Cateyes555

Banoka Bush Camp is a new Wilderness Safari camp in Botswana - Below is the location and description off the WS web site. Supposedly a little more rustic and less expensive than some other WS camps. Anyone been to this camp yet? Do you think this is a good location for animals in Aug/Sept? Chances of flooding at that time of year?

It is situated in the Khwai Development Trust Community Concession, on the banks of the Khwai River in the north-eastern corner of the Okavango Delta adjoining the Moremi Game Reserve.

You can expect to see excellent sightings of predators including lion, wild dog, spotted hyaena and African wild cat. Huge herds of buffalo along with elephant, hippo, roan, tsessebe, reedbuck, waterbuck and red lechwe to name a few are abundant in the area. Spectacular birding opportunities also abound, with some 450 species recorded.

pixelpower

The location is perfect, that is for sure. If the Khwai river is not too high that is (it can flood the road that is next to it, and if then you need to take the road that is a bit further you miss a lot).

I wonder what this camp is. We passed a place that was closed, because apparently there were some disputes with the Khwai community (ic that they were asking too much, and hence no one leased it anymore as it was difficult to make a profit, so it was empty). Perhaps it's that one?

B.regs,

J.

atravelynn

The trend is encouraging, though I don't know any specifics.

VeeR

My understanding is that Banoka has just been built and opened in October. It is near Wilderness Tented Camp which is used by OAT. This is the area where I fell in love with Botswana. I am going back in May and staying at Banoka. From the pictures at the WS website I don't see much difference from the classic camps I've stayed at.

christabir

It is an Adventurer Camp. I stayed at Pafuri which is also an Adventurer. It was very nice - similar to a Classic Camp, but didn't have the intimate feel of the classic camps (we were there when a big tour group was there - maybe that changed the "feel"). According to the website, there are ten tents, which is much smaller than Pafuri, and all solar powered. For the price and location, and on a private concession - but can they go off road? - looks really good. The tents are en-suite. How rustic can it be?

Cateyes555

Christabir -Yes, the photos do not make the place look "rustic" by my definition of the word
All relative I guess. The word was used by the TA - likely because I said I was not looking for super luxury accommodations. I'll have to check about the off road - doesn't being in a private concession automatically mean you can go off road and do night drives?

I did not realize the WS camps were broken into classic and adventurer. Is that on their website? I assume the adventurer level is a step down in luxury from classic?

VeeR - glad to hear you are going to Banoka in May - look forward to your report when you return. If I go to this camp it won't be until late summer.

christabir

Cat - It looks exactly like the Pafuri camp (funny how similar). It's not luxurious, but very nice. Tent on a plaform with a little porch, good bed, nice linens, nice sink area, wc to one side, shower to the other. Perfectly serviceable, and very comfortable. The "windows" roll down, and the tent has a door.

WS camps are broken into Discovery, Adventurer, Classic and Premier. Adventurer and Classic are more my style than the Premier. Nice, but not over the top like the Premier, and not a bucket shower like the Discovery. Unless you prefer the Ritz to the Sheraton on a regular basis, you'll do fine at the Adventurer and Classic. Banoka sounds "affordable" for Bots, and I will think about it for next time.

I only ask about the off road because at Pafuri, WS is leasing property from a national park (Kruger) in partnership with a local tribe and off roading was minimal (only if you see one of the big five and only a certain distance). It sounds similar at Banoka. I'd ask to verify that.

luangwablondes

I believe this is where Banoka is located:
S19.12766 E23.66091

MisterAviator

I stayed at Banoka in January, and it is certainly a lovely facility: impressive central dining/bar area, comfortable tents/beds, and a commendable solar-powered energy system. That said, I would not necessarily recommend it for first-time safari-goers. There are too many other better choices right now. The camp is located a long drive from the Khwai airstrip, the wildlife is not quite as abundant as you will find in other parts of Botswana, and the guiding staff at Banoka did not exhibit the energetic go-getter attitude you would expect from a brand new camp. For repeat visitors to Botswana, however, Banoka might be just what you are looking for, with an attractive remote setting and the opportunity for new avenues of adventure. We had some nice hippo encounters, beautiful bird sightings, and on our third and final morning a fantastic hour spent following a hungry male lion not far from the airstrip.

HariS

Wild dogs denned in the Khwai area last winter. Also has a good reputation for Lions around there.......

Highly recommend visitors to pick a good mobile safari to this area.

skimmer2

Khwai is quite disappointing in the rainy season. It can be a real circus there in wintertime especially around predator sightings.