26 June 2024
Ker & Downey Botswana, through a partnership with the Bukakhwe Bushmen in Gudigwa village in the northern reaches of the Okavango Delta, will in March 2025 open a new lodge in the Okavango Delta.
Ker & Downey Botswana’s newest Okavango Delta lodge, Maxa, is nestled under a perennial canopy of towering Ebony trees, overlooking the permanent Maxa Lagoon. Located in the South-Eastern Panhandle within Botswana’s Okavango Delta, Maxa is ideally situated in an area where the nutrient-rich clear headwaters of the Okavango meet the meandering channels of the Selinda Spillway, an expansive network of rarely explored seasonal floodplains.
This fascinating area in the heart of the Kaza Trans frontier Park (an area half the size of California), features a network of permanent and seasonally inundated channels and lagoons.
The philosophy of Maxa centres around exploration, learning, and the freedom to be immersed in nature.
The camp’s unique appearance captures this with a freeform separated lounge and dining area, set under light canvas roofs, partially enclosed by traditional clay walls. The design is complemented with handmade local furniture, which lends the decor and lighting a creative spirit.
Situated between the lounge and dining areas with white delta sand underfoot, is the camp courtyard, with picnic style tables for meals in the breezy shade or under the stars. In a culinary twist, a central feature of the main area is a termite mound that originally helped to form the island.
Here, guests will be welcomed to the smells of freshly baked bread and muffins from Maxa’s wood fired oven, which will also produce other delightful meals prepared meticulously by the camp chef. At the edge of the camp’s riverine forest overlooking the lagoon is another cluster of Ebony trees, forming a natural enclosure. Here, a Sala with a cushioned day bed is complemented by an elevated deck, with a suspended cargo net hammock bedecked with an array of pillows and cushions, from where guests can take in the beautiful surrounds.
Accommodating up to 12 guests, the tented rooms are practical, yet comfortable, with four beautifully designed stretch canvas tents on decks, comprising an ensuite indoor bathroom as well as full outdoor open air bathroom. The Maxa family tent has two bedrooms and a shared ensuite bathroom along with an outdoor bathroom.
Every day at Maxa is curated as a day of exploration. Camp excursions include mokoro (dugout canoe), guided walking safaris and nature drives (both by day and night). Activities also incorporate local cultural insights with the exploration of the natural heritage of this immensely diverse region.
Access to and from Maxa will be by helicopter from Shinde airstrip, offering a short, yet exciting scenic transfer.
“Maxa’s comfort and innovative design complement our five-decade legacy of Ker & Downey’s suite of legacy camps, suiting travellers who seek bush exclusivity, wilderness and an experience with the people,” commented Walter Smith, Ker & Downey Botswana’s Director of Sales.
“We are confident that Maxa will strongly resonate with our past guests and industry partners. In this inclusive partnership, we also know Maxa will appeal to the modern generation of new travellers.”
Source: The Ngami Times via Facebook
