Mokete: Our full report

On the edge of the Okavango Wilderness, in an area criss-crossed by animal trails, Mokete Camp is new.

Anticipated to open in April 2024 with 9 tented chalets raised on platforms above the surrounding bush in quite an innovative location, as it stands in the Mababe Depression, just beyond the eastern edge of the Okavango Delta.

There are wetlands in season here, when the floods from the Delta extend this far, but in most respects its more of a ‘Kalahari’ wilderness destination with areas of often-dry marsh, mopane forests and a few honey-pot waterholes, which form the centres of endless game trails.

Meraka means ‘cattle post’ in the Setswana, and areas like this are typical of the vast wilderness areas of Kalahari areas across Botswana which are so often used as cattle-posts - outpost farms for raising cattle. In this wilderness, the only paths are animal trails. Meraka really is in the wilderness.

This simple camp stands in a private concession to the east of Moremi Game Reserve’s Khwai River area – and hence we’ve included the camp it in our ‘Moremi Game Reserve’ area on this website, even though it’s not actually within Moremi Game Reserve.

We haven’t yet visited the camp, but we have driven through the area quite recently. At Mokete we’re expecting a fairly simple camp of 9 wood-and-thatch chalets, each built on a raised deck and open on several sides to allow the air to flow freely. At one end is the dining area, with views out to the separate pool deck and the pan. A small saltwater pool here offering welcome relief from the Kalahari heat, and the shaded deck with comfortable sun-loungers giving some respite from the sun.

A large proportion of the main area is taken up by an inviting lounge area, an eclectic gathering of comfortable chairs, tea- and coffee-making facilities with freshly baked biscuits in a jar, and a small reference library. At the heart of the building, the bar is the venue for pre-dinner drinks.

The curio shop is well stocked and we’d expect them to sell a good selection of locally made items.

Accommodation at Mokete Camp is in nine comfortable, raised tented chalets, linked to the main area by raised board-walks. These chalets are of a good size, built on wooden decks raised off the ground to keep them cool in the hot summer months. The innovative insulated canvas walls and roof of each chalet, together with a ceiling fan and large mesh windows, also help to keep the interior relatively cool, roll-down canvas and clear plastic blinds in case of inclement weather.

The chalets are decorated in neutral tones and simply, but comfortably, furnished, with lots of wood, soft suede and leather. The beds, which can be made up as twins or a double, face out towards the veranda with fantastic views of the trails and plains beyond. You'll also find a writing desk with a lamp, universal plug points for charging camera batteries, and a tasteful wooden tray featuring tea and coffee, a flask of hot water (which is topped up with boiling water every morning and evening), mugs, glasses and a jug of iced water. A comfortable armchair looks through the enormous mesh window, while outside on the deck are deckchairs and a table.

A door to one side of the chalet leads to the en-suite bathroom, complete with a flushing toilet, twin hand-basins with copper taps, a full-length mirror and walk-in shower. You'll also find plenty of wooden shelves and hanging space for clothes, extra blankets for the very chilly winter nights, a digital safe, insect repellent and environment-friendly shower gel, shampoo and conditioner. Another thoughtful touch in the hot summer months is the provision of a sarong. Take it with you on a game drive and your guide will wet it in cold water for you to drape over your shoulders to keep cool. 'Kalahari air-conditioning' at its best!

Two of the tented chalets have a second en-suite bedroom sleeping up to two children, so are ideal for families, or friends travelling together. The main bedroom offers exactly the same facilities as the standard chalets, whereas the second bedroom, while en suite, doesn't have a veranda.

Guided morning and afternoon game drives in open 4WD vehicles are the mainstay of the wilderness activities at Mokete, but what you see will depend largely on the season, and the timing of the rains. For much of the year the Mababe Depression is largely dry landscape dotted with mixed Kalahari bushveld, some open plains area and – thanks to the camp – a sprinkling of small waterholes.

That said when the Okavango Delta’s annual flood waters reach right down as far south as the Khwai River, some will sometimes get as far as the Mababe and then you’ll find marshy areas here.

The Mokete Trail is an educational walk in the immediate vicinity of the camp, led by a local team that know the area well. Mokete Trails team will often flag up the traditional medicinal purposes of local plants, and demonstrate how the age-old way to make a fire.

Mokete is proudly run off a state-of-the-art solar system, which runs off 72 solar panels and provides all the electricity and hot water in camp. Water is life in this dry environment, and on a ‘back-of-house’ tour you can learn about the water storage and distribution. The water from the borehole is saltier than seawater, so is used for such things as the showers and the pool.

Our view

Mokete Camp looks interesting; the dry here will certainly contrast with the lush scenery in the middle of the Okavango Delta. The tented chalets look very lovely and we’d expect the guiding to be good.

It’ll be a total contrast to the lush, watery-wilderness areas of the Okavango Delta, and yet much easier to reach than the camps in Nxai Pan or the Central Kalahari.

Tracy Lederer

Country manager: Botswana

Geographics

Location: Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana
Ideal length of stay: We'd expect 2-3nights here to be ideal - depending on how extensive Mokete Trails in the area prove to be.
Accessible by: Fly-and-Transfer

Food & drink

Usual board basis: Full Board & Activities
Dining style: Mixture of group dining and individual tables
Dining locations: Indoor and Outdoor Dining

Children

Attitude towards children

Communications

Power supply notes: We're expecting this new camp to have a state-of-the-art eco-systems for power and water, especially as it's in a relatively area of the Kalahari with no permanent, natural standing water.
Water supply: Borehole