Luxury Lodges · Okavango Delta, Botswana
Jao Camp
Overview
Jao Camp is situated on a remote island within the private Jao Reserve in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, where floodplains, palm islands and waterways converge to create a richly diverse safari environment.
The camp features five elevated suites and two exclusive villas, each designed to maximise privacy and panoramic Delta views. All suites and villas include private plunge pools, generous indoor and outdoor living areas, en-suite bathrooms with indoor and outdoor showers, and spacious private decks. The two villas are ideal for families or small groups and include dedicated staff (a private guide, chef and butler) ensuring a fully tailored safari experience.
Wildlife activities are varied and seasonal, reflecting the dynamic Delta ecosystem. Guests can enjoy guided game drives, mokoro excursions through tranquil channels, boating (water level dependent), walking safaris and seasonal fishing. The reserve is renowned for its diverse habitats and predator sightings, alongside elephant, buffalo and red lechwe.
Beyond safari activities, Jao Camp offers a well-equipped gym, spa, and a curated museum space celebrating the natural history and cultural heritage of the region.
Fully solar powered, Jao Camp combines contemporary architecture with environmental sensitivity, delivering a refined yet immersive safari experience in one of Africa’s most iconic wilderness destinations.
Suites & Rates
Choose how you stay
Details
Good to know
Languages spoken
English
Property facilities
Battery Charging Facilities, Children Friendly, Credit Card Facilities, Disabled Friendly, Eco Friendly, Gym / Fitness Centre, Internet Access (Complimentary), Laundry Service, Meal On Request, Outdoor Pool / Pool Deck, Restaurant, Spa
Location
Where you'll be
Video
See the stay
Jao Camp | Jao Reserve
Jao Camp is the flagship property of the Jao Reserve, set beside the waterways and floodplains of Botswana’s Okavango Delta. This film showcases the camp’s elegant Suites and Villas, panoramic setting and wide range of safari experiences, including game drives, boating, mokoro excursions, guided walks, fishing and birding. It also captures the reserve’s rich wildlife, from predators and plains game to elephants and prolific birdlife, together with the refined comfort and warm hospitality that define a stay at Jao Camp.
Discover the Jao Reserve – Okavango Delta
Welcome to the Jao Reserve, one of the most iconic private reserves in Botswana’s Okavango Delta. Here, a remarkable mosaic of floodplains, palm islands, winding channels, and rich woodland habitats creates one of the most diverse safari landscapes in Africa. Within the reserve, six distinctive camps, Jao, Kwetsani, Tubu Tree, Little Tubu, Jacana, and Pelo, offer different perspectives of this extraordinary Delta environment. Each camp is positioned in a unique setting, allowing guests to experience the changing character of the Okavango across its varied habitats. The Jao Reserve is renowned for the variety of safari experiences it offers. Venture out on open-vehicle game drives through woodland and grassland, glide quietly through waterlily-filled channels by mokoro, or explore the Delta by boat as seasonal floodwaters transform the landscape. Wildlife encounters are equally diverse, from large herds of lechwe and buffalo moving across the floodplains to the excitement of tracking predators such as lion and leopard. Bird enthusiasts are also rewarded with exceptional birdlife throughout the reserve. This is the Okavango Delta in its full richness, dynamic, diverse, and unforgettable.
The Journey In – New Safari Vehicles at Jao Reserve
This video highlights the delivery of the new Toyota Land Cruiser safari vehicles travelling from Maun into the Jao Reserve. These vehicles replace our long-serving heritage fleet of Land Rovers and form part of our ongoing commitment to maintaining a modern, reliable fleet in one of Africa’s most remote safari environments. Operating in the Okavango Delta presents unique logistical challenges, and ensuring that our vehicles and equipment remain in top operating condition is essential to delivering a safe and comfortable safari experience. Purpose-built for comfort, safety, and exceptional visibility, these custom game viewer vehicles allow guests to explore the Delta from an elevated perspective. Spacious seating, open sides, and uninterrupted window views ensure that every guest enjoys a prime vantage point for wildlife viewing and photography. The vehicles are used for daily safari activities across the reserve and are designed to carry up to six guests, with each seat offering excellent visibility of the surrounding wilderness. For many guests, the journey from the airstrip to camp, and every drive that follows, is where the safari truly begins.
Activities
What you can do
Jao Camp – Birding
The Jao Reserve offers exceptional birding across a rich mosaic of floodplains, waterways, reedbeds, woodland and dry islands. With both land- and water-based activities available, guests have excellent opportunities to add a wide variety of species to their lists.Notable specials may include wattled crane, slaty egret, rosy-throated longclaw, Pel’s fishing owl and African skimmer, alongside more regularly encountered species such as coppery-tailed coucal and African pygmy goose.Birding opportunities vary according to season, habitat conditions and water levels. Sightings cannot be guaranteed.
Jao Camp – Boating
Explore the waterways surrounding Jao Camp by boat and experience the Okavango Delta from a different perspective. Cruising through open channels and alongside reed-lined banks offers excellent opportunities to observe aquatic birdlife and water-associated wildlife, including hippo and crocodile.Depending on the season and conditions, guests may also be fortunate enough to glimpse the elusive sitatunga among the papyrus and floodplain vegetation.Available subject to water levels, weather conditions and operational feasibility. Wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed.
Jao Camp – Fishing
Try your hand at seasonal catch-and-release fishing in the waterways surrounding Jao Camp. The Delta supports several freshwater species, and the experience offers a relaxed way to enjoy the channels and floodplains from the water.A limited selection of basic fishing equipment is available at camp for guests’ use.Fishing is seasonal and subject to water levels, weather conditions and operational feasibility. In accordance with Botswana’s annual fishing closure, fishing is not permitted during January and February to protect breeding fish populations.
Jao Camp – Game Drives
Explore the varied habitats surrounding Jao Camp on guided morning and afternoon game drives in open 4x4 safari vehicles. Seasonal floodplains, waterways, woodland and dry islands create a diverse landscape that supports an abundance of wildlife and birdlife.Led by an experienced guide, each drive is shaped by the conditions and wildlife movements of the day, offering opportunities to observe the reserve’s resident animals in their natural environment.Game drives are subject to weather, road conditions and operational considerations. Wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed.
Jao Camp – Guided Nature Walks
Step into the wilderness on foot and experience the Jao Reserve from an entirely different perspective. Guided nature walks offer the opportunity to slow down and appreciate the smaller details of the bush, from animal tracks and plants to insects, birds and the signs left behind by passing wildlife.Walks may take place on Hunda Island, where the drier months can attract a variety of species and create rewarding opportunities for wildlife viewing. Led by an experienced walking guide, each excursion is tailored to conditions and the interests and abilities of the guests.Guided nature walks are seasonal and subject to weather, terrain, wildlife activity and the availability of a suitably qualified walking guide. Advance booking is essential. Participation is subject to the guide’s discretion and applicable age restrictions.
Jao Camp – Mokoro Excursions
Experience the Okavango Delta from water level as you glide quietly through its channels in a traditional mokoro. Poled by an experienced guide, this peaceful excursion offers a closer look at the Delta’s smaller details, including colourful reed frogs, aquatic plants, dragonflies and abundant birdlife.Depending on seasonal water levels, guests may be transferred by vehicle from Jao Camp to the nearest suitable mokoro launch point.Available subject to water levels, weather conditions and operational feasibility. Participation is subject to the guide’s discretion and applicable age restrictions.
Jao Camp – Night Drives
As the sun sets over the Okavango Delta, a different side of the wilderness comes to life. Continue your game drive after dark, using a spotlight to search for nocturnal species rarely encountered during daylight hours. Porcupine, aardwolf, serval, spotted genet and lesser bushbaby are among the elusive creatures you may encounter, while predators may also become increasingly active under the cover of darkness.Night drives are subject to weather, road conditions and operational considerations, and wildlife sightings cannot be guaranteed.
Jao Camp – Star Bed
Spend a memorable night beneath the African sky on Jao Camp’s elevated Star Bed deck. In the evening, the deck is transformed into a comfortable open-air bedroom, offering an immersive wilderness experience surrounded by the sounds of the Okavango Delta and an uninterrupted canopy of stars.The Star Bed is available at an additional surcharge and must be pre-booked. It is offered seasonally from 1 April to 31 October and is subject to weather conditions, availability and operational feasibility.
Ready to plan your stay?
Tell us your dates and we'll handle the rest — flights, transfers and the lodge itself.
Enquire nowKeep exploring
