Reviews of Little Kwara
(93%) From 176 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
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Exceeded all our expectations
An intimate camp that really gave the feeling of being in the bush due to the animals roaming through the camp from time to time.
Very personal service and really appreciated the staff singing and dancing on the last night.
A truly wonderful experience.
Little Kwara disappointing
On arrival at Little Kwara we were warmly welcomed by the staff and given a cold drink and given all the information about the lodge with particular emphasis on care with animals within the lodge area, especially baboons. Our first impression of the communal areas was ok, but when we were shown our private lodge we were both very disappointed, it all looked very run down and in need of a total make over. Just some of the points that struck us immediately were poor quality linen and towels, a safe that we were advised not to use in case it might not open! Window covers that had been damaged and patched. We subsequently discovered that we could not use the shower in the bath as the diverter was seized. There was no insect screening on the other shower so we did not want to use it after dusk and the ceiling fan was so noisy we couldn't use it.
After arrival at Little Kwara my wife was taken ill and had to stay in bed so unfortunately we could not go on any of the game drives so we can make no comment on the game viewing at all.
We cannot praise the staff in the lodge and in the Maun office enough as they did everything in their power to arrange transport for us back to Maun at short notice.They also met us at the airport, took us to doctors and pharmacy to collect the prescriptions and got us to a hotel.
Many thanks to Babbewe and Lessor at the lodge for there help.
Expert Africa comments
We have been using Little Kwara for many years and the majority of the feedback is mostly positive - largely because the game sightings remain to be some of the best we know of in the Delta. So we have continued to book the camp right up until its closure, even though we have known it to be a little tired for some time. That said we were surprised to hear of the issues these travellers described. That is not what we would have expected, even though the camp is due to close shortly. So we are really sorry that the room these travellers were allocated wasn't up to the standards we would expect. It is however a real shame that they were unable to stay long enough to allow the camp to try to rectify these issues, and perhaps more importantly, to experience the wildlife that the area is renowned for.
This camp will close on the 31st July, with the new and much more luxurious Splash Camp effectively taking its place.
Peace in the bush
This is a beautiful camp with animals in and around the camp. Highlights included a leopard up a tree, frustrated by a hyena below stealing her catch wild dog, cheetah and crocodile. There was also some very interesting hippo behaviour which all the guests would have enjoyed observing but was cut short in favour of trying to find a lion in vain.
No night drives were possible.
Our guide was disappointing who did an adequate job with little obvious enthusiasm. Our interest in birds was largely ignored. Much time was wasted tracking a lion. Even with a spotter the high grass made this an impossible task. Despite the significant animal activity not too long before daybreak in the camp we were taken to the other end of the concession to look for animals and tracks. We are not sure why.
It would be interesting to revisit this camp when the waters flood the plain and bring in more animals.
There are excellent facilities for charging camera batteries. No wi-fi.
We loved the checklist booklets.
Little Kwara review
better for game drives than boat trips
great tracker KLB and guide G
Fantastic tracking at Little Kwara
Great sightings of cheetah on several occasions (including mating!) and lions on zebra kill. Some really wonderful tracking by our guide G, and tracker, Luke, who manged to locate a group of three wild dogs.
We also experienced the excellent tracking skills of guide, Rogers, and tracker Mike. This was again the result of swopping vehicles and joining another group for a day, to avoid going to the air strip and interrupting our game drive.
Little Kwara review
Little Kwara is the perfect location to experience a great Safari. It is simple and small lodge with nice people and good comforts.
The Safari is the highlight here. It was just amazing experience. The food is great and the team always happy to help.
It is a good compromise to stay in the nature cos it is not a luxury lodge exactly what we were looking for.
The rooms are very quite far from each other and with great view.
Little Kwara review
Had a wonderful three-night stay at Little Kwara as the first of two safari camps we visited in Botswana. Staff was great, very warm and welcoming, and provided excellent service. The camp is small and intimate, with a capacity of 18 people, so you get the other the other travelers well. My wife and I were traveling on our honeymoon and on the last night they prepared a wonderful surprise private dinner for us in our cabin -- really exceptional and personalized service.
Our guide (Josiah) and tracker (KP) were both excellent. Both grew up in the Delta and shared lots of local knowledge on the animals and geography. One of the biggest highlights of Little Kwara is the ability to off-road, and Josiah was never shy about driving through thick brush to track cheetah, wild dogs, etc. Our trip was during the green season but we saw nearly all the animals I expected to see (except leopard) and had no rain at all.
Overall I'd recommend Little Kwara very highly if you're considering a trip to the Delta!
Fabulous LK
I love LK. It's small with excellent guides and trackers and the camp staff under Charles’ and Okie’s management are delightful. I have stayed at LK five times and will be returning. The game at Kwara is plentiful and varied. This year we spent a day and a half on the track of a peripatetic rhino. An amazing sighting if we had found more than its tracks. Rhinos were only re-introduced to Botswana a few years back and sightings are rare. The foray north was not entirely unproductive. The scenery was beautiful and we found a male cheetah that was thought to have died, it was so long since he had been seen. Finally, a specal mention for the lady chef who led the singing!
Read more about the whole safariGreat Safari at Little Kwara
Warm welcome. Very nice accommodations, raised so won't flood. Very well cared for.
Our Guide Tom and our tracker did really well locating animals, very knowledgeable and excellent driver. Really cared about our safety. Excellent variety of activities with dug out and river boat tour.
Great selection of animals, birds and plants. Very good food, even a personally cooked entree!!!
All staff friendly and gave great service.
Overrated - has seen better days
The following comments in no way reflect on our delightful and excellent guide, Jacob, who deserved a better posting than this tired and run-down lodge.
Our reception on arrival was cursory to say the least, and the temporary relief manager could hardly muster any enthusiasm. Despite arriving at 12.30 pm, no food was offered to us and there was a reluctance to provide any, as the service had finished at noon. Our room had clearly seen better days, with insect screens stapled together, often leaving gaping holes, and the furnishings had clearly not been updated since the camp was first opened. The rooms were suffocatingly hot, even with a fan on full speed (one guest recorded a 100 degree temperature in his room in the afternoon).
There are many old-fashioned touches, such as not washing underwear and serving instant coffee, whereas other camps have upped their game. There was no hot tea offered (it was provided when we asked, as we had to do every single day). Staff were not present a lot of the time, and in consequence baboons ran riot all through the communal dining area. At one point two baboons ripped apart some tin cans to suck out the sweet juice, and then deposited the sharp debris by the swimming pool. No member of staff cleared it up. When some baboons threw some lamps on the floor, staff members came out to see what the noise was, and then retreated without clearing up the mess.
Unusually, there were 11 guests rather than 10, but still only 10 seats were put out for breakfast and drinks round the boma, meaning one guest always had to stand. The management was simply not on the case. The communal sitting area was tired, and so badly disposed that there were only three seats not in the sun in the afternoon. It was configured in such a way that two seats had their backs to the rest of the seating so guests could not congregate properly. There were two huge sofa-seats, where you could not sit with your back upright and your feet on the floor. The cane furniture had seen better days.
Another Expert Africa guest had made similar criticisms about the tired nature of this camp a few years ago and his comments had led to the reply that the camp was expecting an imminent upgrade. No such upgrade is evident. Overall, this was a camp which was resting on its laurels (it still seemed to attract guests), was tired and run down, with management and staff making very little effort. It has been surpassed in many respects by its competitors who are constantly seeking ways to improve and enhance the tourist experience.
We would not recommend staying here.
