Jao Camp — Hotel in North-West District

Jao is a spectacular safari lodge, set in beautiful surroundings, with plentiful wildlife, diverse activities, the best food we've ever had on safari (and in many city restaurants), and a terrific guide. The rooms are large and spacious, with fabulous bathrooms (3 sinks--2 in the main area and a second in a powder room-- 2 showers--one indoor and one outdoor, 2 toilet areas), expansive living space (counter seating at the kitchenette, a full sized dining table, a separate seating area inside, and a comfortable bed with a most glorious view of the the elegant red lechwe (antelope unique to this area of the Delta), buffalos, wildebeests, elephants, etc., and that's just the view from the room. We saw 2 leopards, lots of hippos, elephants, giraffes, lions, hyennas , cocodiles, a water monitor, and even wild dogs on our drives. I liked that not all drives were in vehicles, as a favorite was when we got in a motor boat right from the dock at Jao and toured the Delta by water, visiting a hippo pond, and the closest island, where the game viewing was excellent. Our guide, Paul, was terrific at animal sightings and spotted the two leopards for us, which was amazing as one was walking through tall grasses and was only visible by the white ball on the end of its tail, and the other was leaping across the water in the Delta. The sundowners were elegantly executed with perfect timing, in the most unique locations (next to the hippos, etc.). The dining was uniquely good and impressive--the lunch and dinner menu changed daily, and always offered high-end restaurant quality options (--I don't go on safari for the food, but this was truly Foodie level standout dining). The dinner at the beautiful Boma, which they do twice per week, was a wonderful change and it was lovely to experience the local food. The spa services by Leddy and Bubbles were amazing and impressively executed, well beyond my expectations (they were so good I got a massage one day and a facial the next day--highly recommended). Having stayed at some of the best safari camps in South Africa, Zambia, Kenya and Tanzania, I must say Jao Camp is right...

We were blown away from the moment we arrived at Jao! The staff that greeted us upon arrival were very welcoming and continued to WOW us during our three night stay! Ram, the Safari camp manager, treated us like royalty! We celebrated our 40th anniversary during our visit and were treated to numerous surprises along the way! On our anniversary, the staff set up a lunch for us right in the bush, with full bar, bbq of grilled meats and fish and delicious sides! We were in awe!!! SO special! And, the candlelit dinner with choir that serenaded us, and the surprise s that greeted us back in our suite were beyond special! Jao is truly a one of a kind experience. Our ranger/tracker Steve was a true gem. From our morning wakeup calls with hot coffee, hot water bottles and blankets for the chilly mornings, wildlife knowledge, and special sundowners, we thoroughly enjoyed getting to know him! The wildlife we saw on our game drives and boat to Hunda Island were plentiful! The Okavango Delta is very remote and the hippos, elephants,crocodiles, birds are front and center. We loved our mokoro experience through the delta. Very peaceful - you could hear a pin drop! The food at Jao is delicious and the presentation is a 10+! The chef is very accommodating to dietary restrictions and very approachable. We were SO sad to leave this magical property! Special shout out to Bronwyn, who went above and beyond during our stay. Our suite overlooking the delta was enormous and beautifully appointed. Jao will always hold a special place in our hearts. Highly recommend staying here...

Excellent experience, unlike epic safety/health failure at our next Wilderness camp

Jao has friendly warm staff, and was a wonderful welcome to our trip to southern Africa. We loved the people and the property. The animal viewing is less than the 6-7 other camps we have been to though. Our guide, Paul, was exceptional.

Sadly the next Wilderness camp, at Mombo, tarnished our trip. We had an epic service failure at Wilderness Mombo - 7 bats in 2 sleeping rooms, 4 rabies shots, substantial emotional distress. They claim the bats “not harmful” but their doctor, Cape Town medical staff, and Emory said the rabies risk was “not zero.” To me, they were ineffective at prevention, response, and service recovery. Most top-tier travel companies have mastered customer experience and recovery. It’s worth noting, most staff are warm, and the animals are wonderful; management not so.

One might have any sort of unforeseen safety/health issue. Why would I choose a company which is ineffective at responding to anything that goes wrong? The rates are exorbitant. One expects and...