Okavango Nxabega

the concession is shared between three safari operators

At around 400 square kilometres, the Okavango Nxabega Concession is a high quality safari area of absolutely classic Okavango landscapes.

The area is an interesting mix of open floodplains, fringed with hardwood forest and islands of palm trees, varied and extremely pretty in parts.

It usually experiences a strong and reliable flood during the Jun-Oct dry season, creating a lovely network of floodplains for excellent water-based safari.

The concession is restricted to 54 guests in three small camps, around 8 square kilometres per person, which is a relatively high guest density by local standards.

Unusually, this concession is shared between three different safari operators, each with one camp. With each operator trying to keep to their own patch, the options for exploring more widely are limited, effectively reducing the traversing areas by a factor of three.

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 stay duration here on the Nxabega Concession is usually limited to three nights. At times when the area is wetter, it is important to combine with a camp in a drier safari area, to ensure sufficient wildlife sightings.

Seasonality

The Okavango Nxabega Concession can be visited year round, but there are considerable seasonal variations.

The Jul-Sep dry season is the classic time to visit the Okavango Delta and is considered the best time for wildlife viewing, as many animals are drawn to the water from the dry surrounding hinterland. Temperatures can be cool at night but the days are perfect for safari and there are few insects around. Floodwaters have reached or just passed their peak so there is usually good access to both land and water activities. However, this is very much the high season in terms of prices and visitor numbers. The flood in this southwestern part of the delta is usually relatively late and can be very variable. During this period, camps usually focus on motorboat safari and mokoro canoe safari. If the flood is high, then vehicle safari can be very much reduced, meaning that the camps should usually be combined with others with more reliable and predictable dry safari options. As the season progresses, the floodwater should recede and into September the focus should be shifting back towards vehicle safari.

The May-Jun flood season is a period of transition from the hot wet summer to the cool dry winter and is a great time to visit. Temperatures can drop towards freezing during the night, but this has little adverse effect on safari as there are lots of baby animals around. The majority of camps are also significantly discounted during this time making it a smart time to travel. The flood in this southwestern part of the delta is usually relatively late and can be very variable. During this period the camps are usually focused on vehicle safari, but in the event of an early flood, there may be an increasing focus on motorboat safari and mokoro canoe safari.

The Oct-Dec hot wet season represents the transition period between the peak of the dry season and the start of the rains. Temperatures and humidities can become uncomfortably high in advance of the rains, particularly in Oct-Nov. With the floods having receded in most areas, the wildlife tends to become very concentrated around the few remaining water sources, making for very strong wildlife viewing. Boating activities become much less widely available, only those camps with access to permanent deepwater channels being able to continue operations. If significant rainfall does arrive it usually comes in short showers with little negative effect on safari conditions. Some animals may start to migrate outwards from the delta, potentially causing a slight drop off in sightings. The majority of camps are significantly discounted during Nov-Dec. There is rarely enough water for significant boating activities during this period, but vehicle safari should be at its best, with stronger than usual sightings, often enhanced by animals migrating outwards from the central parts of the delta with the first rain showers.

Jan-Apr is the main green season in the Okavango Delta, when the area experiences the majority of its rainfall and temperatures have dropped slightly. At this time the landscapes tend to be verdant and beautiful, the animals well fed and there’s lots of babies around. The Dec-Feb period threatens the greatest chance of cloud and rain. As the seasonal waterholes out in the vast dry hinterland become replenished, some animals disperse in search of better grazing, but sightings remain strong. The majority of camps are significantly discounted throughout this season making it a smart time to travel, especially towards April. Water levels can remain too low for boating activities throughout this period. This situation can change if the rains are heavy enough to fill the local watercourses and floodplains, but this would be unusual. During this period there is a large amount of dry land available for vehicle safari, so sightings should remain reasonably strong.

Getting there

All of the camps in the Okavango Nxabega Concession area can only be accessed by light aircraft, with each camp having its own bush airstrip.

a focus on classic water-based safari Jun-Oct