Khwai Private Reserve & Community Concession

Khwai's position at the unfenced junction of Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe National Park means animal movement is unrestricted; wildlife flows across this frontier year-round. Night drives and off-road driving are permitted, whereas they are not in the national parks. On offer are a range of activities: mokoro and walking safaris, and underground photographic hides. Khwai is also one of the Okavango region's most reliably productive areas for African wild dog, with resident packs and regular den sightings during the dry winter months.

The Khwai Private Reserve (NG18) covers 200,000 hectares and is accessible only to guests staying at one of a small number of luxury lodges; no self-drivers, day visitors, or mobile camping is permitted. This exclusivity ensures very limited vehicles at any sighting. The Khwai Community Concession (NG19) is smaller, at about 30,000 ha, and lies to the south along the Khwai River. It is community-owned and managed by Khwai village, with lease revenue flowing directly to local families. The community concession offers more accommodation options and permits mobile camping and self-drivers. Both areas offer night drives and off-road access. The choice depends on the level of exclusivity desired and the type of experience being sought.

The dry season (approximately May to October) is the primary game-viewing season, when vegetation thins, wildlife concentrates around permanent water, and wild dogs typically den in known sites. June to September offers the most comfortable temperatures and the most reliable predator sightings. October builds toward the dramatic heat of "suicide month", named for the oppressive temperatures ahead of the first rains, but also produces extraordinary concentrations of elephants and predators at the last remaining water sources. The green season (November to April) brings lush scenery, migrant birds, newborn wildlife, fewer visitors, and lower rates; a rewarding alternative for photographers and birders who prefer a different character of experience.

The Khwai area offers one of the broadest wildlife profiles in Botswana: African wild dog, leopard, lion, cheetah, elephant, buffalo, hippo, and crocodile are all resident. Night drives reveal serval, honey badger, aardwolf, porcupine, and springhare. Rare antelope species including roan and sable emerge from the mopane to drink. More than 500 bird species have been recorded, with highlights including the African skimmer, slaty egret, African finfoot, pygmy goose, and the pennant-winged nightjar.

The Khwai area sits within a corridor used by multiple wild dog packs moving between the Okavango, Moremi, and Chobe ecosystems. During the dry winter months, packs establish dens at known locations in the Khwai area and can be reliably found day after day. The terrain, open floodplains and mopane glades, makes tracking and viewing easier than in denser forest habitats. Africa Geographic's own safari accounts document encounters with the same pack on multiple consecutive days, including hunting sequences and extended resting periods.

Yes. Night drives are permitted in both the Khwai Private Reserve and the Khwai Community Concession. This is a significant difference from Botswana's national parks, including Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe National Park, where spotlight drives are not allowed. Night drives in Khwai open access to leopard hunting along the channels, serval in the grassland margins, honey badger, porcupine, and the rarely seen aardwolf. These sessions are guided and typically run after the evening game drive returns.

A mokoro (plural: mekoro) is a traditional dugout canoe used by communities throughout the Okavango Delta region for centuries. In Khwai, mokoro safaris follow ancient paths carved by generations of elephants and hippos through the reed beds and lily channels of the Delta's north-eastern fingers. Guided by local polers who navigate silently with a long pole, guests experience the water at eye level, malachite kingfishers, frogs, dragonflies, and the occasional elephant looming from a neighbouring bank. Mokoro safaris are water-level dependent and are typically available when the Angolan floodwaters have raised the Khwai River during the dry season.

The Khwai Community Concession (NG19) is a wildlife concession owned and managed by the residents of Khwai village, a small community living adjacent to the concession boundary, with no protective fencing between them and the wildlife. The community decided to dedicate its land to wildlife conservation and tourism, earning income through lease fees paid by lodges and campsites operating within the concession. This model, community land generating community revenue, is one of the most direct examples of conservation-linked income in Botswana. Guests staying in or visiting the community concession can take guided walks through the village itself.

Most guests arrive at Maun International Airport, which receives regional flights from Johannesburg and other major hubs. From Maun, a short light-aircraft transfer (typically 15–20 minutes) to one of the bush airstrips in or near the Khwai area is the standard route for lodge-based guests. Some guests access Khwai by vehicle from Maun, subject to road conditions. Transfer logistics vary by lodge and operator; Africa Geographic's team handles all routing as part of any booked itinerary.

Yes — and this is one of the most natural multi-destination combinations in Botswana. Khwai pairs well with the Okavango Delta (for a deeper water safari), Chobe National Park (for river-based elephant and buffalo viewing), and the Makgadikgadi Pans (for a stark landscape contrast). A Botswana circuit of three to four destinations in seven to ten days is a common and deeply rewarding itinerary. Africa Geographic designs these combinations regularly, using light aircraft to connect camps efficiently across northern Botswana.

September and October are considered prime photography months; the landscape is at its most stark and dramatic, wildlife concentrates at waterholes, producing extraordinary visual access, and the light of the late dry season is particularly warm and clear. The underground photographic hides on the eastern side of the Khwai Private Reserve produce ground-level, eye-contact images unavailable from a vehicle. The green season (November to April) offers lush colour, dramatic storm light, and excellent opportunities to capture behaviour and newborn wildlife; a compelling yet underrated choice for serious photographers.

Safaris in the Khwai Private Reserve typically cost from US$700 per person per night, all-inclusive of accommodation, meals, game drives, activities, and transfers, with 24/7 support from Africa Geographic's team. Costs vary by lodge, season, and activity inclusions. The Khwai Community Concession offers a wider range of price points. Peak dry season (June–October) requires advance booking; green season offers better availability and rates. Contact our team for a tailored, no-obligation itinerary.

Yes — in two ways. The Khwai Community Concession is community-owned, meaning lodge lease fees flow directly to Khwai village — supporting families who live alongside wildlife and have chosen conservation over alternative land uses. By booking through Africa Geographic, you additionally support our conservation publishing work and the ground-level conservation projects funded through a portion of every safari sold.