Review of Kwando Lagoon Camp, Kwando River, Botswana

Fantastic “hard core” game viewing, nice setting, but accommodations in need of refurbishment:

We (two families with a teen each) spent two nights there after being at the Little Vumbura Camp during our brilliant Botswana, Namibia and Victoria Falls fly-in safari guided expertly by Ultimate Safaris (sightings included the Big 5, cheetah, wild dog and sitatunga). Compared to Little Vumbura (Wilderness Safari), Kwando is less oriented to the traveller seeking for comfort but more to the adventurous one.

We were received rather distantly but the staff lightened up by and by. There are about eight rustic tents that were comfortable enough and clean but in an urgent need of refurbishing. We were told that the whole camp should be renovated in early 2011. The setting of Kwando is idyllic, by a lagoon under old trees, very nice.

The meals are buffet style, a continental breakfast by the “bush TV” before the morning game drive, a somewhat bizarre brunch after it (offered food was well prepared but did not go well together), high tea before the evening game drive and a quite good dinner. For drinks you could help yourself out of the bar, there was also a small pool (no towels provided) and a nice terrace by the lagoon for viewing the really spectacular fauna by the lagoon, there are elephants crossing and an abundance of hippos.

One night when going back to the tent after dinner there was even a hippo in front of our room and during night there was an ongoing “noise” of these animals, a special experience … The camp is specialized (as another reviewer pointed out) in “hard core” game viewing meaning a “pursuit” of certain animals is not stopped until crowned with success. On one hand, this gives you the chance of really rare sightings (we viewed amongst others cheetahs, lions and wild dogs), on the other hand, such drives could be quite strenuous, but we kept telling ourselves that we were lucky to have such experiences and that we possibly shall not be able to repeat such a trip (because of the enormous cost of traveling in Botswana).

In short, game viewing at Kwando Lagoon Camp is really a special adventure worth wile experiencing once in a life time but accommodations up to date would certainly be a plus!

Date of stay: October 2010