Classic accommodation alongside the River Khwai within the Okavango Delta’s Khwai Reserve
Lounge with bar, dining area, curio shop, massage services, fire-pit, deck, and swimming pool
Ten guest tents, including two for family use, each with a private veranda
Game drives, walking safaris, mokoro excursions, and community visits
Machaba offers consistently good game viewing and focuses mostly on game drives (though mokoro boating and nature walks are also possible here). Please note that a private vehicle must be booked for any party that includes a child or children aged under 6 years. Additionally, a minimum age requirement is 12 years for walks and mokoro rides.
Machaba is located in the Khwai Community Concession, a combination of savanna, woodland, and waterways supporting an astonishing wealth of wildlife. It’s also located close to Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe National Park . Vehicle safaris from camp take place during the morning and late afternoon into the evening and last approximately 3 hours per drive. Keep an eye open for four of the Big Five – lion, leopard, elephant, and buffalo. The reserve’s smaller predators include cheetah, hyena, jackals, and wild dog, while other herbivore highlights consist of giraffe, zebra, and plenty of antelopes. The birdlife is also spectacular here.
Led by expert armed guides, a walking safari is a fantastic way for wildlife enthusiasts to learn about Khwai’s plants, insects, and birdlife in exquisite, up-close detail.
A mokoro is a dug-out canoe led by an experienced poler who guides the boat from the front. Unlike a motorised vessel, it floats silently through the water, offering opportunities for all aboard to focus on the hypnotic sounds of nature as well as wildlife sightings such as elephant, hippo, and some vibrant bird varieties. Look out for tiny reed frogs, dragonflies, and butterflies as you glide along the water.
Guests of Machaba are invited to visit the local community. This is an excellent opportunity to interact with people from the area and learn about their customs and traditional ways of life.
*This property is unfenced and located in a wildlife area, so large and potentially dangerous animals do pass through. If you opt to stay here, always be alert when walking around the camp and request for a member of staff to escort you if you have any concerns. Any guest is escorted after dark as a matter of course.
Machaba Camp is situated amidst a riverine treeline overlooking the River Khwai, which shares a western border with Moremi Game Reserve . From Maun, it’s a 20-minute flight by light aircraft to Khwai Airstrip, followed by a 20-minute game drive transfer.
The communal areas at Machaba Camp are housed in a large tent with two wings and approached from the guest tents along well-marked pathways.
Lofty ceilings deliver a spacious, airy environment, and the open sides guarantee amazing river views while guests lounge and dine together. In the living area, there’s plenty of comfortable seating, as well as some reading material, wall maps, and the camp’s well-stocked bar. Please note that while there is limited internet access within the camp, it’s very patchy and cannot be relied upon. The second wing is home to the dining area with an adjacent tea-and-coffee station, where wooden tables are laid out individually for breakfast and lunch. Dinner is enjoyed communally, but private dining can also be arranged on the swimming pool deck or in the guest tents. Outside, you’ll find the open-air fire-pit, ideal for gathering with other guests under starlight, surrounded by the sounds of nature. Machaba has a curio shop stocked with a range of local craft items for travellers hoping to purchase souvenirs. Another pathway from the main tent leads to the camp’s inviting swimming pool, where a few sunloungers and parasols are positioned on the deck. Guests can also request massage treatments on their private veranda.
Guest accommodation consists of eight luxury 1950s-style tents for double or twin occupancy and two two-bedroom family tents that accommodate four guests each.
Set back slightly from the river on ground level, all are Meru in style, which means that an exterior layer of canvas extends over the inner structure to create a private veranda at the front. The outside space is lit up with lanterns at night, and there’s a simple seating arrangement with a couple of camping chairs, a small table, and a massage couch. Zip-up canvas doors open into the tent interiors, which are spacious, light, and airy, with an understated, explorer-style aesthetic. Guests can choose between a double bed or twin beds, and each tent has bedside tables and reading lights, a writing desk, a comfortable sink-in armchair, a standing fan, and a safe. The en-suite washroom is accessed through a canvas flap at the back of the tent, and it contains a separate flush toilet, twin washbasins, an outdoor shower, and a basket with a few essentials such as insect spray. Two tents combine to create a family unit with a shared bathroom. All tents are suitable for wheelchair users and travellers who cannot use steps – please contact a member of the YZ team for further details.
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