When it comes to safari destinations, Botswana is one of my top places on the African continent to visit for both prolific wildlife and luxury accommodations. With the journey being almost as important as the destination, I board my Airlink flight from Cape Town International Airport to Maun International Airport with the wonderful prospect of staying at Ker & Downey Botswana’s Kanana in the Okavango Delta.
Arriving at Maun International Airport, the friendly Martha from Ker & Downey’s meet and greet is at hand to ensure that I am checked in for my internal flight on Safari Air. Captain Letso is at the controls and has clearly mastered the art of flying the GA8 Airvan and lands it seamlessly on the gravel surface. The Kanana airstrip is only a three-minute drive to camp, depending on what you see along the way. I am collected by Wizzy, who drives me to Kanana, where song and dance from the staff paves the way to a hospitable welcome and an amazing experience.
I make it in time for High Tea, which is a selection of scrumptious freshly baked goodies and iced coffee, homemade lemonade, and anything else you might want to drink from the open bar or concoct from the coffee machine. Guests are excited about the looming game drive, and those who have spent a few days in camp talk animatedly about what they have spotted, and which animals they are hoping to see. With Kanana situated in a private concession, off-roading is allowed to get closer to the wildlife, adding another element of enthusiasm for both guides and guests!
One of the most requested sightings by safarigoers is to encounter a leopard in the wild. An elusive animal at best because of their shy nature and camouflaged coats, it’s never an easy task for a guide to find these sought-after rosette big cats. Setting off on our very first game drive at Kanana, Field Guide Ona approaches a jackalberry tree, stops the game drive vehicle, and nonchalantly announces that there is a leopard right there. She is fast asleep in the tree, perched over the branches and content as only a leopard can be. A highlight for me is setting eyes on a tiny leopard cub on my last morning, where their mom had stashed them safely in the hollowed-out stump of a dead leadwood tree.
Back at camp, it’s finally time to see my luxury tented suite! I’m absolutely delighted to be staying in the Family Suite for the next three nights, which is right at the end of a tree-lined path where an imposing sausage tree creates a shady refuge on hot summer days. The tree doubles up for birds and any creatures that might want to have the edge on their elevated vantage point, such as vervet monkeys or tree squirrels.
Opening the sliding doors of my magnificent suite, it’s clear that a comfortable haven has been tailormade for guests enjoying the finer things in life, even while on safari. With a view over the plains, which transforms into a spectacular floodplain when the Okavango Delta’s annual water arrives from the Angola highlands, this natural phenomenon causes an influx of aquatic wildlife, and guests can embark on water-based activities when the water levels allow for it, such as gliding down the Delta’s channels in a mokoro (a dug-out canoe) or boating along the waterways where guests will become avid birdwatchers.
It is time for dinner, and being in a game reserve with a fence that keeps only the elephants out, wildlife can meander at their whim, as we discover one night when a leopard strolls right through the camp, and comes bolting from my suite’s deck just to disappear into the dark night. Should guests want to freshen up before dinner, their guide will collect them at their suite and walk them to the main dining area as walking by yourself after sunset and before sunrise is not permitted for safety purposes. Dinner is served at a long table with everyone dining together, making for a lovely return to the age-old tradition of conversing with fellow guests.
The name Kanana means ‘land of milk and honey’ in Botswana’s native Tswana language, and Kanana is that and so much more. Apart from the warmth of the staff and the incredible wildlife, Kanana is authentic luxury at its finest.
How to Book with The Luxury Safari Company | Heléne’s international flights were generously sponsored by The Luxury Safari Company. Founded by Rose Hipwood in 2010, her passion for Africa is clear in the seamless arrangement of bespoke, luxury safaris across Africa that are made special by the people involved, the unique locations of the lodges, and the meticulously executed nature of each trip. Clients of The Luxury Safari Company can expect personal 24-hour service safaris which take them into new territory with the right people at the right time, and imaginative itineraries. To book, contact [email protected] or call +44 1666 880 111.
