.jpg "Khwai elephants, Botswana Safari")
The Khwai River Area of Botswana is renowned for its outstanding game viewing year-round.
Khwai is nestled between Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe Park, on the edge of Botswana's Okavango Delta. Due to this prime location–with no fences separating Khwai, Moremi, and Chobe–an abundance of varied wildlife moves through the Khwai River Area.
The Khwai wildlife area consists of the Khwai Community Concession and the Khwai Private Reserve. Together these reserves cover about 200,000 ha (494 210 ac) of wilderness in northern Botswana.
The Khwai Community Concession is located along the Khwai River bordering Moremi Game Reserve. This wildlife concession area covers 1800 km² (695 mi²) of the Khwai region.
The Khwai concession area is owned and managed by the local community. Thus all game drives and safaris in the Khwai Community Concession directly benefit the local people and help to support wildlife conservation in Botswana. The Khwai Concession area features several mid-range and budget safari lodges, as well as basic campsites for wild camping.
The Khwai Private Reserve is the larger of the two reserves in the Khwai area. Access is restricted to guests staying at the mid-range to luxury lodges in the private reserve.
Much of the Khwai Private Reserve features Mopane woodlands which are not ideal for game viewing. Wildlife safari activities are thus concentrated in the southern region of the private reserve, closer to the Khwai River. The private reserve offers a more exclusive and less affordable safari experience.
Khwai Private Reserve is run by a private safari company that pays concession fees to the local community.
The Mababe Private Reserve forms part of the Okavango Mababe Concession, known as the NG41 concession. This private concession area is on the eastern outskirts of the Okavango Delta and Moremi Game Reserve, bordering Chobe National Park to the north. It lies 40km east of the Khwai Concession Area.
The Mababe wetland is the only permanent water source in the area, attracting large herds of game. This private reserve stands out for its commitment to preserving the environment and providing visitors with an exceptional, personalized Botswana safari experience. The Mababe Private Reserve offers a more exclusive safari experience because of its strict rules on the number of cars allowed in the concession. Mababe only allows a maximum of 20 vehicles into the concession at any given time. This measure helps preserve the natural habitat and provides a more serene and authentic wildlife experience. Mababe Private Reserve is a prime example of sustainable tourism.
Within the Mababe Private Reserve, the Khwai River winds through the area and flows into the Mababe Depression. The reserve's campsites are situated on the banks of the Khwai River, providing ideal wildlife viewing opportunities for a diverse range of animal species. The Mababe Private Reserve is home to many big and small animals. Visitors can expect to see elephants, giraffes, buffalos, hippos, wildebeests, impalas, kudus, waterbucks, zebras, steenboks, warthogs, leopards, lions, hyenas, and jackals during their visit. The western part of the reserve, sometimes called "the mini Central Kalahari" even offers sightings of elands and oryx, which showcase the reserve's exceptional biodiversity.
The area boasts a remarkable variety of ecosystems, ranging from expansive open grasslands to majestic cathedral Mopane forests and from picturesque riverine landscapes to the rugged beauty of Kalahari scrub. Mababe Private Reserve allows guests to enjoy walking safaris and night drives. Walking activities are available in areas inaccessible to vehicles, giving visitors a more immersive wilderness experience. In addition, the Mababe Private Reserve provides smaller vehicles and extended night drive hours, allowing visitors to appreciate the natural environment fully.
An abundance of large mammals can be seen in the Khwai wildlife area, including a rich array of predators. Khwai is one of the best places to see African wild dogs in Botswana. Other predators commonly sighted in the Khwai River area include lions, leopards, and hyenas. Serval cats, cheetahs, and African wildcats are also found here.
The ubiquitous elephant is also plentiful in the Khwai wildlife area, especially in the dry season (winter) when elephants gather along the Khwai River. In the rainy season, large buffalo herds migrate to Khwai along with other wildlife. Red Lechwe antelopes are found in the western swamps and other herbivores roaming the region include tsessebe, blue wildebeest, kudu, and impala. The Khwai River and floodplains host plenty of hippos, crocodiles, and antelopes like waterbuck and lechwe. In the wooded and grassland areas zebras, buffalos, giraffes, roan, and sable are abundant.
The Khwai River Area is a birding paradise with an amazing diversity of resident and migratory species. Many aquatic bird species can be seen here, especially in the wet season. Bird sightings include eagles, cranes, egrets, vultures, storks (saddle-billed and marabou), and lilac-breasted rollers.
Khwai village is a small settlement located in the Khwai River area, on the fringes of Moremi Game Reserve. In this remote small village, traditional African culture is still visible in day-to-day life. The traditional Khwai village is inhabited mostly by Babukakhwae (San) and Bayei people who still adhere to some old traditions.
This small village is a good place to gain insight into the local culture and rural life in Botswana. Khwai village is about a three and a half hour's drive from Maun.
The Khwai River Area includes both dry savannah and marsh areas supporting a diverse range of animals, birds, and plants. The river floodplains (which mark the boundary between the Khwai Community Concession and Moremi Game Reserve) attract wildlife and birds year-round.
Use the Google map to explore Khwai River Area.