Kanana Mokoro Camp - Okavango Delta - Botswana
The Kanana Mokoro Trail package is a specially designed mokoro experience, allowing visitors a unique opportunity to search for rarely seen creatures such as the sitatunga and Pel's fishing owl. One of the special attractions of this Ker & Downey program is its exclusivity and flexibility. The trails camp accommodates a maximum of four people in two twin bedded tents, and the camp includes the services of two professional guides, personal chef, waiter, housekeeper and mokoro guides.
DAY 1 Maun/Okavango Delta
On arrival at Maun Airport, you will be met by a uniformed Ker and Downey representative, who will assist with arrivals and show you through to your twenty minute charter flight into the wilderness. On arrival at Kanana airstrip, you will be collected by your guide and driven to Kanana Camp, from where you will board a mokoro (traditional canoe) and glide peacefully out into one of the most remote areas of the Okavango Delta. On a secluded island, you will find your rustic bush camp where friendly staff wait ready to welcome you with a refreshing cool drink.
After an introduction to the region by your guide and host, it will be time to venture out onto the lily-covered waterways, and begin to learn about this diverse environment, as your mokoro guides point out some of the inhabitants of this aquatic world including red lechwe, fish eagles, painted reed frogs, golden orb spiders and malachite kingfishers.
On return to camp, a piping hot shower under the stars awaits. Iced drinks and a three-course dinner culminate around the blazing campfire listening to your hosts tell tall tales of their time in the wilds.
DAY 2 Okavango Delta
After a light breakfast, your guides will lead your mokoro out exploring this wonderland of islands that provides a seasonal haven to about forty species of large mammals, including the rarely seen sitatunga. This elusive creature is a swamp dwelling antelope, related to other spiral horned antelope, the bushbuck and nyala, and is found throughout Central Africa centering on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, east into Tanzania and south into Zambia and Botswana.
An adult sitatunga stands about one and a half meters at the shoulder, and is completely adapted to living in water. Their hooves are long and splayed in order to allow the animal to move easily through the swampy habitat as Sitatunga spend most of their lives in papyrus swamps. They are also very strong swimmers and often take to open water to evade predators such as leopards or wild dogs, and will lie submerged in pools with only their nostrils above the surface when threatened.
The Kanana concession is prime habitat for these beautiful creatures and along with the multitude of bird species found in the area, including rarities such as the Pel's fishing owl and slaty egret, will be the focus of the activities on the trail.
As the temperature rises, it is time to retreat to your private oasis for a cool drink and lazy lunch followed by an afternoon of reflection from the comfort of your hammock. Your exploration continues in the late afternoon taking a walk on an island, searching the canopies of the African ebony and the mangosteen for sign of the Pel's fishing owl or gliding through the reeds and miscanthus grass on your mokoro.
DAY 3 Okavango Delta/Maun
After an early morning activity and breakfast, transfer by mokoro to Kanana Camp, where you will be transferred to your waiting charter aircraft.
Activities
Mokoro rides, walks and some fishing from mokoro for bream, pike and silver catfish. The camp is equipped with fishing rods and spinning lures.
Transfers to and from the Trails camp are by mokoro. The camp is 'mobile' and is moved depending upon the water levels, thus allowing guides to stay close to the areas occupied by sitatunga (it is not moved every night). Camp capacity is maximum of four people accommodated in two twin bedded bow mosquito proof tents. Each tent has adjacent bucket shower and 'long drop' toilet facilities. Lighting is by rechargeable 12 volt lamps, charged by solar powered and refrigeration is by gas-operated freezers. All cooking in the camp is bush style, using fire and coals and the decades of experience from our camp chefs. Communications are by radio with Maun and Kanana Camp, which acts as a supply base, though there is a satellite phone in camp for emergencies. .
