Botswana Safari

Nxabega Tented Camp

Okavango Delta, Botswana

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View images of Nxabega Tented Camp: Nxabega Images

NXABEGA TENTED CAMP RATES: Nxabega Rates

NXABEGA TENTED CAMP - OKAVANGO DELTA, BOTSWANA
Tucked under a canopy of massive ebony trees, Nxabega Tented Camp reveals the splendour and variety of the Okavango in all its glory. Sheltered by dense forest thickets, yet opening up onto wide, expansive views over lagoons and channels, the Camp showcases the best of what the Delta has to offer. Nine exclusive tented suites are strung out on either side of the camp's handsome thatched guest areas.

Nxabega Tented Camp combines more than just two worlds - the remote and wild game viewing experience of Botswana’s lush grasslands offsets the intricate detail of the hidden world of the Delta’s waterways, while the simplicity of canvas merges with the elegance of an exclusive club. Nine tented suites create an experience that is rugged yet luxurious, blending the remoteness of the breathtaking setting with utter comfort and style. Meaning “Place of the Giraffe,” Nxabega is ideally positioned to explore the magnificence of the Okavango.

The wide open channels of the Delta spread in front of the camp, inviting guests to discover a world full of adventure. The Camp is known for its elegant tented accommodation with breathtaking views of the ever-changing Okavango Delta.

Nxabega is owned and operated by andBeyond.

Unique Selling Points
• Situated near permanent channels of the Okavango Delta
• Nxabega Tented Camp offers a water and wilderness experience with the excitement of viewing big game on land
• Exclusive access to 70 km² comprising six broad habitats and diverse bird, plant and animal species (birders might well see the elusive Pel’s Fishing Owl)
• Mokoro (canoe) and power boat excursions
• The architecture and infrastructure is guided by the principle of a light footprint
• Delicious Pan African meals

Accommodation            For images of Nxabega Tented Camp, click Nxabega Images
Tucked under a canopy of massive ebony trees, Nxabega Okavango Tented Camp reveals the splendour and variety of the Okavango in all its glory. Sheltered by dense forest thickets, yet opening up onto wide, expansive views over lagoons and channels, the Camp showcases the best of what the Delta has to offer. Nine exclusive tented suites are strung out on either side of the camp's handsome thatched guest areas.

Raised on wooden platforms, the spacious tented suites let in the sights and sounds of the African bush. Escape the heat of the day with a dip in the pool or take in the sun on the broad viewing deck looking out over reeds and floodplains. Cowhide rugs on the floors and chocolate tones warm and gratify, while large spinning fans keep the heat at bay. A large ensuite shower with burnished teak floorboards refreshes and renews, while private wooden decks invite you to contemplate the water’s edge.

The nine East African-style safari tents are on raised wooden platforms with private decks overlooking a floodplain. All tents have an ensuite shower and w.c, and are elegantly furnished with wardrobes, luggage racks, chairs, dressing tables and bedside tables.

Included
• Accommodation
• Three meals daily
• Soft drinks, house wines, local brand spirits and beers
• Teas and coffees
• Refreshments on game drives
• Scheduled safari activities
• Emergency medical evacuation insurance
• Laundry

Guest Areas
Sweeping guest areas nestled under shady boughs provide a cosy place to while away the afternoon hours. Gaze onto distant views or take refuge in dark wooden panelling and leather fittings beneath the steep thatched roof. Gleaming wooden floors and comfortable reed chairs under a blazing chandelier add spice and warmth to meals served in the gleaming dining room, with wide open doors pulled back to stunning Delta views.

The magnificent elevated main building is constructed in local timber, reed and thatch with sweeping views. The camp comprises a dining room, sitting room and expansive decks. There is an outside dining deck, a swimming pool and a Safari Shop.

Cuisine
Breakfast: After the morning activity, return to the Camp for a delicious breakfast, with platters of fruit and cheese followed by a selection of hot breakfast dishes. Choose from eggs, oats, waffles or a number of other options.
Lunch: If you wish, you can walk off your breakfast on a short walk near the lodge, accompanied by your guide, who will share his insight into the smaller animals and vegetation in the area. Lunch is served in shady guest areas tucked into the riverine forest.
Afternoon Tea: Cool off with a refreshing dip in the Camp's pool or indulge in an afternoon siesta. Then enjoy a late afternoon tea before you embark on your afternoon adventure.
Dinner: After the afternoon activity, return to the Camp for a mouthwatering dinner under African skies.

Children are welcome. Regretfully, children 5 years and younger cannot participate in the regular game drives and mekoro activities. Children 16 years and older can participate in guided walks and mekoro activities. Childminders can be booked at an additional cost. Children aged 6 to 11 years are accommodated on game drives at the lodge manager’s discretion. An extra bed can be arranged for a child sharing its parents’ suite. No more than 1 triple in camp at any one time.

Activities & Wildlife
Activities
The highly trained guides and trackers will do their utmost to delight guests with a choice of the following activities:

Twice daily game drives - guests can explore the rich wildlife surrounding Nxabega on early morning and late afternoon / evening game drives in an open air safari vehicle, accompanied by an armed guide and tracker. The landscape traversed on game drives includes floodplains, as well as seasonal grassland, woodland, shrubland and savanna. Game drives track the Big Five, as well as a variety of other animals, including the semi-aquatic lechwe and sitatunga antelope.

Interpretive bush walks - take a leisurely walk in the surroundings of the Camp to take in the sights, smells and sounds of the Okavango Delta, accompanied by an armed guide. Learn about how elephant are vital to the survival of the fan palm, try to spot the elusive Pel's fishing owl and keep a sharp eye out for the shy bushbuck.

River Cruises - in an electrically powered ‘eco boat’ or mokoro - explore the waterways of the Okavango by boat in the company of our experienced guides. Learn the fascinating details of the Delta's network of channels, fringed by dense reeds and papyrus. A good variety of fish can be found in the clear waters fishing trips can be arranged on request during fishing season (1 March to 31 December). Spot the nests of weavers and warblers in the papyrus beds and watch out for malachite kingfishers among the taller stems. Beautifully coloured frog species, such as the painted reed frog, abound. Waterlilies brighten up the surface of lagoons, where sleepy hippo splash beneath the surface.

Wildlife
The Okavango Delta is home to a large number of species, including semi-aquatic species, such as the elegant red lechwe and shy sitatunga. Families of hippo hide in the deeper channels and lagoons, while the unique Delta environment supports many minute but beautiful species, including multicoloured frogs and incandescent dragonflies. The area supports the continent’s largest surviving concentration of elephant and buffalo, while roan and sable antelope roam the open woodlands. Nxabega means place of the giraffe and these elegant animals are abundant in the surrounding areas.

One of the most common antelope in the Okavango, the red lechwe is especially adapted for the swampy conditions it lives in. Its splayed, elongated hooves give it a sure footing, allowing it to inhabit the outskirts of the permanent swamps. The Okavango is also a stronghold for the endangered African wild dog, although sightings of this rare animal are relatively uncommon. Exhibiting a fascinating social structure, wild dog live in packs led by a dominant pair, with a strict social hierarchy. Although particularly nocturnal and difficult to spot, leopard live in the dense riverine thickets of the Delta.

With an incredible wealth of species, the Okavango is a haven for birding enthusiasts. One of its most sought after species is the huge but elusive Pel’s fishing owl, which roosts in the densest evergreen thickets. A quintessential African sound, the haunting call of the fish eagle can be heard echoing over the channels of the Okavango. The Delta also boasts the largest population of the endangered wattled crane, a large and beautiful species. The African jacana, with its extraordinarily long toes, skims along the top of floating vegetation, giving the impression that it is walking on water.

Guides
andBeyond is renowned for having some of the most highly trained, professional, passionate and knowledgeable guides and trackers on the continent. They have a passion for people and wildlife, ensuring unbeatable interpretive safari experiences. The guides at Nxabega impart an incomparable wealth of knowledge, personally researched and experienced, about local habitats, ecology, birds, trees, plants, small animals and insects. Many of their guides and trackers belong to the surrounding communities and can share cultural information with guests.

andBeyond runs two full-time ranger training schools headed by professional ranger trainers in Africa - at Phinda in South Africa and Klein's Camp in Tanzania. Each guide at Nxabega undergoes a rigorous eight-week training course at one of these schools before joining their team. They then receive further on-site training and benefit immensely from their colleagues' ongoing mentorship. It is through their passion for what they do, and their desire to develop and learn that &Beyond's guides are among the finest in the world.

Environment
Nxabega Tented Camp is set in a private concession of 8,000 hectares (19,800 acres) to the southeast of the Moremi Wildlife Reserve in the centre of one of the most unique regions in the world, the Okavango Delta. Renowned for its lush waterways and abundant wildlife, the Okavango is home to a number of aquatic and land species.

Located in northern Botswana, the Okavango River is a unique natural phenomenon - flowing more than 1,000 km (620 miles) from its source in Angola, this river disappears beneath the sands of Botswana, creating a lush inland delta in the midst of this otherwise arid country. The Okavango Delta is in a constant state of flux, expanding and contracting according to the rainy season. While some parts of the Delta remain permanently flooded, others only experience high water levels from May to September, when rainwaters from Angola reach the outer stretches of the Okavango.

Covering approximately one third of the Delta, permanent swamp areas are lush and green, with groves of wild date palm, papyrus and water lilies growing around deep lagoons lined with riverine forest. Seasonal swamps, on the other hand, contain a network of small channels cutting their way through papyrus and reed beds to create islands of all shapes and sizes. Nxabega is located in riverine forest on the channels and lagoons of the southern, seasonal part of the Delta.

The abundant water in the Okavango’s permanent channels sustains a dense forest of tall trees, which are forced upward in the race for ample sunlight. Little grass survives among the shrubs and creepers in their deep shade. Among the trees in this forest, the sausage tree is notable not only for its pendulous fruit and large, crimson flowers, but also for the fact that traditional mekoro (dugout canoes) are frequently made from its boughs or trunk. The riverine forest is home to prolific birdlife, including the elusive Pel’s fishing owl, and fruit bats are attracted to the abundant fig trees, feeding on the juicy fruit after dark.

Nxabega is situated in an area that boasts a number of permanent river channels that flow throughout the year. The steady water supply creates a distinctive layer of vegetation, with lush beds of tall papyrus, miscanthus grass, evergreen figs and ferns. This is another good birding area. A pair of Pel’s fishing owls are regularly seen near Nxabega, attracted by the large variety of fish found in the channels. Clear lagoons are created where channels open up, dotted with floating rafts of water lilies, water chestnut and other aquatic plants. Families of hippo bask in the open water and Cape clawless otter may be spotted.

Although dry for two thirds of the year, large areas of the Okavango Delta are inundated during the winter months, creating a maze of marshes, small wooded islands and shallow lagoons. Water lilies and other aquatic plants flourish in the shallow water, with water birds such as the wattled crane on the prowl for any of a variety of frog species. The semi-aquatic red lechwe antelope can be spotted around the outskirts of the marsh. When the floodwaters evaporate, these lagoons turn into broad expanses of grassland, where herds of buffalo, tssesebe and blue wildebeest graze.

Other Considerations
• Weather: Botswana has hot, wet summers (October to April). Temperatures can rise to over 40ºC/104ºF and usually drop to 25ºC/77ºF at night. Winters (May to September) are dry and cool, and the nights can be chilly.
• Rainfall: The rainy season – generally in the form of magnificent afternoon thundershowers – is from late December to the end of February, sometimes continuing into March. Summer rains bring spectacular migrant birds to Botswana. Average rainfall per year is approximately 500 mm
• Best time to travel: All year round.
• Malaria: The Okavango Delta is a malaria area and necessary precautions should be taken.
• Ratio of guests to staff: 1 to 2
• Camp closure: Open year round
• Fly times:  Maun-Nxabega 20 mins; Kasane-Nxabega 1hr 25 mins.

Top           Return to Map of Okavango Delta Camps

Water / Land Activity Table for Botswana camps:  Water/Land Botswana
Flying Times between Botswana camps:  Fly Times Botswana

For further information about the Okavango Delta, click More Okavango
For further information about Botswana, click More Botswana

                       

                                                 

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