Things to do in Botswana

Camp Xakanaxa: a traditional tented camp in the heart of the Moremi Game Reserve

We saw a leopard emerge from her den with her cubs for the first time, which was a very special moment…

By Harrison Mangwegape

Guide at Camp Xakanaxa

Camp Xakanaxa is one of the oldest camps in the Moremi Game Reserve; it was built in the 1960s as a hunting and fishing lodge before it became a safari camp in 1988 and is still tented in style, which is quite unusual in Botswana and gives it an authentic feel.

We’re located in a beautiful part of the Okavango Delta, with forests, waterways and islands surrounding us, and the wildlife in the area is incredibly diverse – we often see wild dogs, lions, wildebeest, elephants, buffalo, hyenas, giraffes and much more, as well as the occasional leopard.

We have 11 tented suites at the camp as well as one for families, all built with eco-friendly materials. These were recently refurbished so they’re comfortable and homely, with en-suite bathrooms as well as private viewing decks where you can spot wildlife below.

The main area is set on a raised platform above the Khwai River, so we get some amazing views, and there are also two pools, a firepit deck and an outdoor dining table where everyone eats together, with mokoros (traditional wooden canoes) hanging down above you.

The food is hearty, with continental breakfasts, hot brunches and three-course dinners, and there’s a relaxed, friendly atmosphere – we want to make guests feel at home.

I love guiding here because the landscapes are so varied – you can see deepwater channels and lagoons one minute and then mopane forests the next. We offer game drives as well as motorised boat trips, so guests can embark on both land and river safaris throughout the year, which is quite rare in the region.

I remember one morning watching a group of hippos frolic in the water, and then two minutes later seeing a lioness hunt a wildebeest in the forest; it was amazing because of how quickly it all happened. My guests couldn’t even speak. Leopard sightings are always a thrill too – I was recently out with a group when we saw a leopard emerge from her den with her cubs for the first time, which was a very special moment.

But every day is memorable here – it’s never the same from one to the next, and I feel grateful to be able to live and guide in these remarkable landscapes.

Available in these itineraries…

Itinerary

Best of Botswana and Victoria Falls
by Adele Jones

Length11 Days

Price range£7,175 - £10,440pp
Itinerary

Botswana Conservation and Community
by Dagmar Marrocco

Length9 Days

Price range£6,925 - £9,575pp

Alfred & Harrison Mangwegape

Harry was born in the Botswanan village of Thamaga, near capital Gaborone. He loved wildlife growing up and trained at the Okavango Guiding School in Maun to pursue his passion. He started working as a guide at Desert & Delta’s Savute Safari Lodge in 2010 and later joined Leroo La Tau in Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, before moving to Camp Xakanaxa.

Plan your holiday withAlfred&

Your journey will start with one of our UK team – someone like Louise, who's travelled extensively in Botswana. They’ll shape your ideas into the trip of a lifetime. But they won't do it alone. They'll draw on the expertise of our contacts on the ground, connecting you to the people who'll make your holiday one you'll always remember - the rangers who'll ensure you'll spot the best wildlife in Chobe, the village chiefs who'll give you an insight into local life and the helicopter pilots who can land you on an island in the Delta never visited by humans before.

Louise Dean

Africa Expert for Alfred&

When it comes to Africa, Louise is well versed. She’s flown into an empty Namibian beach to eat lunch on the aircraft wing, experienced Tanzania’s Great Wildebeest migration and listened to stories of the Anglo-Zulu War on the battlefields where it happened over a centennial ago. While she’s witnessed vast, incredible game including the last two northern white rhinos, it’s the people who she finds most inspiring; the native Maasai women whose lives are deeply rooted within the Olare Motorogi Conservancy and the local guides - resilient, highly knowledgeable, and ever smiling.
Harrison Mangwegape

Guide at Camp Xakanaxa

Harry was born in the Botswanan village of Thamaga, near capital Gaborone. He loved wildlife growing up and trained at the Okavango Guiding School in Maun to pursue his passion. He started working as a guide at Desert & Delta’s Savute Safari Lodge in 2010 and later joined Leroo La Tau in Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, before moving to Camp Xakanaxa.
Keitumetse 'KT' Mogale

Guide at Camp Okavango

Keitumetse has been guiding for 12 years. He grew up in the village of Mogotho in the Okavango Delta and began his career as a tracker. He now leads walking safaris and game drives at Camp Okavango and enjoys sharing his stories with guests from all over the world.
Florence Kagiso

Senior Guide at Chobe Game Lodge

Florence grew up in a farming family in the Okavango Delta and has been a guide at Chobe Game Lodge for 17 years. When she joined in 2004, she was the first female guide at the camp - she now mentors a team of 17 women. Her work was recognised in National Geographic Traveller’s recent Reader Awards 2021, where she won The Innovator award.
Andrew Baker

Founder and Managing Director of Helicopter Horizons

Andrew grew up in Zimbabwe before moving to the US to train as a pilot. Botswana had always held a place in his heart, so he began his aviation career as a fixed wing pilot in the Okavango Delta. He founded Helicopter Horizons in 2004, offering photographic flights - without doors - for organisations such as the BBC and National Geographic. The company now offer scenic flights for tourists in the Okavango Delta, Linyanti region and the Makgadikgadi Pans, as well as transfers between safari camps.
Ollie Maitapiso

Guide at Leroo La Tau

Ollie grew up in the village of Xaxaba in the Okavango Delta and began his career as a trainee poler in 1999, taking guests out on mokoro trips. He started guiding in 2004 and joined Camp Xakanaxa in the Moremi Game Reserve in 2007, before moving to Leroo La Tau in 2014.