Camp Overview

Jao Camp is located on a large, remote island in a private concession in Botswana , bordering the Moremi Game Reserve in the heart of the Okavango Delta .

With varied habitats ranging from waterways and lagoons to dry Kalahari grasslands and open floodplains, Jao Camp can offer both land and water experiences, depending on the current flood levels. This luxury camp is a tranquil base for a wonderful Okavango Delta Safari experience.

Lodge Layout

The main area is an elaborate two-storey building with lounge and dining area, two plunge pools, a small library, curio shop and a boma for dining under the stars, complemented by an excellent wine cellar. Jao’s spa offers a wide range of massage therapies, and a gym.

The main area is quite an imposing structure; seemingly built on very high stilts it is similar in structure to jacana Camp in that it is on two levels. The lower level comprises of a seating area with a library. The open veranda extends out to the fire pit, which juts out into the wetlands and is where guests can sit under the stars and enjoy the atmosphere at night.

On the upper floor of this interesting structure you will find the bar and lounge where one can sit with a glass of wine and take in the views that the high levels this structure affords you. Adjacent to this area is spacious dining suite for your post activity dinners, again this area takes full advantage of the tree top views.

Separate to the main area, but all connected by walkways can be found 2 pools to relax by, a well stocked gym and a fabulous spa and treatment centre which is exceptionally good considering you are in the floodplains of the Okavango Delta.

Overall, the lodge is built in a Balinese style that is very pleasing to the eye and fits perfectly within its palm tree island.

Camp Environment

In the central region of the concession, Jao Camp sits on a small island dominated by large Delta trees and vegetation. The camp blends in perfectly to its environment with the structures seemingly forming part of the trees themselves. Vast open floodplains provide some of the most stunning scenery Botswana has to offer. Jao Camp lies in the southern side of the plains, an area with beautiful islands fringed with riverine forests.

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.