Meno A Kwena

The safari never stops at Meno a Kwena, a hidden gem of a camp perched on a rocky cliff-top above the Boteti River in Botswana. With a glittering roster of activities, including day trips to the Makgadikgadi Pans, guided walks with the San bushmen, and wildlife-watching boat trips, there’s plenty to get your teeth into. But sometimes, the best game viewing is where you least expect it, and at Meno, it’s right in front of you. From the lofty position of the tents, which look down on a menagerie of animals at the water below, from herds of majestic elephant to dazzles of nomadic zebra – all you need to do is sit back, and take it all in.

At just under 2-hours by road from Maun, Meno is a good option if you’re travelling as a group, or with little ones (or even big ones!). The camp was originally used by Southern Africa’s legendary explorers, and with a few added little touches here, and some little quirks there, it’s refreshingly and stylishly simple. And actually, the real treat at Meno is the connection with nature; when an elephant provides your alarm call in the morning, and you can game view straight from your private veranda, nothing else really matters.

Meno a Kwena isn’t a hyper-luxurious camp – and that’s why guests love it. There aren't private butlers and air conditioning but there are 10 classic tents perched on a 100-foot high clifftop overlooking the river and offering some of the best ‘armchair’ game viewing ever seen. Each is classically styled, with a few eccentricities thrown in here and there; think locally-woven fabrics mixed with colonial-style furniture, and simple fittings brightened by snippets of colour. All have fully-equipped ensuite bathrooms, and there are two family units, both with inter-leading tents (one with three beds for children, one with 2 beds), perfect for the kids.

The canvas lounge and dining tents are piled high with books and trinkets, and decorated with old-world artefacts, and the piece de resistance – a sculpted crocodile! And it’s not there for no reason – Meno a Kwena literally translates as “teeth of the crocodile.” Keep an eye on the river below from just about any comfy chair in the living area, or plunge into the Flintstone-esque rocky swimming pool, and watch the animals doing the same below you.

Meno a Kwena is located on tribal land on the western boundary of the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park (MPNP), overlooking the exceptionally beautiful Boteti River. In the desert, water means life and the Boteti is the only permanent water source in the area, attracting a rich array of resident game and a procession of migratory wanderers. Meno sits almost exactly halfway between the unique Okavango Delta region and the drier southern regions, and it’s this excellent location that makes the camp truly special. Head into the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park, where baobabs stand like sentinels above the shimmering expanses of crusted salt, or discover Nxai Pan National Park, its endless landscapes dotted with umbrella acacias and clumps of mopane woodland.

About the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans

If you were to go on a game drive around the Makgadikgadi Pans and look for a picture-perfect picnic spot, then it would be Meno’s exact location, perched above the river bend, gazing down at the wildlife. But when you’re staying at Meno a Kwena, game viewing isn’t just a snatched hour over lunch; it’s all day, every day. Just sit back on the veranda and watch the zebra and antelope from your cliff-top position.

If you can drag your eyes away from the view, hop on a game drive to find desert-adapted animals that can’t be found elsewhere in Botswana. There’s antelope with comically twisted horns and a remarkable desert elephant. The rumble of hooves heralds the arrival of Africa’s second-largest migration. A stonking spectacle of 30,000 zebra and wildebeest migrate across the Makgadikgadi Pans, alongside a scattering of other hooved beasties. As the pans dry from April onwards, the zebra complete their journey at the river in an explosion of black and white stripes, followed closely by the predators: lion with their impressive black manes, leopard and cheetah using the surrounding bushes as cover, packs of wild dog, and mischievous jackal.