UNCHARTED® · Outposts · Okavango Delta, Botswana

Jao Camp

Tented Camps

Where Water and Land Blur, the Delta Comes Alive

Jao Camp is a dreamscape where elevatedwalkways thread through the surrounding forestcanopy, and the Okavango Delta’s vastfloodplains spill out as far as the eye cansee.

See it for yourself ›Begin your dream ›

Why it's unique

With stilted suites, forest walkways, and a bird’s nest-style gazebo, Jao is an architectural marvel — complete with a giraffe skeleton as its centerpiece.

Perched on a remote island, this hideout immerses you in an African oasis. Boating safaris and mokoro excursions let you drift silently through reed-lined channels, offering intimate, unobtrusive encounters with the surrounding wildlife.

1999Established

2017With UNCHARTED^®
since

4UNCHARTED^®
journeys

Now showingJao: Jewel of the Delta

Pictures

01 / 01

The stay

Jao at a glance.

Type: Tented Camp
Ideal For: Couples · Families
Experience: Wildlife Viewing
Geography: Wetlands
Collection: Ultra-Luxe · Romantic Getaways
When To Go: Year-round

Where it is

Okavango Delta, Botswana

Jao Camp

Okavango Delta

Set in northwest Botswana, where the Okavango River spreads across the Kalahari Desert, this wetland ecosystem features marshy islands and emerald floodplains.

How To Get There

From Cape Town or Joannesburg, fly into Maun, Botswana. From there, a wildly-scenic, 20-minute private helicopter charter will chopper you into camp.

Flora & Fauna

The Delta is full of papyrus, Sycamore fig trees, and fan palms. Spot vast herds of elephants, curious hippos, elegant herons, and endangered wattled cranes.

Cultural Impact

Each stay at Jao supports and empowers local farmers with training and access to tourism-driven, sustainable food systems.

In the magazine

Botswana Stories

Story9 New Outposts We’re Stoked AboutThe most exciting openings of 2026 include a private Seychelles island reborn, Singita’s entry to the Okavango, a Peruvian fishing village haunted by Hemingway, and an Australian lodge set between rainforest and reef. The next era of UNCHARTED^® exploration is upon us.Read the story

StoryThe Long Way HomeFrom the slopes of Table Mountain to the mighty Zambezi to the flooded Okavango — follow along on our co-founder’s homecoming safari full of UNCHARTED^® Outposts, up-close wildlife encounters, and childhood locales revisited.Read the story

StoryAfrica’s Wildest Reaches: Where Safari Still Feels Like ExplorationFrom the shipwreck-scattered Skeleton Coast to the flooded channels of the Okavango Delta to the river valleys of Zambia — these are the wilds of Africa that haven't been smoothed over.Read the story

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