MAXA –Through a partnership with the Mmagamka Trust and members of the Bukakhwe tribe within the community of Gudigwa Village, Ker & Downey Botswana’s new Okavango Delta property will open on the 20 March 2025.
Nestled under a perennial canopy of towering African Ebony trees, Maxa overlooks the permanent Maxa Lagoon, and is located upon the South-Eastern Panhandle within Botswana’s Okavango Delta. Ideally situated where the nutrient rich clear headwaters of the Okavango meet the snaking channels of the Selinda Spillway, an expansive network of seldomly explored seasonal floodplains and enchanting waterways await the traveler.
Ker & Downey Botswana wishes to express our excitement with Maxa’s build progress and our location within this beautiful corner of the Northeastern Okavango Delta. We are well on schedule for our opening on 20 March 2025.
“We are grateful for all the support from our trade partners entrusting their guests travel to the camp before we are even open. Bookings have been surprisingly positive ahead of our Maxa opening and we eagerly anticipate the dream of hosting guests in this wilderness as it promises to be an exciting year, made more special by the life-giving rains we’ve enjoyed at Maxa since December,” commented Walter Smith, Ker & Downey Botswana Sales Director.
All five rooms (four standard twin/double ensuite rooms and one family room) are complete, and the family room features a charming treehouse deck for family picnics or dining. The main area, our Maxa Piazza, comprises large freestanding structures that seamlessly integrate into the space without diminishing the towering canopy of Jackalberry and marula trees overhead. Maxa’s custom hand-made furniture, which are mostly being made in camp, is nearing the end of production and will carefully be placed by the end of February. Of the final touches being made to camp and before the camp’s interiors installations, a group of local artisans from Beetsha (a village about 11 km/ 6.8 miles away from camp) will assist in the construction of reed or letaka walls for the outdoor shower of each room.
Natural pathways which wind through the dappled forest lit floor of Maxa Lagoon’s Eastern shore connect each of the guest tents. These also lead into the main guest area, a river sand base set beneath a canopy of Ebony trees. The lounge, dining and library areas are covered by stretch tent canvas roofs, and a central key feature of a termite mound oven in which the daily breads and roasts will be prepared.
Maxa boasts a natural swimming pool, combining the Okavango’s natural filtration systems with state-of-the-art environmental water treatment technology. A welcome spot to cool off and relax while taking in the sounds and smells of the bush. The Jackalberry and Sundowner decks offer differing vantage points over the lagoon from within the canopy above. With this combination of private decks, pool, cosy hideaways, and spacious tents, Maxa is a perfect place for curling up with a good book, having a drink and watching the world pass by until the daylight fades away. Truly a camp that you will not want to leave!
Our guiding team is complete with the addition of Jack and KT as our resident guides. These gentlemen have years of lodge and mobile guiding experience, and together with being walking qualified guides, their enthusiasm for the Maxa approach of exploratory based activities made then a perfect fit. KT grew up in the Eastern Panhandle, fishing in the lagoons around Maxa and is excited to share his knowledge of his ancestorial lands. Jack has guided throughout Botswana and brings a very broad knowledge which will complement the wildlife and wilderness areas around Maxa perfectly.
Beyond the constant Maxa Island chatter from the rich avian diversity, the wildlife has impressed us of late with encounters of our resident coalition of 4 male lions, sable antelope, warthog, roan, zebra, impala, tsessebe and as always, plenty of elephant. Activities for guests include guided game drives (day and night), walking safaris, mokoro excursions and cultural insights, ensuring an exceptional safari expedition exclusive to Maxa.
Access to Maxa will be by helicopter using Shinde Airstrip as a transit point. Further updates on access will be communicated.
Since 1968, Ker & Downey Botswana have been luxury safari pioneers with attractive and compelling safari offerings incorporating five camps in prime locations across the Okavango Delta (Kanana and Shinde/Shinde Enclave/Shinde Footsteps), Moremi Wildlife Reserve (Okuti) and the central Kalahari (Dinaka). Maxa, built on a virgin Okavango Delta site in the Wildlife Management Area of NG12, is a unique offering for the guest who seeks an authentic experience which mixes culture and people together with the wildlife and wilderness. Ker & Downey Botswana places equal importance on providing guests with high quality safari experiences, extending warm and generous hospitality, whilst honoring the delicate natural conditions of its environments and fostering the economic and social development of the local communities and of Botswana at large.
