January - end June - shoulder rates
July - end October - highest prices
November - end December - shoulder rates

ACCOMMODATION

Number of chalets:

5 tents in total consisting of:

4 ¾ twin bedded tents
1 kingsize-bedded honeymoon tent
This camp can accommodate 10 guests with tour leader 1 guide or guest tent

Chalet details:

• Luxury treehouse tent over 4m off ground
• En-suite facilities, indoor & outdoor showers o Chalet entrance is door (not zipped)
• Bathroom within chalet
• All tents have verandas overlooking the flood plains
• Fans in all guest tents
• Rooms under thatch
• Soaps, shampoos and insect repellents are supplied in each room

CAMP DESCRIPTION

Communal Area:

• Dining room & pub under thatch, on poles
• Raised walkway on poles between public areas and guest tents
• Landscape view from pub and dining area and all rooms
• Evening campfire
• Curio shop
• Open air deck for dining under the stars
• Plunge Pool

GAME VIEWING

Buffalo, Elephant, Lion, Zebra, Wildebeest, Giraffe, Warthog, Wilddog, Lechwe, Hippo, Leopard, Tsessebe, Kudu, Cheetah and Sitatunga.

ACTIVITIES

50% Game Drives and 50% Water Activities (but very much dependant on flood levels.) In the summer months activities tend more towards game drives, whereas in the winter months mainly water based activities are offered.

Game Drives:

• Land game drives in open 4x4 Land Rovers - the camp has 2x 10-seater Land Rovers each accommodating a maximum of 7 guests, allowing all guests an outside seat.
• In times of high water, guests are transferred by mokoro to game drive areas.
• Night drives with spot light.
• Private vehicles available on request.

Walking Safaris:

• These can be offered from camp on a request basis.

Water Activities:

• Mekoros (a traditional dug-out canoe) 6 x 2seater
• Boating in the waterways to the west of camp.

ELECTRICITY & WATER

• Camp has a 220v generator. Electricity is run in the kitchen and main areas when guests are not in camp. When guests return from daily activities, generators generally switched off (for peace in camp).
• 220v battery power (charged by the generator) is used for lighting and fans in each guest tent 24hrs a day. Hairdryers etc cannot work here.
• Video battery can be charged by the generator when guests on game drives. Hence bring spare battery and charging unit.
• Solar heated water for showers etc.

DRINKS POLICY

All local drinks beers, wines and mineral water are included in the nightly tariff, with the exception of premium wines & champagne, and premium liqueurs & spirits.

LAUNDRY POLICY

Laundry is done on a daily basis and inclusive in the nightly tariff with the exception of 'smalls' ie underwear, which are not washed due to local customs.

EXTRAS PAYMENT

Curios and or imported drinks will be billed to the guest and settled on check out. Payment can be effected by cash (US$), travellers' cheques or the following credit cards: Visa or MasterCard. If guests feel that they want to tip, our recommended tipping schedule is as follows: Guides - US$5.00 per person per day
General Camp Staff - US$3.00 per person per day
Specialist Guides (if applicable) - US$10.00 per person per day
(This is the suggested gratuity schedule only and is subject to service standards)

FLYING TIMES

to/from Maun 30 minutes
to/from Kasane 1hr 20 minutes
Kasane to Victoria Falls 20 minutes but allow additional time for customs and immigration

AIR STRIP DETAILS

Jao airstrip located 35 minutes' drive or boat trip (usually April to September) from camp. In high waters (usually April - September) guests are boated to Camp (can take up to an hour).
Airstrip co-ordinates: S19.23.16, E022.44.51
Airstrip services Jao, Jacana and Kwetsani camps.

THE OWNERS

Cathy and David Kays and their families, and Kingsley Mogalakwe are the long~term leaseholders of Jao Reserve. The Kays are one of Maun's oldest families. David's great grandfather first came to Ngamiland in 1887. In 1912 the Kays family settled in Tsau, at that time the headquarters of the Batawana tribe (Maun was not yet founded). When the Batawana tribe decided to establish a new village at Maun and move its headquarters there in the mid~twenties, the Kays family moved with them. David's father, Ronnie, was instrumental in advising the Batawana Tribal Authorities on the formation of Moremi Game Reserve and assisted in the demarcation of the reserve's boundaries. Kingsley Mogalakwe is from a prominent and well~known Maun family. His uncle, Montsho Mogalakwe, was also instrumental in the formation of Moremi Game Reserve and has now retired from service in Maun as the deputy chief for Ngamiland. Like all families raised in and around the Okavango, wildlife was in their blood, and they spent most of their lives out in the bush. When they won the rights for the Jao Reserve in the recent tender process, they were determined to make this Botswana's finest reserve. They turned their backs on hunting, even though it is allowed in this reserve. They are only the second reserve in Botswana not to hunt, when hunting is allowed. They have decided to focus all their efforts on developing Jao into a superb photographic reserve, but in the process they lose about US$300,000 in hunting revenue every year to ensure great game viewing and a superb wildlife product in the long term. The two camps they have built ~ Jao and Kwetsani ~ are two of the top camps in the Okavango.