Camp Xakanaxa

"Xakanaxa Lodge, with the traditional safari tents, was far beyond what we had expected!"

Our favorite place was Xakanaxa. Our guide was so knowledgeable about the animals and birds and had a lot of great stories to share. We were so lucky in our sightings: within 10 minutes of being there we saw a young leopard just 3 meters from our veh icle! I had never paid much attention to birds while on safari before, but the Okavango area was a great place to become interested!

All flights perfect - although my wife was not keen on 4 seater planes, bravely closed her eyes for the whole journey! Facilities and Accomodation at Xakanaxa were excellent. We were thrilled with the luxury tent, being ardent caravanners, and it s proximity to the waters edge. The staff at the camp were very helpful and genial. The food was good but the dinners were slightly dissappointing (set meal). The game drives in the company of a family from Australia/South Africa were both varied and exciting. The highlight was the tracking of a leopard and being face to face with it 3 metres away for over an hour which was both frightening and beyond belief! Our guide was very informative, familiar with his surroundings and catered for all our needs and requests. We found the whole 3 day experience to be very relaxing and yet the next game drive was always eagerly awaited! The flight to Kasane was in a bigger light aircraft with just us and the pilot. A better experience for my wife!

Xakanaxa Camp was a great experience, more rustic than our other locations but having hippos munching on the grass outside our tent was a great experience. Lettie and the team were so welcoming and our guide Monthsu was fabulous in helping us get so very very close to the big cats in the delta area. Never was anyone so persistent at trying to find leopards as Monthsu!

Leroo La Tau was such a great location, the ability to be able to see so many zebra and wildebeest in the one location. We were just amazed, particularly to find that it was the biggest migration outside of Serengeti – what a treat! We did go out to the Madagadiki pans however probably not the best time of year to get the best out of the area; however we did have the chance to visit the magnificent Boabab trees which was an amazing, if not bumpy trip!

At Xakanaxa, the tent looked rustic from outside, but once I looked inside, it was very charming with lots of ornaments and candle lights. I felt detailed thoughtfulness in each points. Lettie, the manager, always took care of me such as joining dinn er by sitting next to me. There, I heard sounds of footsteps of hippos at night just outside of my tent! I tried to see but I couldn't. In front of the restaurant, I watched mom and baby hippos and crocodiles. In the daytime, I watched hippos, elephants, lions, buffaloes, impalas, kudus, leopards, many kinds of birds, and the highlight was cheetahs in the morning drive on the departure date! That was my first time to see wild cheetahs!!! They were amazingly beautiful. All the companions were very happy. Mokoro drive was also comfortable and I also saw bathing elephant. The stays were very relaxing, but I suppose I put on weight with eats, safaris, siestas, eats... (^^,)

Xakanaxa: The room selection, Room 8, was very good. Again close to the lodge, but little noise. The view was perfect. It was a nice balance of chic rustic and luxury. Again, food/staff was very nice. The delta was a nice contrast to Simbambili terra in. Fewer animal experiences, but still very good. We enjoyed the 'feel' of the lodge.

Xakanaxa which I still can't come close to pronouncing, was really different and Janelle is glad it was only 2 days, but excellent chance to experience a different type of Safari and also to see birds. I even spotted a Leopard in a tree this morning before the Guide and after another had missed her 2 min earlier!!! Got kudos for that one, lots of fun and great memories.

"Xakanaxa was a lot of fun. The tent lodge was every bit as comfortable as the other lodges. The landscape perhaps more diverse. We also were treated to viewing another pack of Wild Dogs. We wouldn't be disappointed to return."

"Accommodation at Xakanaxa Camp was slightly superior to the Kwando ones, if one had to be picky, and had a great pool. Great sightings of hippos."

Okavango and Xakanaxa Camp were the best for us. It reminded us of our first experience you proposed to us in Honey Guide near Kruger: small structure, tents, people very friendly, guides very ambitious: we saw lions, leopard, cheetahs, and so much species of birds : no comment, just marvellous.

The Xakanaxa Camp was especially magical. The accommodations were very nice, although they were in the process of remodelling their main dining area. Because their facilities must a be temporary (to allow a move if there is too much pressure on the local wildlife), we were provided a tent on a platform. It was nicely furnished, including with a huge bed. Our private adjacent bathroom facilities were "open" on the top under the roof, but included three sections (toilet, sink, and shower areas). We were carefully instructed to keep our possessions from not being left in the bathroom and to keep the door to the bedroom area closed to prevent any raids by the local baboons. Night time left us with a cacophony of animal and bird sounds, including hippo, hyena, etc. The food there was excellent. The Camp also made sure that we were provided snacks and beverages (including "sundowners") on our safaris. Again, the staff was very professional, gracious, and competent. It was interesting to me that most of the staff at the other two lodges were men, although the staff we saw here was almost all women, except for the men who escorted us to and from our dinner at night with a flashlight. On our drives we saw amazing and wonderful wildlife, birds, and plant life... Ollie's explanations were great - he seemed to be able to answer every question we asked, no matter how obscure. He was obviously intelligent, knowledgeable, and experienced. All in all, we couldn't have been more pleased with our stay.

The trip was easy and enjoyable, plus we loved the accommodations. Everything far exceeded our expectations - the food, the camps, the safaris, the people, the staff. I can't say enough great things! We were very happy with Xakanaxa camp - they were very comfortable, great food, and extremely friendly staff. Xakanaxa was the most luxurious, but we were the only two guests in the camp so it was very quiet.

It was a dream come true for Robert as he is an avid bird watcher. Montso our guide was extremely knowledgeable and remarkable at tracking the wildlife. We were told Leopards were quite difficult to find but Montso managed to find three in one after noon, we saw every thing even a black mamba. The Hippos were the highlight for Charles and I especially Amadeus the resident Hippo who would wonder round during the night and munch outside our tent. The accommodation and food were of the highest standard and nothing seemed too much trouble in this relaxing atmosphere.