KHWAI
Where the wilderness belongs to the community
Few places in Botswana can match the raw, unfiltered wilderness of the Khwai Community Area. Bordering Moremi Game Reserve to the south and the Okavango Delta to the west, this community-managed concession stretches across 190,000 hectares of pristine African bush – offering some of the finest wildlife encounters on the continent, with fewer crowds and a deeper sense of purpose.
Unlike the private concessions of the Okavango Delta, Khwai belongs to the people. The Khwai Development Trust manages this land on behalf of the local community, ensuring that conservation and livelihoods go hand in hand. When you safari here, your presence directly supports the families who have called this wilderness home for generations.
Sometimes listed as the Khwai private reserve or Khwai concession, the area works to different rules from the national reserve next door: no fence separates it from Moremi, and guided night drives are permitted — two details that shape everything a safari here can be.
What makes Khwai different
The Khwai Community Area sits at a remarkable ecological crossroads. To the south lies Moremi Game Reserve, one of Africa’s finest protected areas. To the west, the channels and floodplains of the Okavango Delta stretch to the horizon. Wildlife moves freely through Khwai – and the diversity of what you can encounter here is extraordinary.
What truly sets Khwai apart is the combination of landscape types in one area: open floodplains, mopane woodlands, riparian forest along the Khwai River, and seasonal wetlands – all within reach of a single camp. No fences. No boundaries. Just wilderness in its most elemental form.
The Khwai Development Trust – established in 1995 – has been a model for community conservation in southern Africa. Photographic concession fees, employment and skills training, and revenue sharing ensure that every visitor contributes directly to community development.
The wildlife of Khwai
Elephant, buffalo, lion and leopard move through Khwai constantly, alongside African wild dogs and cheetah — and the elephant concentrations here in the dry season are among the highest anywhere in Africa. Several wild dog packs den in the area, and patient tracking often rewards guests with extraordinary encounters. (Not sure whether you are looking at a wild dog or a hyena? Our comparison guide settles it at a glance.) Over 380 bird species have been recorded in the greater Khwai area.
Community at the heart of Khwai
Your Khwai guides are from the community. Many grew up here, learned to read tracks before they could read books, and carry generations of knowledge about this landscape. A drive with a Khwai guide is never just a game drive – it is a conversation about a place, its history, and the animals that have always shared it with the people who live here.
When to visit
The dry season (May to October) offers the best game viewing. As water sources diminish, animals concentrate around the Khwai River and permanent waterholes. The green season (November to April) transforms Khwai entirely – migratory birds arrive, newborn animals appear everywhere, and fewer visitors mean a deeper sense of solitude.
Khwai with Untouched Safaris
We build Khwai into our mobile safari itineraries as a natural complement to the Okavango Delta and Moremi. A camp in Khwai typically sits directly on the community land, giving access to both Moremi and the concession itself – maximum flexibility, minimum compromise.
Activities in Khwai
Game drives in Khwai are among the most rewarding in Botswana – and the flexibility of the community concession means they can go off-road, continue after dark, and cover ground that national park vehicles never reach. Day drives explore the open floodplains and mopane woodlands where elephant herds congregate in extraordinary numbers. Night drives reveal a completely different cast of characters: leopards resting in fever trees, aardvarks rooting in the soft sand, genets moving through the long grass, and the occasional honey badger living up to its fearless reputation.
Mokoro excursions are available from camps positioned along the Khwai River, offering a water-level perspective on the Delta that is genuinely unlike anything a game drive can provide. Walking safaris are permitted in the community concession – an intimate, close-range experience led by guides who read the ground as naturally as a page.
Best time to visit Khwai
Khwai rewards visitors year-round, but the dry season (May to October) is when the landscape is at its most dramatic. As water sources outside the reserve diminish, wildlife converges on the Khwai River corridor in remarkable concentrations. Elephant herds of two hundred or more are not unusual. Lion prides with multiple cubs, leopards in the riverine forest, wild dog packs ranging the open ground – the density of sightings during this period is exceptional. The green season (November to April) brings a different quality: migratory birds in their thousands, newborn animals at every turn, and a lush, rain-fresh landscape that feels vivid and alive.
Things to do in Khwai
Game drives along the river country, where the wildlife of two ecosystems meets. Night drives after Moremi’s gates have closed — leopard, hyena, genet and the nocturnal cast most safaris never see. Mokoro excursions through the reed channels (our mokoro guide explains how they work). Day trips into Moremi through the nearby gate, returning to Khwai’s looser rhythm by evening. And birding that follows the river year-round, with the full migrant cast arriving in the green season.
Frequently asked questions
Is Khwai inside Moremi Game Reserve?
No — it borders the reserve along the Khwai River. No fence separates the two, so wildlife moves freely; visitors pass through a gate.
Are night drives allowed in Khwai?
Yes, with a guide, inside the community area — one of Khwai’s biggest draws and something the national reserve does not offer.
What is the best time for wild dogs in Khwai?
The dry months, roughly June to September, when packs den in the area and hunt along the river. Sightings are never guaranteed — but few places offer better odds.
Khwai or Moremi — which should I choose?
They are two halves of one experience. Most of our guests stay in Khwai and visit Moremi on day trips — reserve wilderness by day, night drives by evening.
Where can I stay in Khwai?
Our lodge O Bona Moremi sits in the Khwai area with the river country on its doorstep. The Khwai region page shows how the area fits into a longer Botswana journey.
Planning a Khwai safari? Tell us your dates and we will build the river days around them.
Khwai Community Area
The Khwai Community Area is one of those rare places that rewards travellers who take the time to understand it. The wildlife is exceptional, the community connection is genuine, and the sense of wilderness – unbroken and uncompromised – is something that stays with you long after you have left. We have been taking small groups to Khwai for years. Let us show you what makes it special.
Khwai – practical questions
Is Khwai inside a national park?
No – it is a community-run concession bordering Moremi Game Reserve. This distinction matters: it means night drives, off-road driving, and walking safaris are all permitted, giving a richer range of experiences than the national park itself.
How do I get to Khwai?
Most guests fly into Maun, from where charter flights or road transfers reach Khwai camps in one to two hours. We arrange all logistics as part of your itinerary.
Can Khwai be combined with other areas?
Yes – and we recommend it. A combination of Khwai with the Okavango Delta (by houseboat or mokoro) and the Central Kalahari creates a journey that covers the full spectrum of northern Botswana’s wildlife and landscapes. Get in touch and we’ll design the right itinerary for you.
