Review: Jao Camp, Botswana (2026 Review)

Jao is two things: first, it is everything you imagine when you’re thinking of the Delta. Assuming you’re thinking of the one in Botswana, not the airline that makes you want to punch yourself in the junk. Secondly, it is a place of absolute joy; a passion project; a property in a place that needed to do almost nothing to be special, and then did everything.

I’ve reviewed Jao before, so why bother going back? Because Jao is no longer under Wilderness (and because I like going to nice places, excuse me for living). The Kays family, whose company holds the concession, now run it themselves, and a change like that can go either way. This one has gone up.

Nobody needed to build a camp this good on an island in a swamp. Nobody needed a spa this stupendous, or rooms this brilliant, or a chef who seems to have been possessed by that rat in Ratatouille. But somebody wanted to. This is what luxury means to me: someone building something nobody asked for, because nobody would have dared. There is absolutely no reason for it, yet it feels essential.

As I stepped back into a camp, I received lots of “welcome back” from everyone and a level of warmth and hospitality that makes it immediately feel like home. Assuming your home is a thatched cathedral woven out of sticks, parked next to some of Africa’s most incredible wildlife. Alas, the muntjacs that eat all our plants in England aren’t quite the same draw.

There’s water everywhere; islands that are only islands this month; lechwe splashing off through the shallows. It’s amongst the most beautiful landscapes in Africa, and Jao sits in the middle of it, raised up on an island under a canopy of trees, looking out over all that water, like the camp came first, then the water wanted to see what all the fuss was about.  The reserve covers 60,000 hectares, though with this much water only about half is usable, and some areas are no off-roading, as the tracks stay forever.

The food is take-the-piss good. Like they just wanted the competition to unnecessarily suffer, just because they’re sadists here. It’s so far beyond what a normal safari lodge offers that it’s like Michelin-quality dining. For no reason at all. The miso-infused pumpkin with avocado, feta and sliced chillies was bloody wonderful. So was a cauliflower steak, which I only chose in the hope I could write something negative. Then the apple pie. Safari lodge desserts usually look like they came out of a packet; this was freaking amazing. The chef came out after every meal, which normally is just this bore of a human saying “did you like it” and getting a one-word grunt back. Not here, this man was on a rightfully deserved victory tour, receiving the admiration from each guest, with me fanboying over him the most.  I have tried, but I cannot think of better food in a safari lodge, ever.

Afternoon tea is an absolutely incredible spread: cakes and more cakes, chicken wings, fruit, juices. Oh, that white chocolate cake. I dunno why I’m writing this review from England, if I get on the plane now, I might make it for tomorrow’s lunch. I’ll even say it was joint best afternoon tea selection I’ve seen too, yet their competitor for joint place, is Singita Sasakwa, which has 17 bedrooms — here there’s 9.

With only five rooms and two villas (two-bedroom), this is as intimate a camp can be, whilst somehow offering as much space as an army could want. The rooms are utterly gorgeous. So is the spa, the pool, the entrance, the museum. And the main area.  So…everywhere.  Yes, everywhere.  The main area is also huge – a group of eight was in camp, and it never felt like their place. The lounge flows into the indoor dining area and bar, though most of the seating is outside.

But back to the rooms. Mesh wraps the whole thing, so you sit in the Delta without the Delta biting you, and glass by the bed keeps the night still, so it doesn’t feel like you’re being blown on by a giant. Make sure you read that sentence properly. This year the water came right up to the deck. Hippos went past. Lechwe went past. I could have spent a game drive on the sofa instead.

The gym is reasonable: TechnoGym rower, bike and treadmill, plus weights, right by the pool. No air con, naturally, cos who wants to be cool when you’re coughing your lungs up?  The spa is just as unnecessary and even better — truly great for a safari lodge. There are two beautifully designed treatment rooms, but the main area steals the show, and that’s where they do the foot rub. The massage was proper and thorough, from someone who knew exactly what they were doing.

The wildlife made Jao work hard, with the heaviest rains in fifteen years, and high water shrinks the island around camp, so most drives start with a 40-minute boat ride to land. The irony of peak season is that it’s also peak flood. The more water, the smaller the island around the lodge, so there aren’t many animals nearby. My guide was Mesh, who I could tell within two minutes that I’d fall in love with, not just his incredible knowledge, but his joy to be around. He also spotted a leopard through a bush almost 50 metres away. This defies physics. My guess: the leopard is on the payroll.

I’m still not going to sing and dance about boating somewhere; I want to be close to the action which the game vehicles deliver, but drifting at sunset is lovely, and one evening we found a leopard just hanging in a tree, with hippos, elephants and buffalo hogging the water. I also understand that is the core reason a lot of people come to the Delta, so I’m just a spoilt man-baby.

Some gripes, for the sake of my reputation. Surprise, surprise: the cooling. It’s not air con, but a floor system, and the room still felt warm. You’ve heard this from me before. You’ll hear it again.

Service suffers what so many do: when new faces arrive, preferences are soon forgotten. And I finally got one on the chef:  I didn’t like the snacks in the room.  Something for him and Remy to work on for my next stay.

The Good

• It’s not good, it’s bloody amazing

The Bad

• Still no air con, and the gym needs it most
• High flood means a 40-minute boat ride to the game
• Plunge pools are the worst.  Unheated plunge pools are proof that evil exists.

The Luxurious

• Food
• Service
• Accommodation
• Spa
• Setting
• Does “everything else” cover it?

Conclusion

I just love this property. It makes me feel whole.

Kisawa taught me that the best places don’t make sense. Jao understands this. Everything here is so brilliantly done, and so clearly done because someone wanted it done properly, that it becomes the whole point of travelling.

Jao reopened after its rebuild in 2019, so it was being planned more than a decade ago. I can’t imagine what the next one will need to allow for. Except air con. To be clear, nothing on the ground has changed through the, shall we say, less-than-amicable handover (Google it) from Wilderness. The only real difference is the pride of being fully independent is certainly on display. And the WiFi now reaches everywhere, including the gym. You still need your own unique login, though. What do they think we’re up to?

But one thing has changed, which is they’ve dropped their prices. Name me one thing that’s come down in the last few years. Other than our collective IQ.

Go now.