A channel of the Okavango winding through the floodplain, seen from the air

The architecture of water.

The Delta · Concession NG17

Each year the flood redraws the land.

Channels through the papyrus, islands that appear and dissolve, floodplains that hold the sky.

One of the last great wild water systems in Africa.

And within it, a private concession. Elo is the only lodge in it.

01The flood

The flood peaks in the dry season.

The Delta is fed by rain that falls hundreds of kilometres away and months before. By the time it peaks, the rest of Botswana is dry, so everything that needs water comes to it. Depending on the season, between six and fifteen thousand square kilometres lie under water.

November to March
Rain falls far to the north, on the highlands of Angola.
March and April
The water crosses Namibia and reaches the top of the Delta.
May
It spreads into the fan, channel by channel, island by island.
July and August
The water is at its highest, and the floodplains are full.
September
The water begins to fall back, and the floodplains open again.

When to go

Zebra drinking at the last pool on a dry, golden floodplain, seen from the game vehicle — The last of the water, before the rains

Elephants on a green floodplain under dark storm clouds, seen from the game vehicle — The rains, and the grass that follows

A wide channel of the Delta at dusk seen from the air, hippos in the water and the reeds on either side — A channel at dusk

Palms and trees reflected in a still lagoon, in the low sun — Still water

A light aircraft landing on the bush airstrip beside the windsock — The airstrip

02Arrival

Fifteen minutes from Maun.

By light aircraft, from Maun to the airstrip of the concession. The first thing you see of Elo is the water, from above.

Concession NG17

A guest in safari clothes stepping down from the light aircraft, the pilot beside her — Stepping down

03From the air

The Delta is best understood from above.

A boat on a winding channel through the reeds, seen from above — A boat on the channel

A game vehicle beside a pack of wild dogs, seen from above — Wild dogs and the vehicle

Two giraffes in the long grass, seen from the air — Two giraffes

A herd of elephants crossing the dry grass, seen from the air — The herd

The channels of the Delta shining in the sun — Water in the sun

The sleep out beside a lagoon, seen from the air — The sleep out by the lagoon

A red sunset over the channels of the Delta — The channels at sunset

A tree island ringed by dry floodplain, seen from overhead — A tree island

A red sun low over the Delta at dusk — The last of the sun

04Protected

A World Heritage Site since 2014.

In June 2014 the Okavango became the thousandth site on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Its rhythm is not managed by anyone: the water arrives when it arrives, and the Delta keeps its own time.

Begin the conversationBy enquiry only

The sun setting over open water, with mokoros and their polers in the shallows and game vehicles on the bank — The last light on the water