Luxury Hotel Review: Kanana Camp in the Okavango Delta

March 31, 2016 | By Donna Evans

Kanana Camp, a Ker & Downey luxury tented camp, is located in the Okavango Delta of Botswana. This well-run property offers incredible food, service, and spacious accommodations. Your wake-up call is accompanied by coffee or tea, and there are cookies in your room if you require or desire a quick bite before you reach the breakfast table.

A baby stork

As the river rises and the plains accept more water, the bird life increases and nature is enhanced. Many migrating water birds enjoy this area as they nest and hatch their babies. It is a treat to take a Mokoro ride and see the water birds and flora more closely. The Marabou stork had babies sitting on the top of the trees, looking so grown that you would expect the tiny tree limbs to crack under their weight. But it didn’t happen.

There is numerous game to observe, including vast numbers of hippos and crocodiles who live in the area. The Delta is home to many varieties of antelopes, including impala and lechwe, and the predators that find them delicious. Painted dogs and more than one pride of lions were sighted on our trip, including a lion family with 4 young kittens who played and romped out in the open as we watched them, smiling and mesmerized.

Mokoros, ready for a ride.

At night, lying in our netted beds, we often heard the lions in the distance, and we hoped they were near and that we might possibly see a kill or at least a track or two in the morning. This didn’t happen, but we enjoyed knowing they were out there, nevertheless. The hippos often gave us a wake-up call in the morning, though, with their grunting and snorting.

A regal kudu.

Enjoying the private concession of this wonderful property in the Delta was a very special experience, even including a visit by the “almost” resident civet that grabbed some bread from the buffet one evening. You never know what you will see in Africa, but you will never be disappointed.