Things to do in Moremi Game Reserve
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Moremi Game Reserve
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
High flood and peak opening: mokoro and boats at their best, game concentrating, cold June to July dawns.
Late dry season: predator viewing and game concentration at their peak, with fierce October heat and deep sand.
The flood arrives: green bush, building water, animals moving in, prices and crowds below peak.
Local rains and green season: best birds and value, worst roads, thick bush and highest malaria risk.
What's on
- Peak Okavango Flood in Moremi Roughly June to August
Angolan floodwater peaks in the Delta during Botswana's dry winter, filling channels for mokoro and boats.
- Late Dry Season Predator Peak September to October
Game crowds to permanent water on the lagoons and Khwai River and predator viewing peaks, in heavy heat.
- Wild Dog Denning, Khwai and Moremi In some dry seasons, roughly June to August
Packs den in the area in some years, never guaranteed, found through your guide and not a listing.
- Summer Bird Breeding, Xakanaxa Channels Roughly December to April
Heronries active on the channels and migrant birds in force through the green season.
- Botswana Day 30 September
National independence day, a public holiday inside peak season that tightens campsite availability.
Best things to do in Moremi Game Reserve
Chief's Island
The largest island in the Delta, holding dense herds and predators at its floodplains in every season.
Xakanaxa Lagoon
A permanent lagoon fringed by riverine forest, with camps, boats and game loops sharing its rich shore.
Third Bridge
Pole bridges into floodplain loops past Paradise Pools and Dead Tree Island, the photographic Moremi.
Khwai River
River floodplains on the reserve's north-eastern edge, famous for leopard, wild dog and dense elephant traffic.
Black Pools
Hippo pools and floodplain grazing inside South Gate, the home circuit for South Gate campers and day drives.
Dombo Hippo Pools
A resident hippo pod on the Khwai River near North Gate, watched from the bank alongside crocodiles and birds.
Mboma Island
Reed channels and heronries west of the Mopane Tongue, reached on full boat days from Xakanaxa in flood season.
Where to stay in Moremi Game Reserve
Chief's Island
flagship luxury and predator density
The great dry island at the reserve's heart, holding the Mombo traversing area and the top-band camps.
Xakanaxa
land and water from one base
Camps, a campsite and an airstrip on one lagoon, with drives and boats both on the doorstep.
Eastern Moremi
new luxury near the Khwai side
Riverine forest camps in the east of the reserve, under full reserve rules, close to Khwai country.
Boro River and Gunn's Concession
walking and mokoro
The concession adjoining the reserve to the south-west, where walks, mokoro and night drives are allowed.
Khwai Community Concession and Khwai Private Reserve
flexible activities and mid-range value
Community and private land adjoining North Gate, with night drives, walks and off-road freedom the reserve denies.
Public campsites inside the reserve
self-drive budget route
Unfenced pitches at Xakanaxa, Third Bridge and the two gates, booked months ahead through their operators.
Think twice about
- Any water in the reserve, for swimming or wading
Crocodiles and hippo in every lagoon, pool and channel. There is no safe swimming water in Moremi.
- Walking unguided, including around campsites after dark
Campsites are unfenced and predators and elephant move through them at night. Use a torch, scan, and move as little as possible.
- Reserve tracks after gate closing
Night driving is prohibited inside the reserve and is a safety and legal risk. Be in camp by sunset.
- Flooded southern routes and untested water crossings in the green season
Local rain and flood close routes without notice and hide holes in crossings. Ask at the gate and believe the worst report.
Best restaurants in Moremi Game Reserve
Wilderness Mombo Dining
Flagship camp dining with bush brunches and private deck dinners, included in the rate, for guests only.
Chief's Camp Dining
Deck dining over the floodplain at Chief's Camp, full board in the rate, for resident guests only.
Tawana Dining
The newest luxury camp table in the reserve, lodge dining in the riverine forest, included for guests.
Camp Moremi Dining
Classic safari dining at Camp Moremi, brunch, high tea and boma dinners, the best food to price ratio here.
Sable Alley Dining
Camp dining overlooking the hippo lagoon at Sable Alley, included in the rate, for guests only.
Moremi Crossing Dining
Sociable back-to-basics camp cooking at Moremi Crossing, the best value fully inclusive table in the reserve.
Sango Safari Camp Dining
Communal mobile-camp style dining at Sango, eaten with guides and guests, the most social table in Khwai.
Self-Catering at Moremi Campsites
A fire and a braai stand with everything bought in Maun, the reserve's only cheap tier of eating.
Outdoor things to do in Moremi Game Reserve
Game drives in Moremi
Morning and afternoon game drives on reserve tracks, guided from every camp or self-driven from the campsites.
Motorboat safari on Xakanaxa Lagoon and the channels
Motorboat safaris across the lagoon to heronries and channels, the best route to sitatunga habitat and Pel's fishing owl.
Mokoro excursions
Poled mokoro trips on the Boro system with island walks, at water level and walking pace in flood season.
Walking safaris
Guided walking safaris with armed professional guides on community land adjoining the reserve, where walking is allowed.
Night drives in Khwai
Spotlit night drives in the Khwai concession, outside the reserve, for leopard, bushbabies, genets and lions at night.
Multi-day mobile safari, Moremi plus Khwai
A serviced mobile camp safari split between Moremi and Khwai, the mid-range way to do the reserve properly.
Self-drive traverse, South Gate to North Gate
The self-drive traverse from South Gate to North Gate, in deep sand and water crossings, campsites booked ahead.
Helicopter scenic flight over Chief's Island and the channels
A doors-off helicopter hour over floodplains and channels, resolving the Delta into water, islands and herds.
Best hotels in Moremi Game Reserve
Wilderness Mombo
Nine raised suites at the northern tip of Chief's Island, the benchmark camp for predator density and guiding.
Wilderness Little Mombo
Four tents sharing Mombo's traversing area and floodplain, the intimate version of the same famous address.
Chief's Camp, An A&K Sanctuary
Twelve luxury pavilions with plunge pools in jackalberry woodland on the north-western tip of Chief's Island.
Camp Moremi
Twelve tents under ebony trees on Xakanaxa Lagoon, with game drives and boat safaris both core to the stay.
Camp Xakanaxa
The original lagoon camp, friendly and established, at a less restrictive price than most Botswana camps.
Okuti
A small design-led camp of five houses on the Maunachira River, the boutique choice in the Xakanaxa area.
Tawana
Natural Selection's new luxury camp in eastern Moremi riverine forest, built around serious guiding.
Moremi Crossing
Sixteen tents opposite Chief's Island, the walking and mokoro camp, well priced and sociable for groups.
Is Moremi Game Reserve expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | BWP 1,800 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | BWP 7,500 a person |
| Splurge | BWP 38,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Chief's Island: months ahead
- Xakanaxa Lagoon: weeks ahead
- Third Bridge: weeks ahead
- Khwai River: weeks ahead
- Black Pools: a few days ahead
- Dombo Hippo Pools: a few days ahead
- Mboma Island: weeks ahead
- Game drives in Moremi: weeks ahead
- Fly-in camps, Khwai camps and public campsites book months ahead for June to October. No campsite proof, no gate entry.
- Confirm park fees at booking. Non-resident entry was BWP 270 per adult per day plus BWP 115 per vehicle in current listings.
- Confirm water levels for mokoro, boat and crossing plans in the week of travel, from your camp or the gate.
Is Moremi Game Reserve safe?
- Moremi is a malaria area year-round, highest November to May. Take clinician advice and carry evacuation insurance.
- Never swim or wade anywhere in the reserve, and never walk unguided, because of crocodiles, hippo and unfenced predators.
Moremi Game Reserve travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- A one-day Moremi dash from Maun sold as a safari. It is a long transfer with a drive in the middle.
- Itineraries promising night drives, off-road driving or walking inside the reserve, which cannot legally be delivered.
- Campsite availability taken from a listing site instead of the operator who holds the book.
Getting around Moremi Game Reserve: public transport and more
- Fly from Maun to the Xakanaxa, Khwai or Chief's Island strips, or drive to South Gate in a high-clearance 4x4 only.
- Inside the reserve, stay on tracks, finish by gate closing, and carry fuel and water for the full leg plus a reserve day.
- No night driving, no off-road driving and no walking inside the reserve. Those activities live in the Khwai and Gunn's concessions.
Who Moremi Game Reserve suits
| Solo travellers | OK |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Moremi Game Reserve your trip
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