Nokanyana

Can't say enough good things about our stay at Nokanyana...from the staff, to meals, to accommodations and game drives, everything was five star and more. The staff were knowledgeable, well trained and friendly (hi Nono, Gofa and Onyk...et al). Food was excellent and tailored to our needs, our tent/sleeping area was dream like, and the camp location is in the center of amazing wildlife that made the game drives exciting and never to be forgotten. Thanks to all at Roots and Journeys.

Clean rooms , clean bedding( creative housekeepers),but the rooms could get hot during the day. I wish they would improve the cooling system.Friendly Staff,mouthwatering food kudos to the Chefs ! Game drives were awesome, excellent vac.

This is the Okavanga delta at its best. The game was spectacular and the guides absolutely brilliant. The camp was super comfortable and the pool a perfect midday retreat. The food was exceptional and chef Lea an unexpected surprise. The staff were excellent, friendly, helpful, sophisticated and very attentive. We saw daytime hyena, lion, Cape buffalo, giraffe, elephant, kudu, waterbuck, wildebeest, hippo, birds galore and much more. The AM and late afternoon rides a mixture of excitement, fun and connection with nature. The mokoro ride on the river was other worldly and an experience of the delta like no other. The evening skies an introduction into the stars and galaxies we don’t see from big cities. We will be back for sure.

Unbelievable experience of a lifetime. My husband and I stayed with 3 of our friends at Nokanyana Lodge for 5 unforgettable nights. Included in our package were 2 game drives a day in very comfortable safari vehicles with expert guides. The guides took us through beautiful diverse areas of plains and waterways filled with an exotic array of wildlife. We experienced up close encounters with hippos, elephants, lions, giraffes, zebra, hyenas, wilder beasts, birds of every size, color and sound and the list goes on! Each outing ended with striking sunsets and cocktails then back to the luxury camp where each night we were presented with delectable meals. In between outings we were able to relax in the refreshing infinity pool and lookout over the breathtaking view to see yet more wildlife enjoying the river just in front of the dining and lounging areas. The spacious Glamping tents are beautifully prepared with oversized and extremely comfortable beds with fine linens and private bathrooms with both indoor and outdoor showers. We are so grateful to Roots and Journeys for providing us with this experience of a lifetime and we look forward to returning with friends and family.

What a wonderful experience at this camp. We felt welcomed from first arrival, with cool cloths to refresh from the journey, and greetings from staff. Such a beautiful setting on the river. Weather was starting to heat up, so the sparkling clean pool was a welcome treat. Even though our expectations were mainly for the overall experience, our nature guide and driver, Duncan, showed us an incredible array of wildlife, with added information and history. We saw the big 5, the ugly 5, (didn't even know there was an ugly 5) and everything in between, up close. Learned so many interesting details about the country, animals, birds. Loved the cosy lined ponchos for the morning drives. Shared lovely sundowners on our drives. Friendly inhouse staff Arona, the camp coach, Lemo, Aline, Maggie and Florence made sure we had everything we needed. Lovely buffet or plated service of delicious food at every meal. Aline made sure my supply of ice never ran out! Lemo set up a lovely special romantic table for us in the bomo, at night, with candles. Arona kept a close watch on the wildlife with his powerful light. Enjoyed the wonderful entertainment after dinner. Mentioned a couple of small concerns to Arona about our room, which he took care of immediately. One suggestion would be to place the tables closer together for dinner. Met some other lovely couples at breakfast. We have many unforgettable memories of our time here and thank you all for sharing your beautiful country with travellers from Canada. Lynne B

If you're after an authentic woodland savannah experience with the wonderful wildlife literally walking into the camp, this lodge is for you. It offers luxury within the confides of it's remote location as in the WiFi is patchy yes and the showers are solar powered so water temperatures can be unpredictable, but our two teenages who live on their phones survived on the limited wifi as the lodge offers a variety of different game drives, morning, evening, night and walking to keep everyone busy. The lodges are very clean and well appointed and the staff are very friendly and welcoming. Night and day the majestic wildlife walk unrestricted, no electric fencing, within feet of your lodge. We were on our lodge verrandah and we had two beautiful elephants walk by within 3 metres of where we were sitting. We heard elephants, hyennas and hippos during the night. The variety of wildlife is incredible even on our first drive we saw so much including a beautiful young female leapord feeding. As mentioned by other reviewers it is around 2 hours from the air***** and yes the roads are bumpy. It wasn't an issue for us but it may be a consideration for others. The trackers/drivers are very knowledgeable and from an eco standpoint they pay back the local communities every time a game drive takes place in the two surrounding areas of Khwai and Mababe. The trackers want to give their customers the best experience but not at the expense of the animals. We went onto a more commercialised lodge in Chobe National Park and yes the facilities were better but we all felt perhaps the animal welfare was not as high a priority.

This camp exceeds all expectations! The food is gourmet quality, and the service is top notch! Julia and her team took care of everything we needed. We had elephants cooling off in the water by the common area during our stay. You could hear the hippos in the distance. Our Guide, Elmo, was a true bush tracker and was able to find the lions we heard in the early morning hours. He really enjoys what he does and it shows. He could name any plant, animal, bird, or bug, and was patient with our many questions. This location was a highlight for us and an experience you will never forget.

Nokanyana is in a beautiful pristine location with amazing animal filled drives in all directions. Its remoteness is magical with tents well spaced to give each one a feeling of being alone with nature. It’s the complete “back to nature” experience but, even more so, it’s the people who make it so special From Mary who met us at the airport, to our incredible guide Monika who took care of our every need and made every drive an adventure to remember, to Onks the manager who stepped in to help when needed most, to Lemo our server who took such good care of us, to Chef Nutty’s fantastic recipes to Mary the housekeeper who kept our tents immaculate and ready for our return from Monika’s amazing drives; we truly felt we were with family Unfortunately we had to cut our trip short as the region was hit with a really bad and unexpected heat wave that pushed temperatures 10 degrees above average. This extreme heat took its toll on my nephew and everyone mentioned went above and beyond to nurse him back to health. I honestly can’t thank all of them enough for their care and genuine compassion, including providing updates to our family back home. Although it wouldn’t have helped in my nephew’s situation, the camp should consider providing extra fans in the rooms when temperatures soar above average That said, in normal temperatures the tents are airy and well ventilated. Even when it was 40 they still cooled at night, but more contingencies have to be made for climate change as this is the second heat wave to hit the “rainy season” this year. I travel a lot and have never written a review the same day I left a property, but this is how sincerely I am appreciative of everyone mentioned

What a memorable stay! From the moment we drove up to Nokanyana, we knew it was a special place. The entire staff welcomed us with a song and refreshing handtowels (which were offered every time we came back from a game drive). The hospitality and genuine friendliness from everyone at the camp made for such a warm environment and the 4 days we spent here were delightful. The chefs are so talented and we enjoyed a wide variety of delicious foods. The accommodations are lovely and the setting along the river is magical. Best of all was our guide, Nono, who has an incredible personality and showed us so many amazing animal sightings and gorgeous sundowner spots. We had so much fun with him. We were sad to leave.