This All-inclusive Botswana Safari Camp Has Twice-daily Game Drives, Plunge Pools, and a Hide for Incredible Game Viewing

Botswana's Mababe Concession lacks the name recognition of the Okavango Delta, but the open landscape means incredible wildlife sightings.

At the edge of the lush mopane forest, the vast Mababe Depression opened up beneath our whirring helicopter. Looking down, I spotted herds of elephants wading through watery marsh and clusters of giraffes dotted along the expansive grasslands. We’d just flown east from Botswana’s famous Okavango Delta and were about to land in the Mababe Concession at the just-opened Wilderness Mokete camp — the area’s first high-end photographic safari property.

Dineo (Dinny) Bakgadi, the camp's co-manager, met me with a refreshing ginger ale and strawberry welcome drink and gave me my orientation briefing. The nine-tent camp is simple and stylish in white, beige, and brown, and open to the surroundings (partly why guests must be over 16), with retractable roofs that open for stargazing in bed. Initially, this was meant to be a temporary placeholder until a permanent camp could be completed. But, after reassessing during the building phase, the initial plan was scrapped; private plunge pools and air conditioning units were added to elevate the comfort factor, and the camp was complete.

Before the first game drive, I met my guide, Leodirang Sox (who goes by Sox). Like Bakgadi, he’s from the Mababe village, just three miles away — as are more than 90 percent of the staff. The Mababe community leases the concession to Maun-based Cobus Calitz, who partnered with Wilderness to open Mokete.

One of the most striking things about Mababe is its enormous, hundreds-strong herds of buffalo. Their bulky outlines filled the whole horizon, dust surrounding them as they plodded toward a watering hole. "I don't think you'll see herds like this [anywhere else] in Botswana,” said Bakgadi.

The concession’s lions are never far away. There used to be one massive pride of 52 individuals, but it recently split in two, said Sox. These dominant predators are behind the frequent (sometimes gruesome) hunting scenes I’d heard about before my visit. I didn’t see any action during my trip, though there was plenty of potential. One morning, we watched a male lion skulk into the tall reeds as buffalo approached a waterhole. After waiting a while — the herd passing his hiding place without incident — we moved on. After patiently biding his time, we later found out that the male had eventually taken one of the young buffalos.

One of my highlights was spending time in the hide, a bunker built into the earth with ground-level views of a waterhole, with swivel bar chairs, a fully stocked bar, and snacks. I sipped a gin and tonic as a herd of elephants ambled down to the water’s edge. Sox pointed out a still-fuzzy baby that hadn’t worked out how to use its trunk yet, instead opting to submerge its whole face underwater, trunk held up like a little periscope. I could have spent many more peaceful hours there. It was also, honestly, a welcome relief from driving along the dusty, teeth-clatteringly rough roads (let’s just say I was grateful I packed my sports bra).

Aside from the charismatic animals, I was blown away by how many typically tricky-to-see species we happened across. In three days, we saw four African wild cats — I’m not sure my fellow guests believed me when I said they’re usually so elusive — and two aardwolves, while another group spotted an aardvark on their way back to camp one evening.

So far, the area isn’t anywhere near as well known as the Okavango or Chobe National Park to the north. But Bakgadi believes “Mokete is going to make everybody realize that in Botswana there's a place called the Mababe Depression, a totally different landscape.”

Here’s my review of Wilderness Mokete.

Wilderness Mokete

• The diversity and prolificness of wildlife are extraordinary, exceeding many other places on the continent.

• Spending time in the hide, with elephants mere yards away, was a hands-down highlight.

• The camp's local employment and land lease fees directly benefit the Mababe community.

The Rooms

The nine canvas tents, split on either side of the camp’s central area, are on elevated wooden platforms with (icy) plunge pools on the deck. Interiors are simple and sophisticated, with white and beige tones and light wood. Mesh sides let the sunlight flood into the room during the day. It’s an open-plan space with the bed in the middle and a small living area and the bathroom on either side, cleverly divided by sets of vertical ropes secured from ceiling to floor; at night, thick curtains are drawn around the bed and, if requested, the canvas roof can be pulled back for stargazing. Hot water bottles keep it feeling snug in winter when the temperature drops at night (getting out of bed in the morning is another matter). For the heat of the day, there are fans and air conditioning. There’s no minibar, but there are coffee and tea-making facilities.

Food and Drink

Meals are communal at Mokete unless otherwise requested and are buffet-style. Before the morning game drive, breakfast is a light spread of toast, boiled eggs, muffins, and cereals. Lunch might be beef lasagna, roasted cauliflower salad, and fresh fruit. A three-course meal is served for dinner: a broccoli and pea soup followed by a buffet of pearl barley risotto, butter chicken, and eggplant bake, with poached pears for dessert. There’s a selection of South African wines and local brands, such as Okavango Gin. Food and drinks (except premium spirits and Champagne) are all included in the nightly rate.

Activities and Amenities

The main activities are twice-daily game drives: one first thing in the morning, the other in the late afternoon with the all-essential sundowner stop. You can head out after dark, too, to find nocturnal animals such as bat-eared foxes and aardvarks. Bush walks will be available soon. There’s a ground-level hide (complete with its own bar and snacks) at one of the watering holes for getting up close and personal with elephants as they drink and muck around. After lunch, there’s time to decompress: Nap, dip in the icy plunge pool, read, and have a gin and tonic or two. There’s also a pool in the central area. There is Wi-Fi, but only in the rooms; the communal areas are designed for in-person socializing.

Accessibility and Sustainability

Mokete is not an accessible camp. In terms of sustainability, it’s mostly powered by solar, but there’s also a generator. There are nearly no single-use plastics. Guests are given metal water bottles to refill throughout their stay and take home as a gift, which cuts down on single-use bottles but still contributes to the camp’s overall carbon footprint. The camp's construction is relatively low-impact, though there are 10 plunge pools on the property.

Location

The Mababe Depression is between the Moremi Game Reserve in the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park in northern Botswana. These grasslands are pretty different from the famous delta — less scenic, I think, but with potential for incredible wildlife sightings due to the open landscape and big prey herds and lions. The dry winter months (June to September) are the best times to visit, even with the dust in the air; summer rains fill the marsh and can make access and wildlife viewing tricky. The dirt roads are particularly bumpy, which gets tiring after a few days of being hurled around. (Tip: Sit in the front seats for a more leisurely ride). Light aircraft flights run from Maun International Airport to Santawani airstrip. From here, it’s a 20-minute helicopter ride into camp. The Mokete airstrip should be operational in 2025.

How to Get the Most Value Out of Your Stay

There are often deals available for longer stays, and self-driving from Maun reduces domestic flight costs.

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