NORTH ISLAND – OKAVANGO

Opened at the end of 2023 to rave reviews, North Island Okavango has already scooped up a few awards. North Island was voted onto Conde Naste The Hot List 2024 Winner for Best New Hotels. Travel + Leisure’s IT List Winner for Best New Hotels 2024 was also won. Together with local partners Nakwa and the Magobagoba Youth Trust, the North Island Team are proud of their success.

Designed around comfort and luxury, North Island is set on a private island, surrounded by a mosaic of other islands all netted together by shining lagoons and transient channels. Between the floodplains, open savannah and woodlands, there is an abundance of wildlife everywhere.The landscape is a pristine wilderness of floodplains and grasslands, lagoons and palm-strewn islands. The diverse habitats support an extraordinary range of wildlife.

LOCATION

The private concession is slightly to the west of the renowned Vumbura and Duba Plains concessions on the northern side of Botswana’s Okavango Delta.

CAMP

There are 7 spacious tents in camp – including one a family room – each resting on a raised wooden deck under the shade of wild ebony trees. Each tent offers stunning views of the lagoon in front of the camp, with a private plunge pool and sunken sundeck for cooling off – an ideal spot to relax and watch the wildlife come and go!

At night sit on the deck listening to the bell frogs tinkle like windchimes and watch as fireflies wink at you across the water. For the hotter summer nights, each bed comes with its very own over-the-bed cooling system. And in winter, there is a cosy fireplace to relax in front of, making each tent a romantic safari experience.

The camp sits peacefully in front of a glorious hippo-filled lagoon, shaded by a congregation of enormous trees, with a separate lounge and dining area to enjoy delicious dinners, connected by a wooden deck that extends onwards for stargazing around a crackling firepit at night. To the side, there is a separate library for resting and reading and an outdoor gym to exercise in, while surrounded by the wild. This colourful little camp, packs a lot of punch. From the contemporary African inspired design, to the activities on offer, this is a small island haven for wild adventure.

• 7 tented suites, including a family room.
• Ensuite bathrooms with indoor & outdoor showers, plus bathtub
• Each with sunken deck and private plunge pool
• Ceiling fans & over-bed air-conditioning system
• Minibar in each room
• The camp is 100% solar-powered
• Outdoor gym
• Wellness spa & treatments available (at an additional cost)
• Small well stocked library
• Wi-Fi: Yes
• Hairdryers available
• Battery charging facilities available in the suites only
• Complimentary laundry service
• Child policy: we welcome children aged 6 years and older
• Disabled access: please enquire with reservation

ACTIVITIES AND WILDLIFE

The area around North Island is famed for its large buffalo herds and the lions that hunt them. The plains are also home to a strong population of cheetah and wild dog, while the woodlands host leopard in high numbers. You’ll also spot elusive and lesser-known predators like caracal, serval and mongoose. Each year approximately 40 000 elephants transit through the area.  Birdlife here is especially noteworthy, with over 350-bird species, including the endangered wattled crane, carmine bee-eaters, secretary birds and the Pel’s fishing-owl.

GAME DRIVES

Enjoy games drives in comfortable game viewing vehicles in the morning and afternoon/evening. Your safari guide has all the expertise and knowledge to find you some of the best kept secrets and most loved wildlife in the Okavango Delta.

Mokoro Trips (seasonal activity)

This is one of the most iconic Okavango Delta experiences. Wind your way around the crystalclear waterways on mokoro. Your experienced guide, will pole you amongst the lily pads and weaving sandbanks, to show you the ebbs and flows of this incredible eco-system.

Boating (seasonal activity)

Cruise the Okavango waterways – your experienced driver and guide will show you some of the best river sightings and sunsets. Keep a look out for birds, crocodiles, hippo and exciting game coming to quench their thirst, while you moor up along the river bank sipping a sundowner.

Fishing (seasonal activity)

A fabulous activity for families with kids. We’re all about catch and release so ask your safari guide to hook you up with a couple of rods.

Tsodilo Hills Cultural Trip (additional cost)

Experience a trip to Tsodilo Hills, a World Heritage Site in the Northern Okavango Delta. The hills are home to more than 4,000 San Bushman paintings – probably the most important rock art in Africa! Several walking trails provide helpful routes around the painting sites. (Access only by helicopter)

Spend time with one of Natural Selection’s conservation partners (additional cost)

Head out by heli on a community visit to meet with community based outreach partners in the nearby villages. You’ll also spend time with one of the conservation partners to see first hand how together we are able to make a difference to wildlife conservation in the area (Access only by helicopter).

GIVING BACK

The presence of North Island Okavango camp can have a very positive impact on both conservation and local communities.

The Magobagoba Youth Trust uses proceeds generated from the camp to support educational projects and employment creating opportunities for the youth of nearby villages who live along the northern fringes of the Okavango Delta. This is an important way to not only support the communities whose lives have formed part of this spectacular landscape for hundreds of years, but to also protect the animals whose movements form a critical part in sustaining this rich, yet fragile eco-system.

OPEN YEAR ROUND.  APRIL TO OCTOBER IS DRY, WITH HIGH WATER LEVELS IDEAL FOR MOKORO AND BOATING SAFARIS. GAME VIEWING IS EXCEPTIONAL DURING THIS TIME, WITH PLEASANT TEMPERATURES.  OCTOBER TO MARCH IS THE GREEN SEASON, WITH DRAMATIC SKIES AND THE BEST TIME TO SPOT BREEDING ANIMALS AND MIGRANT BIRDS.

THE CAMP WELCOMES CHILDREN AGED 6 YEARS AND OLDER