Jao Camp
Okavango Delta, Botswana
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JAO CAMP
- OKAVANGO DELTA, BOTSWANA
Jao Camp is situated in the Jao Reserve, an area
of 60,000 hectares, in Botswana's Okavango Delta. The Jao reserve borders
on the Moremi Game Reserve, to the west of Mombo Camp,
on a densely wooded, oval-shaped island. This area comprises a superb
variety of habitats, ranging from permanent waterways and lagoons on the
one extreme to thick Kalahari soils on the other. Jao ranks as one of
the best lodges in Southern Africa according to the July 2000 issue of
Harpers and Queen. The camp is open all year. Jao Camp is operated by
Wilderness Safaris.
Accommodation 
For images of Jao, click Jao Images For Layout map of Jao Camp, click Jao
Map
The camp sleeps a maximum
of 18 guests in unique and stunningly beautiful, luxury rooms. The whole
of Jao is raised on wooden decks above the lush palms below and is beneath
a dense canopy of ancient indigenous trees. Each room has thatched roofs
with canvas walls. En suite facilities include a bath, flush toilet, basins,
as well as an outdoor shower. Each room has a "sala" for midday
siestas with a wonderful view. The main dining, lounge and pub area is
under cool thatch beneath the tree canopy. The camp has a pool. There
ia also an outdoor "kgotla" (Botswana's version of a boma) for
dining under the stars. Raised walkways connect the rooms to the dining
room and lounge. Complimentary
laundry services are provided.
Activities
Jao can offer both land and
water activities, depending on the fluctuating levels of the Okavango's
floodwater. From about May to late September, the floods arrive and the
floodplains fill up with crystal clear waters. As the floods arrive,
the focus at Jao switches more to water activities with game drives on
the larger islands. From October to April, the flood levels drop and
the floodplains turn into savannah grasslands. Nowhere in the Okavango
do we experience more extreme contrasts in the seasons. Jao is therefore
a multi-activity camp. Mekoros, boating, walks, game drives and night drives
are all on offer all year. The primary focus of the activities changes
according to the time of year and the flood levels.
Wildlife
A variety of habitats ensures diverse and interesting
game viewing. The wildlife at Jao depends largely on the water levels
in the area. The lagoons are home to Hippo and Crocodile and the permanent
waters attract large numbers of waterfowl. In the permanent waters, Sitatunga
can be tracked silently by mokoro. From October to March
the waters subside and enormous open plains are the highlight. This is
where the game viewing is the best. Lion, Cheetah and Leopard are plentiful,
while Tsessebe, Red Lechwe, Zebra and Wildebeest dot the flood plains.
During the winter months, the water levels at Jao rise and the savannah
areas become covered with water.
The Owners
David and Cathy Kays and their families, and Kingsley Mogalakwe are the long-term
leaseholders of Jao Reserve. The Kays are one of Maun's oldest families. David's
great grandfather first came to Ngamiland in 1887. In 1912 the Kays family settled
in Tsau, at that time the headquarters of the Batawana tribe (Maun was not yet
founded). When the Batawana tribe decided to establish a new village at Maun
and move its headquarters there in the mid-1920's, the Kays family moved with
them. David's father, Ronnie, was instrumental in advising the Batawana Tribal
Authorities on the formation of Moremi Game Reserve and assisted in the demarcation
of the reserve's boundaries. Kingsley Mogalakwe is from a prominent and well-known
Maun family. His uncle, Montsho Mogalakwe, was also instrumental in the formation
of Moremi Game Reserve and has now retired from service in Maun as the deputy
chief for Ngamiland.
Like all families raised
in and around the Okavango, wildlife was in their blood, and they spent
most of their lives out in the bush. When they won the rights for the Jao
Reserve in the recent tender process, they were determined to make this
Botswana's finest reserve. They turned their backs on hunting, even though
it is allowed in this reserve. They are only the second reserve in Botswana
not to hunt, when hunting is allowed. They have decided to focus all their
efforts on developing Jao into a superb photographic reserve, but in the
process they lose about US$300,000 in hunting revenue every year to ensure
great game viewing and a superb wildlife product in the long term. The
camps they have built ~ Jao, Kwetsani, Tubu Tree and Seba ~ are some of
the top camps in the Okavango.
Hunting
Kings Pool
Camp,
DumaTau Camp, Savuti
Camp
and Linyanti Tented Camp in the Linyanti
Wildlife Reserve, as well as Kwetsani, Tubu
Tree, Seba Camp, and Jao Camps
in the Jao Reserve, have the right to hunt animals in their
areas in addition to running photographic safaris. They have deliberately
decided not to hunt and forgo about US$300,000 of revenue annually per
reserve. They are also involved in game counts and censuses to help the
parks build up a data base of the animals in the country. Wilderness
Safaris does not allow hunting in any of their operations anywhere.
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