Okuti

95% (21 reviews)

Full review Our view Geographics Food & drink Special interests Children Wildlife sightings Communications Health & safety Activities Extras

Okuti: Our full report

Okuti Camp lies beside Xakanaxa Lagoon, in a prime area for wildlife in the heart of the Moremi Game Reserve.

Although it’s on a relatively small site, close to neighbouring Xakanaxa Camp and a public campsite, Okuti has a very private feel from inside the camp. It has a smart and highly innovative design, very different from the more traditional camps found across the Delta.

A raised wooden walkway runs from Okuti’s entrance arch to the main area and on across the camp to all the chalets: a useful safety feature given the high game densities in this location. The main reception, lounge and dining area sit under the beehive-style thatched roofs of five huge rondavels (also referred to as ‘masasas’). Inside, these are furnished in a contemporary style, with smooth wooden floors, comfortable woven seating and various ethnic carvings. Adobe walls beneath a high, tunnel-like roof define the large lounge, which culminates in a partly open area with great views across the lagoon and floodplain. There are plenty of chairs and tables, and guests are welcome to help themselves to drinks from the bar. Similar in construction is the long dining room, where brunch and dinner are usually served. Meals at Okuti are quite sociable occasions. Both the guides and camp staff join guests during the meals and typically end up engaging the guests in lively conversation and laughter, which contributes to a fun atmosphere around the table.

On the large deck in front of the main area is a fireplace, a popular spot for pre- and post-dinner drinks. Slightly lower down, the decked veranda extends towards Xakanaxa Lagoon and incorporates a plunge pool, with sunloungers overlooking the waterway running past camp.

Okuti Camp's seven chalets are certainly innovative, designed to make the most of the camp's frontage onto the Xakanaxa Lagoon. From the outside, the brown, semi-circular tunnels covered in plastic aren't particularly attractive, though they're not unsightly. Inside, though, they feel spacious and quite lovely, their walls lined with natural reeds, and with a superb view of the lagoon from each private balcony. It must have taken some bravery for the owners to agree to this concept, and we give the designers top marks for innovation!

All the chalets have wooden floors and are similar in style to Okuti’s main areas. Five of them have either twin beds, or a large double. The other two, each with two bedrooms sharing a bathroom, are ideal for families.

In each chalet, low rendered walls separate the bedroom from the en-suite bathroom, which has a shower and washbasin, and a flush toilet in a separate cubicle. There is an outdoor shower, reached from the bathroom at the side of each chalet – and one, often used as the honeymoon suite, also has a large oval bath. Shampoo, conditioner and soaps come as standard.

Safari activities at Okuti revolve around open-topped 4WD game drives and motorboat trips on the stunning Xakanaxa Lagoon – all escorted by the camp's experienced safari guides. Because all the activities at Okuti Camp take place within the Moremi Game Reserve, note that night drives, walks and off-road driving are not permitted. In addition, the camp’s location means that you're likely to see other vehicles while out on safari - but this comes with the territory.

During the dry season (July–October), we have found game viewing to be really good in this area. On our most recent visit in September 2016 we witnessed some of the most prolific and dense game we’ve seen in Africa, including wild dog, kudu, zebra (having a sand bath!), waterbuck, banded mongoose, two separate leopard sightings, elephants, hippo, crocodile, Cape buffalo, reedbuck and Chacma baboons. The birdlife was impressive, too, with highlights including little and southern carmine bee-eaters, wood hoopoe, African spoonbills, Goliath and squacco herons, yellow-billed and black kites, white-backed vulture and tawny eagle.

By contrast, sightings earlier in the season tend to be less consistent. On one visit in May, when the grasses were high and spotting animals was more difficult, we found fresh lion prints and could hear two males roaring nearby, but we were unable to spot them from the road, though we did track down a rather skittish leopard, and wild dog had been spotted hunting on the morning of our arrival.

Boat trips on Xakanaxa Lagoon are a major highlight at Okuti and more than once we were rewarded with fantastic birdlife, including what our guide called the 'mini heronry', a spectacle usually at its best around September to December. It was fascinating to watch beautiful white egrets, grey herons, ugly marabou storks and even reed cormorants roosting and vying for a perch on the little islands in the lagoon.

Our view

Okuti’s unique design makes the most of its limited lagoon frontage, and its friendly team made us feel very at home. Although safari activities are conducted in a fairly busy area, and are limited by park regulations, there are compensations: it's in Xakanaxa - a stunningly beautiful part of the Moremi Game Reserve, and home to some of Botswana’s densest wildlife populations, particularly in the dry season. With a less restrictive price tag at this time of year than many other camps in the Delta, Okuti can be a very good option.

Tom Morris

Botswana expert

Geographics

Location: Moremi Game Reserve, Botswana
Ideal length of stay: A two- or three-night stay is usually perfect at Okuti. The camp is often combined with its sister camps in the Delta, Kanana and Shinde.
Directions: Access to Okuti is by light aircraft into Xakanaxa airstrip, then it's a short 20-minute drive to camp.
Accessible by: Fly-and-Transfer

Food & drink

Usual board basis: Full Board & Activities
Food quality: On our most recent visit to Okuti, in September 2016, we had only breakfast and dinner, but the food was quite good. With advance notice, they can cater for vegetarians and other dietary requirements. They can also prepare special meals for children, on request.

Before heading out on the morning activities, a light breakfast of cereal, yoghurt, pancakes and fresh fruit is served. There is also the option of a cooked breakfast.

On return to camp during a previous visit, brunch included a very tasty beef boteti, and a spinach casserole for those preferring a vegetarian option. These were accompanied by a tasty red cabbage and apple salad, a green salad and a green bean salad with a sesame dressing. There was also freshly baked bread and a cheese platter to finish.

For afternoon tea, just before the afternoon activity on a previous visit, we had beef samosas with relish and a very tasty orange and poppyseed cake. A fruit bowl, homemade lemonade and a delicious homemade ginger drink were also on offer.

For dinner we enjoyed a lovely semi-spicy tomato soup for a starter and a very tasty pan-seared tilapia filet with couscous and sautéed vegetables. Dessert was an equally tasty portion of caramelized fruit with a light yoghurt sauce on the side.

Occasionally, the team will prepare a traditional dinner of pap (maize meal – a staple food of Botswana), seswaa (shredded beef) and morogo (a green, leafy vegetable similar to spinach).
Dining style: Group Meals
Dining locations: Indoor and Outdoor Dining
Further dining info, including room service: No, although private meals can be arranged for special occasions.
Drinks included: All local and South African soft and alcoholic beverages such as beer, cider, house wines and spirits are included at Okuti. Fine wines, imported spirits and liqueurs all come at an extra cost.

Special interests

Family holidays: Okuti is part of the Young Explorers programme, offering families a specialist guide who has experience guiding children in the bush. It is also fenced and takes children aged 7+ making it a great family friendly safari camp.; See ideas for Family holidays
Wildlife safaris: During the dry season, the Mopane Tongue area of the Moremi Game Reserve has some of the densest game viewing in Botswana that we have seen. Big cats, such as leopard and lion, are common, and elephant, hippo and giraffe are prolific.; See ideas for Wildlife safaris

Children

Attitude towards children: Okuti welcomes children aged 7 years and over.
Property’s age restrictions: No children under 7
Special activities & services: None. There are no specific activities for children at Okuti, although there are some board games in the main area. Children’s meals can be prepared on request.
Equipment: The camp has two family rooms.
Generally recommended for children: Because there’s a fence around the camp, and high walkways linking the main areas to the chalets, Okuti can feel deceptively safe, but wildlife – including predators – is known to move through the camp. In addition, the chalets are relatively close together so it’s important to be mindful of others with regard to noise levels. We’d recommend it for children over about 12 years old who are enthusiastic about wildlife.

Ker & Downey does offer its Young Explorers programme, which specialises in family safaris featuring a number of the camps in its portfolio with specialist guides who have experience guiding families with small children in the bush. Please contact one of our team members for more details.
Notes: The pool is unfenced and there is no barrier between the camp and the water, so parents must keep their children under constant, close supervision.

Our travellers’ wildlife sightings from Okuti

Since mid-2018, many of our travellers who stayed at Okuti have kindly recorded their wildlife sightings and shared them with us. The results are below. Click an animal to see more, and here to see more on our methodology.

Elephant

100% success

Giraffe

100% success

Hippo

100% success

Lion

100% success

Wildebeest

100% success

Zebra

100% success

Buffalo

83% success

Leopard

71% success

Wild dog

43% success

Spotted Hyena

33% success

Roan antelope

20% success

Cheetah

17% success

Aardvark

0% success

Black Rhino

0% success

Pangolin

0% success

Sable antelope

0% success

White Rhino

0% success

Communications

Communications: There is no direct phone or fax at Okuti. Communication is maintained with the head office in Maun via radio. There is intermittent cellphone service at certain points in the reserve, but this is not reliable. A laptop with Internet connectivity is available for guests in the main area.
TV & radio: There is no television or radio at Okuti.
Water supply: Borehole
Water supply notes: All the tents have plumbed hot and cold running water for showers as well as flush loos. Each room is provided with glasses and a flask of drinking water, which is replenished daily. We don’t recommend that travellers drink from the tap.

Health & safety

Malarial protection recommended: Yes
Medical care: The nearest doctor is in Maun. Management and guides are first aid trained and medical evacuation is available in case of emergencies. Please note that it is only possible to fly out of camp during daylight hours as the bush airstrips do not have any lighting at night.
Dangerous animals: High Risk
Security measures: Guests are escorted to their chalets after dark as dangerous wildlife is known to wander through the camp. ‘Fog horns’ are provided in the chalets, to summon help in case of emergency.
Fire safety: There are fire extinguishers at all the chalets and in the main area.

Activities

4WD Safari
Birdwatching
Boat trip

Extras

Disabled access: On Request
Laundry facilities: A full complimentary laundry service is included.
Money: No exchange facilities are offered at Okuti. There are small safes in all the chalets.
Accepted payment on location: MasterCard and Visa credit cards are accepted; Diners and Amex are not. Cash in the form of South African rand, GB sterling, US dollars, euros and Botswana pula is accepted.