Travel to Okavango Gunns

relatively well-priced by local standards

At around 125 square kilometres, the Okavango Gunns Concession is a high quality safari area of classic delta landscapes, broad dry grasslands punctuated by islands of palm trees and abundant wildlife.

It has a lovely network of floodplains for seasonal water-based safari.

The concession is restricted to 120 guests in five camps, around 1 square kilometre per person, which is actually a very high guest density by local standards.

This private concession is a pristine wilderness, free from all signs of humanity other than these small-scale safari operations and where you are free to explore unhindered by the strict regulations and often chronic vehicle traffic of the national parks.

However, unlike most of the premium parts of the Okavango, this concession is shared between multiple safari operators. Although they try to keep out of each other’s way, this does make the place feel slightly less remote and special.

A potentially more significant downside is that the camps in this area are primarily focused on water-based safari, which is fine, but it does mean you probably need to combine with at least one camp in a drier area, if you are to experience sufficient wildlife interactions.

Having said that, since around 2022 the flood into this south delta area has become a lot less reliable, with more water heading to the northern side. We are not sure if this is being caused by channels becoming blocked by vegetation or small shifts in the tectonic plates. The camps have adjusted by bringing vehicles in, but it remains hard to predict whether or not they will deliver a wet, dry or mixed experience.

A major advantage of this area is that some of the camps offer relatively good value for money. They also happen to be more accepting of younger children, making it an interesting option for young families.

When it comes to trip shapes and durations in Botswana, most visitors combine 2, 3 or 4 lodges by light aircraft over 6-12 nights, one or two of which will usually be here in Okavango Delta, combined with the Linyanti Waterfront and/or Makgadikgadi areas.

These trips are often done in combination with further nights at the Victoria Falls and/or down in the Cape.

The usual stay duration in this Okavango Gunns area is 2-4 nights.

Seasonality

The Gunns Concession experiences considerable seasonal variations.

The May-Sep cool dry season is the classic time to visit, as the wildlife viewing is superb, with the animals being drawn in from the dry hinterland towards the rising floodwaters. However, here in the southwest of the Okavango Delta the flood is usually late and, in recent years, has become unreliable and relatively light, potentially affecting the availability of the area’s iconic mokoro canoe safaris. If the floodplains are dry, then walking safari becomes possible and some camps are permitted to offer vehicle safari.

During the transition period between the peak of the dry season and the start of the green season, Oct-Dec, the Gunns Concession area can be a real epicentre for wildlife activity, with the convergence of big herds of herbivores. This is the hot season and humidities are becoming uncomfortably high as the rains approach. When the rains break, the wildlife disperse quickly into the vast hinterlands in search of better grazing and becomes much more difficult to access.

During the Jan-Apr main season, the bush is verdant and beautiful, the animals are well-fed and there’s lots of wildflowers and baby animals around. Water levels are likely to be low during this period, meaning that the availability of mokoro canoe safari can be rather unpredictable. If the floodplains are dry but walking and vehicle safari may be offered. The Boro River channel usually continues to flow all year, so motorboat safari should be possible throughout.

The camps are significantly discounted and become increasingly attractive as the conditions improve through the period.

Getting there

The camps in the Gunns Concessions area are usually accessed by light aircraft into the local bush airstrips, although it is theoretically possible to travel out by boat along the Boro River from Maun in a couple of hours.

an inconveniently unpredictable flood situation