
PROPERTY HIGHLIGHTS:
- In the heart of the Okavango, luxurious Jao is set amongst islands fringed with riverine forests and vast, floodplains with prolific wildlife. Rebuilt in 2019, the lodge is considered to be the most luxurious & opulent camp in the Delta area.
- Jao Camp features luxurious handcrafted tents set in the heart of the Jao Concession, Okavango Delta, Botswana, offering land & water-based safari activities.
- The camp comprises a main area elevated into the tree canopy, two exclusive villas and five twins all with private plunge pools, lounge and dining areas, and en-suite bathrooms, including indoor and outdoor showers.
- The menus are varied, and dishes come accompanied by an outstanding selection of South African wines. The service, across the board, is excellent.
- From waterways and lagoons to dry Kalahari grasslands, Jao can offer both land and water experiences, depending on water levels. Mokoro, boating and fishing take place seasonally, with day and night game drives usually all year round.
EXCLUSIVE LUXE VOYAGER VIP BENEFITS & BEST PRICE
We negotiate rates & benefits for our clients directly with the hotels’ senior management. Our rates match or in many cases are lower than the best online rate for the property. Our clients also enjoy a suite of extra VIP privileges and recognition while staying at a partner hotel.
- Complimentary room upgrade on arrival.
- Daily complimentary buffet breakfast for two.
- Up to $100 dining or spa credit per stay, and or in-house dining / spa discounts.
- Welcome amenities (wine/chocolates/fruit) and card from the GM.
- Complimentary private airport transfers.
- Complimentary roll-away bed if required.
- Early check-in and late check-out.
- Complimentary Wi-Fi.
- Enhanced recognition through VIP status at all touch points in the guest experience.
A complete or partial suite of VIP benefits will be offered, subject to the property T&C, including availability, category of room & length of stay.
ACTIVITIES:
There is no better way to view the Delta and its wildlife than by traditional mokoro (dugout canoe). At Jao we also have two glass-bottomed mekoro for an extraordinary above-water experience!
Morning, afternoon and night game drives reveal the spectacular wildlife of the area where leopard and other fauna, large and small, feature.
Tucked away under magnificent African ebony trees overlooking cool, calm water, the Jao Spa is an enchanting setting where you can rest and feel utterly restored. Choose from a full menu of spa therapies and massage treatments.
Additional costs apply.
A fascinating new feature is the museum and gallery, with its emphasis on learning and knowledge sharing of the area.
Fishing with a limited supply of basic equipment (spinner rods and a small range of lures) is on offer seasonally on a catch-and-release basis.
Night drives with spotlights allow you to find those nocturnal animals you wouldn’t see during the day. Please note that during high water levels, night drives are not possible.
Trips in our boats in the waterways to the east of camp allow for good game viewing in the channels further away. We have one eleven-seater and one thirteen-seater.

Jao Camp is a luxury safari lodge in the heart of the Okavango Delta. With just nine superior thatched cottages, each with its own veranda, Jao Camp is the perfect destination for excellent game viewing and a uniquely sophisticated safari experience. Located on a remote island in the Okavango Delta, Jao prides itself on exclusivity and first-class game viewing opportunities. The nine thatched tented cottages are individually handcrafted and built under a canopy of shady trees, raised off the ground to enhance the wonderful views that surround the camp. Spacious open rooms with rolltop baths add a feeling of romance and Jao is a justifiably popular destination for honeymooners.
Aside from game drives, activities include massage treatments from the full-time resident therapist, relaxation in the two plunge pools, fishing, walking and game viewing by boat or mokoro (traditional dugout canoe). During an unusually high flood season, game drives begin by boating out to a nearby Hunda Island where the vehicles are waiting, and the drive begins from there. Huge herds of red lechwe can be seen, followed by their primary predator – prides of lion. Other game typical of Botswana include elephant, buffalo, leopard, tsessebe, zebra and wildebeest, hippo and crocodile. Many bird species are resident such as Meyer’s Parrot, African Harrier Hawk, Black egret, Coppery-tailed Coucal, Malachite Kingfisher, Hamerkop and Black Crake being some of the avian treasures found at Jao Camp.
Jao Camp has nine spacious tents, each individually handcrafted. These twin-bedded canvas and thatched rooms are situated beneath a canopy of shady trees and have en-suite facilities, as well as an outdoor shower for the more adventurous. Built on raised decks, each has a private sala for afternoon siestas and offers wonderful views of the spectacular surrounding floodplains of Botswana. There are six tented rooms, one family tented room and two honeymoon tented rooms to chose from.

Standard Tent
5 x Tents comprising: 05 x twin-bedded luxury tented accommodations each with two three quarter beds (separate mattresses with shared base).

Villas
02 x Villas comprising: Each Villa has two identical tents (four beds in total) each with own en-suite facilities, sharing a lounge and dining area, private butler, kitchenette with private chef, fire deck and private plunge pool, plus private vehicle and guide.
In addition to the lounge and dining area and library, there are two plunge pools and an outdoor boma for dining under the stars, complemented by wines from an excellent wine cellar.


Dinning
An elaborate two-storey main area also includes boma for dining under the stars, complemented by an excellent wine cellar.
Aside from game drives, activities include massage treatments from the full-time resident therapist, relaxation in the two plunge pools.

Pool

Jao Spa
Tucked under magnificent African ebony trees overlooking lush waterways, the Jao Spa is an enchanting setting where you can rest and feel utterly restored. Here, we offer a full menu of therapies from facials to manicures, and a range of massage options.

Gym
Our gym is equipped with an elliptical cross trainer, rowing machine, stationary exercise bicycle, exercise mats, medicine ball and a range of free weights between 2.5 and 25 kilograms.
Area & Location
Area, Country
Okavango Delta, Botswana
Nearest Airport
Maun International Airport, Maun
Local Currency
Botswana Pula (BWP)
Time Change
GMT +2
Language
English
Best time to go
Climate varies wildly around the country and best time to go depends on type of wildlife you wish to see.
Related Hotels
- A classic tented camp located on a private concession in the Okavango Delta, Sanctuary Stanley's Camp offers a varied game viewing experience as well as…
- Duba Plains Camp offers guests a setting unlike any other, featuring woodlands, islands and flood plains that shelter thousands of animals, including interesting Kalahari species…
- Vumbura Plains is a luxury camp situated in a private concession bordering the Moremi Game Reserve in the far north of the Okavango Delta. The…
- The true art of safari is waking up with the crisp dawn air to the sound of birds rejoicing. Enjoying a warm cup of coffee,…
- Nestled on the edge of a leadwood and fig tree forest, overlooking the vast Khwai River floodplains and beyond into the Moremi Wildlife Reserve, sits…
- The Selinda Adventure Trail is an exploration safari charting a 4-day / 3-night course along the Selinda Spillway, an ancient waterway that links the Okavango…
- andBeyond Savute Under Canvas reaches far beyond the bounds of the traditional Botswana safari – this mobile tented camp, situated in remote and beautiful corners…
- Sanctuary Chobe Chilwero is a luxurious riverside retreat in the heart of the bush on the edge of Chobe National Park, home to the world's…
- Sanctuary Chobe Chilwero is a luxurious riverside retreat in the heart of the bush on the edge of Chobe National Park, home to the world's…
- Dinaka, meaning “horns”, is an exclusive private reserve hugging the northern edge of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Dinaka is host to one of the…
- Set in a 500,000 acre private concession of the Okavango Delta, Abu Camp lies at the heart of a pristine wilderness and is surrounded by…
- Khwai Tented Camp located on a beautiful site within this community-run concession on the eastern border of the Moremi Game reserve, on the banks of…
- Delta Camp’s is an intimate, luxury safari lodge located on a small island in the heart of the Okavango Delta accessed by light aircraft from…
- Nestled on a lush palm island in the heart of the northern Okavango Delta, Shinde is an intimate, classic camp located on the edge of…
- Located on a remote stretch of the Selinda Spillway, in the heart of the private 130,000 hectare Selinda Reserve, Selinda Explorers is an intimate camp…