Location
If you want to view an abundance of game, then Jao Camp is the Botswana safari option to select. The camp sits on a remote island bordering the Moremi Game Reserve in the centre of the Okavango Delta. There is a diverse range of ecosystems surrounding this Botswana camp, from arid Kalahari grasslands and marshy lagoons to vast floodplains. Wild game life experiences on offer at Jao Camp are spectacular and multiple.
Accommodation
Guests will be accommodated in nine luxury tents; each of which has been handcrafted to encapsulate the Okavango Delta offering. The tents are fitted with twin beds and have canvas walls and a thatched roof to ensure maximum coolness throughout the year. Each tent has been superbly decorated, has en suite facilities and there is an outdoor shower for those who want more of an adventurous cleanse. Complimentary soap, shampoo and insect repellent is provided, and there is a fan should guests wish to make use of this.
The entire camp is raised on wooden decks and when it is time to siesta you climb onto your own private sala for afternoon naps. There is a lounge and dining area, two plunge pools and a boma for African star gazing dinners. All the wines complement dinners and come from the well stocked wine cellar. The camp has a salon where a spectrum of massage therapies is offered. Jao Camp is a superior Botswana safari experience. The camp only accommodates 16 guests at a time, thus ensuring a peaceful safari for all visitors. The entire camp is raised so that you walk from your tent to the dining area, and then onto the lounge area. With this elevated living experience you get to view the Delta and wildlife on show, all the time.
The Safaris & Game Viewing
The game viewing is dependent on which time of year you choose to visit the camp, so it is best to take this into consideration before booking your trip to Botswana. The game to be seen in the Okavango include elephant, lion, zebra, wildebeest, giraffe, warthog, African wild cat, lechwe, hippo, leopard, impala, waterbuck, sitatunga and wild dog. It is best to visit during the drier months when the vegetation has thinned, as the game will be easier to see.
This Botswana camp offers guests an equal mix of game drives and water activities. In the summer months, activities tend more towards game drives, whereas in the winter months mainly water-based activities are offered at Jao Camp. Game drives take place in three ten-seater open 4X4 Land Rovers, each sitting seven guests so that you all have an outside seat for optimum viewing. Night drives and private vehicles are available on request. The water activities take place in mekoros with glass fitted bottoms or seven seater boats.
General
The camp has a 220v generator, but electricity is for the running of the kitchen and main areas only. Once guests return to camp after daily activities, the generators are switched off. This means peace for the guests. Solar heaters are used to warm the water for showers. Laundry service is available; however, underwear will not be washed due to local customs. You will need to fly to Jao airstrip from Maun or Kasane to access Jao Camp.
The Jao Camp is owned by Cathy and David Kays whose attachment to the land goes back four genenarations when David’s great grandfather first arrived in Ngamiland in 1887.The camp is now a specialist photographic reserve where hunting has ceased, even though it is allowed in the reserve. Jao camp is only the second reserve in Botswana which chooses not to hunt even though hunting is permitted. Their efforts are focused on developing the reserve and preserving game viewing for the long term. This means that your game viewing experience will be outstanding at this Botswana camp.
Jao Camp is the ultimate in extravagance. You will be treated to fine cuisine, delicious wines, majestic game and bird life, stunning African safari vistas and the unforgettable Okavango Delta. Do yourself a favour and book a Botswana safari at Jao Camp this season.