruapula. It is in close proximity to malls and central business district.

Big Tree Valley Hotel in Maun, Botswana, has been revamped.

“The revamp has added life, colour and quality creating a better experience overall for guests,” says GM Keneo Sebati.

Ceramic tiles has replaced carpets, while the interiors of all rooms has been refurbished. The reception and restaurant have also been revamped.

The hotel has a total of 13 rooms, which can accommodate 29 guests. Additional facilities include a conference room for 100 delegates.

5 of Botswana's Most Famous Places

Moremi Wildlife Reserve

Arguably the most beautiful wildlife sanctuary in Africa, this game reserve lies in the heart of Botswana’s Okavango Delta. Mopane tree canopies dominate the dry landscapes and the rest of the area is a combination of floodplain grasses, riverine woodland and permanent delta. The reserve supports one of the greatest concentrations of wildlife in Africa and includes endangered wild dogs, herds of elephants and the ‘Big Five.’

Kubu Island

Kubu Island is easily one of the most beautiful places to visit in Botswana and was once described by Top Gear presenter Jeremy Clarkson as the most astonishing place he’d ever been! It’s actually a dry granite rock island engulfed by a white sea of salt in the Makgadikgadi Pan. The island is now protected as a national monument, with visit proceeds going towards helping the local community.

Nxai Pan National park

Nearby this national park consists of Nxai Pan, which is one of the Makgadikgadi Pan salt flats. Characterised by sand dunes, vast salt pans, the famous Baines baobab trees it’s a beautiful place which of course offers excellent opportunities to see bird and wildlife. Open all-year round, it’s located in northeastern Botswana so it’s easy to combine a visit with the nearby Okavango Delta and the Chobe.

Makgadikgadi Pan

Another place with an unearthly beauty is the Makgadikgadi pans, the largest salt pans in the world. Located in the middle of the dry savanna of northeastern Botswana, it’s the remains a huge lake which dried up thousands of years ago. The salt-encrusted pans are flat and arid and come complete with a skyline which appears to go on forever. Camping safaris to spot the resident zebra, wildebeest their predators are a good option for more adventurous travellers.

Okavango Delta

Arguably the most beautiful wildlife sanctuary in Africa, this game reserve lies in the heart of Botswana’s Okavango Delta. Mopane tree canopies dominate the dry landscapes and the rest of the area is a combination of floodplain grasses, riverine woodland and permanent delta. The reserve supports one of the greatest concentrations of wildlife in Africa and includes endangered wild dogs, herds of elephants and the ‘Big Five.’

Botswana's Famous Jack's Camp

A relic of one of the world's largest super-lakes, the Makgadikgadi dried up thousands of years ago as a result of the continued shifting of the earth's crust.

Jack's Camp is sited in this prehistoric setting offering just ten bedouin-style canvas tents with en-suite bathrooms and spacious bedrooms with persian rugs and cool cotton sheets.

Tautona Lodge - Botswana

Tautona Lodge is a private game reserve located 5 minutes from the town Ghanzi, Ghanzi is a town in the western part of the Republic of Botswana in Southern Africa. The lodge is situated on a private reserve in the Kalahari with an abundance of wildlife including Eland, Oryx, Giraffe, Zebra, Impala, Ostrich, and Kudu as well as an extensive variety of bird life. Tautona Lodge offers luxury but affordable accommodation to holiday makers as well as the many business people that frequently visit Ghanzi. Secluded and tranquil with Waterbuck and Eland that graze peacefully amongst the chalets.. For your enjoyment the amenities at the lodge include an excellent a la carte restaurant, sports bar, pool table, table tennis, darts, swimming pool and open air deck

1xLuxury Family Chalet

Double story thatched stone building comprises of 1 Double en-suite bedroom, 2 twin rooms sharing a bathroom. Dining area, TV lounge and kitchenette with a private veranda and an outside BBQ area.

7 X DOUBLE MINI CHALETS & 1 X TWIN MINI CHALET

Thatched stone building comprises of an en-suite bedroom with a TV and tea and coffee making facilities…

DOUBLE / TWIN CHALETS

Thatched stone building comprises of 1 x Double / Twin en-suite bedroom. TV lounge with a kitchenette.

4 X TENTED ACCOMMODATION

Luxury Tents with twin beds and en-suite bathroom and BBQ facilities situated in the campsite.

Tautona Campsite

Tautona Campsite is 5min drive from the Main lodge. The campsites are set beneath the shade of thorn trees. Guests can enjoy a true bush experience under the Kalahari sky. The campsite facilities include electricity an ablution block with a double set of "flush" toilets, showers with hot and cold running water and a communal sink for washing dishes. The Boma and Lapa is available especially for the rainy days. Guests are welcome to enjoy Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner at Tautona Lodge Ala Carte Restaurant and have sundowners at the Pub. 

Explore the Okavango Delta

Considered one of Africa's masterpieces, the Okavango Delta offers and insight into one of Africa's truly great wildernesses. A World Heritage Site, this vast and virtually untouched freshwater wetland lies at the heart for Botswana's arid Kalahari yet supports an abundance of wildlife within a setting of dazzling natural beauty!

Highlights of the Okavango Delta:
The variety of flora and fauna means excellent game viewing year round
With such a profusion of life, predators in the form of lion, leopard, cheetah, hyaena and wild dog abound
Mokoro excursions offer an authentic and unobtrusive insight into this incredible wetland paradise

Okavango Delta Accommodation:

Camp Okavango
Eagle Island Lodge
Guma Lagoon Camp
Gunns Camp
Kana Kara Camp

For more accommodation please visit our website:
 www.botswana-reservations.com

The best lodges to see the wildebeest migration

The annual migration in East Africa is a memorable safari experience and a dream for many overseas visitors. Kim Emmanuel looks at some of the best places to stay when viewing the migration.

1.Sanctuary Serengeti Migration Camp
Robert Dixon, Senior Marketing & Digital Manager of Sanctuary Retreats, recommends the three of the group’s camps to best enjoy the wildebeest migration. “Rain is what motivates the migration and rules where the herds will be throughout the year,” said Dixon, adding that the best time to visit is July to October.
Sanctuary Serengeti Migration Camp in Tanzania is a seasonal camp that is located in the Western Serengeti from April – July, in the Northern Serengeti from August – November and in the Southern Serengeti from December – March each year.
This camp will move between three different locations, literally following the migration as it travels across the Serengeti, offering guests year round access to this incredible spectacle.
The camp offers 10 luxury safari tents each with their own en-suite bathrooms, indoor bucket shower and personal tent attendant.

2.Serengeti Serena safari Lodge

Serengeti Serena safari Lodge is located in the Serengeti National Park, 335 kilometres from Arusha, Tanzania where guests can enjoy a ringside seat of the annual migration of the wildebeest.
The lodge comprises 66 rooms of which one is a suite, two are handicap rooms, 26 twin rooms, 21 double rooms and 16 triple rooms (three pairs connecting rooms).
The lodge is accessible via a one hour flight from Arusha Airport to Seronera Air strip, followed by a transfer to the lodge 27 kilometres away.
Apart from witnessing the wildebeest migration, guests can enjoy game drives, hot air balloon safaris, walking safaris, nature walks, the swimming pool, acrobatic shows, cultural dances, video shows, a local guitarist, and board games.

3.Governors’ Camp

Governors’ Camp in Kenya’s Masai Mara is one of the best places to experience the migration.
"The camp presents an unmatched migration experience, more especially due to its ideal location and perfectly executed game drives," says Dave Bennett, Chief Sales Officer at Wilderness Safaris.
The camp is ideally located just north of several crossing points and adjacent to the renowned Paradise Plains where the BBC has filmed much of their migration footage.
The Governors’ Camp Collection comprises of seven luxury safari camps and lodges. The group also operate two aircraft, which are used to fly clients to and between camps.


4.Mara Serena Safari Lodge

Mara Serena Safari Lodge is located in the centre of the famous ‘Mara Triangle' of Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya.
The lodge provides views over the savannah and down to the hippo-filled Mara River, where guests can view the annual migration.
The lodge comprises 74 rooms (including five family rooms and one suite, all of which are non-smoking), a central dining room, internal and external bar, swimming pool and sundeck, Maisha Safari Spa and Gym, and gift shop and business centre. Other facilities include satellite television, WiFi, 24-hour medical services, a conference centre and events facilities.
Transfers to the lodge by road from Nairobi are approximately five hours in duration, while Mara Serena Airstrip is two kilometres from the Masai Mara Serena Safari Lodge.

5.Sanctuary Kusini

Sanctuary Kusini is the only permanent camp in the remote southern part of the Serengeti, Tanzania, and is ideal for seeing cheetah and wildebeest that congregate on the grassy plains in the calving season from mid-December to March.
Sanctuary Kusini comprises 12 tents each with its own personal attendant, mosquito netting, hairdryers and in-room safe.
The camp's communal areas include a dining area, lounge and library, as well as a campfire.

6.Sanctuary Olonana

Sanctuary Olonana is a tented safari camp on a private stretch of the Mara River in Kenya's Masai Mara.
During the annual wildebeest migration, the action happens on the camp's doorstep.
The camp comprises 14 tents with en-suite bathrooms and offers game drives, cultural visits, bush dinners, sundowners, balloon flights and scenic flights.
In Nairobi, scheduled flights depart from Wilson Airport (approximately 45 minutes) to the Mara.

7.Porini Lion Camp

Porini Lion Camp in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy, Kenya, is the ideal base for the main Serengeti-Mara migration. The camp has some of the biggest big cat densities in Africa and this provides a lot of big cat action when the thousands of wildebeest are around.
Night game drives during migration time is when the lions, leopards, and hyenas are most active and offers opportunities to watch a hunt or a pride noisily feasting on a wildebeest. The camp is also situated in easy reach of some of the key Mara River crossing points for those that may be interested in seeing them.

8.&Beyond Grumeti Serengeti Tented Camp

Grumeti Serengeti Tented Camp is a luxury lodge located in the Western Serengeti, Tanzania, in the path of the Great Migration and its river crossings.
The lodge comprises 10 tented safari suites with overhead fans, outdoor showers, swimming pool, and Safari Shop. It can accommodate 20 guests.
Apart from the wildebeest migration, guests can also witness the topi, a species of antelope, migration from the lodge.

9.Porini Mara Camp.

Porini Mara Camp in the Ol Kinyei Conservancy, the first conservancy in the Mara, Kenya, set up as an exclusive area for wildlife and with a room density not exceeding 1 tent to 700 acres, is the ideal place for the calving of the Loita migration. This occurs at the same time as the calving in Ndutu, Serengeti and offers great photography opportunities and memories of new life and at times death by the over 30 lions found in Ol Kinyei.

10.Sayari Camp.

Sayari Camp is located in the far north of the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania.
It comprises 15 tents that are split between two wings, with six tents in the smaller camp, to the north of the swimming pool, and nine in the bigger camp on the south side. Each wing has its own lounge and dining area, and a central swimming pool linking the two.

Each tent has its own en-suite bathrooms, with spacious showers and egg-shaped baths large enough for two, and offers views of the Serengeti plains.

Botswana: New look for Botswana hotel

The Masa Square Hotel in Gaborone, Botswana, has reopened following extensive renovations as well as a rebrand. The hotel was officially launched by Minister of Environment, Wildlife and Tourism, Tshekedi Khama last week.

Formerly the Lansmore Masa Square hotel, the property has opened under new ownership and management. 

The marketing and management contract was awarded to aha last year.Developments at the hotel include a fully renovated foyer and reception, the introduction of Don Carlos restaurant, and Carlitos café, both of which boast new menu options. The hotel’s terrace area has also been fully renovated – offering a café-style wooden deck and covered seating spilling out on to the Masa piazza.




Aha has also launched 30 new Masa Suites, which are fully furnished modern short-stay suites designed for comfort and convenience for business or leisure travellers opting for a self-catering-style executive stay.

Masa Square Hotel GM, Greg Soutter, commented: “We’re incredibly excited by the big changes one now finds at Masa Square Hotel, coupled with the reputed charm and excellence that guests and patrons have always come to know from Masa. There’s truly a well-diversified offering for everyone, and this is simply yet another step on our journey towards being a hospitality brand that rivals all others.”

“Of the many incredible addresses under our careful and respectful management, Masa is standout destination. Not only for its bespoke offering but its enviable location too,” said Neil Bald, MD of aha Hotels & Lodges.

The property is in the heart of Gaborone’s New CBD and offers 152 luxury rooms spread over seven floors, a restaurant and café, rooftop infinity swimming pool and event space, including conference facilities accommodating up to 200 people. Aha also manages Chobe Marina Lodge. 

New Duba Expedition Camp

Great Plains’ new Duba Expedition Camp opened last month in a private concession in the Okavango Delta.

Built on a wooden island, the camp comprises six expedition-style tents, each with views of the surrounding floodplain. The tents each offer a small desk and private verandah as well as en-suite bathrooms with double basins and an indoor shower.

The main area is an open plan dining and lounge area which opens to the outdoors on all sides.

Duba Expedition Camp is the only camp in the 77 000-acre private concession. The concession is to species Red lechwe, Greater kudu, tsessebe and giraffe as well as predators such as lion, leopard and Brown hyena. Birds in the area include Wattled crane, Pel’s Fishing owl, White-backed Night heron and Marsh owl.