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. In the central region of the concession, vast open floodplains provide some of the most stunning scenery Botswana has to offer. Jao Camp lies on the southern side of the plains, an area with beautiful islands fringed with riverine forests.

Jao Camp has nine spacious, beautiful tents, each individually handcrafted. These twin-bedded canvas and thatched rooms are situated beneath a canopy of shady trees and have en-suite facilities, as well as an outdoor shower for the more adventurous.

Built on raised decks, each has a private sala for afternoon siestas and offers wonderful views of the spectacular surrounding floodplains of Botswana. In addition to the lounge and dining area, there are two plunge pools and an outdoor boma for dining under the stars, complemented by wines from an excellent wine cellar. Jao Camp also has a salon where a wide range of massage therapies are offered.

Features of Jao Camp

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 Jao Concession

The Jao Concession is 60 000 hectares in extent and is in the north-western area of the Okavango Delta below the Panhandle. The Moremi Game Reserve forms the eastern boundary of the concession.The Okavango Delta rests between shallow fault lines at the end of the Great African Rift Valley. Deserts are low on annual rainfall and the Okavango Delta is no exception. However, each year floodwater flows into the Okavango Delta from its source in the moist African highlands over 1000 km away.

These floodwaters flow from their catchment southwards and into the Kalahari Desert to create a unique wetland that supports and sustains the huge diversity of wildlife in the Okavango Delta.Lying as it does in the very heart of the Okavango Delta, the Jao Concession embodies all the magic and mystique of Botswana. Narrow water channels cut their way through the papyrus and reed beds in the permanent delta to the north and east of the Jao Concession, providing the perfect environment for the elusive sitatunga and the rare Pel's Fishing-Owl. Beautiful lush palm islands dot the water, begging to be explored.

Further west the area gets progressively dryer and Hunda Island, which is the tip of a large 'sand tongue,' is the largest area of dry land in the Jao Concession during the flood season. Hunda Island has sandveld vegetation supporting many species of nutritious acacia and grewia shrubs which provide excellent browsing.

It is perhaps the birds for which the true wetland areas of the Okavango Delta are best known however. The largest concentrations of endangered Wattled Crane are found in this area and Slaty Egrets, Rosy-throated Longclaws and African Skimmer are some of the specials that can be seen. Hallowed species such as Pel's Fishing-Owl and Slaty Egret are found alongside more conspicuous and commonly seen Coppery-tailed Coucal, Pygmy Goose, while the specialised African Skimmer (from which Wilderness Safaris takes its logo) may be seen on the larger lagoons and channels in the Jao Concession.

The Jao Concession is set in the most densely populated wetland area for sitatunga antelope and red lechwe, and of course hippo and crocodile are regularly sighted. In the dry season lechwe, tsessebe, elephant, wildebeest and zebra occur here, and lion, cheetah and leopard are often sighted on the floodplains. The lion prides in this area of the Okavango Delta have been extensively studied in recent years, thereby building up a more intimate knowledge of their behaviour.

Where is the Jao Camp?
Fly in and transfer by vehicle to camp. Occasionally transfers are by boat during the green season.

Email Jao Camp enquiries and reservations: bookbotswana@madbookings.com

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