Boteti River Camp
Khumaga Village, Makgadikgadi Pans National Park Botswana
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About
4.0
#4 of 5 campgrounds in Makgadikgadi Pans National ParkLocation
4.5
Cleanliness
4.5
Service
4.2
Value
4.3
Boteti River Camp provides an excellent base from which to explore the picturesque region while offering comfortable accommodation, lively and warm hosting, wholesome meals, and a stunning viewpoint over the surrounding wilderness. We have 7 en-suite chalets and 8 campsites with water access and shared ablutions. Whether savouring our kitchen’s homestyle flavours, enjoying refreshments at the colourful bar, relaxing by the swimming-pool, or simply lazing around the lounge on the viewing deck, you are made to feel at home from the moment you step in.
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Property amenities
Free parking
Parking
Pool
Free breakfast
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
BBQ facilities
Laundry service
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HOTEL STYLE
Mid-range
Family
Location
Khumaga Village, Makgadikgadi Pans National Park Botswana
133Reviews0Q+A16Room tips
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Detailed Reviews
This venue is excellent located, right at the entrance of the Kgalagadi reserve. With a ferry ride over the Boteti you really feel the start of an adventure, and our ranger was excellent. The game drive however was more than double priced to what we got from other camp sites, and probably not worth it if you can cross the ferry yourself.
This must also be the best ablutions I have ever seen. Very spacious, and the bougainvillea growing next to it, it really gives a nature feel.
One down side is the noise over a weekend from the township which obscures the night sounds, but this was only on over the weekends.
Stunning camp sites that are both very private, but also have shading which is great for the Botswana heat and when it rains.
Soft roader 4x4 advice: You wont be able to cross the ferry without significant clearance, but there are some other sand roads to drive nearby which takes you right to the Boteti river. If the ferry is dry you will be able to cross, and I would give it a go in a soft roader 4x4.
Proper blocks of ice and fire wood for sale as well as a well stocked bar, for the magnificent view from the top deck. Our best sighting was a hippo playing the water with her calf.
This must also be the best ablutions I have ever seen. Very spacious, and the bougainvillea growing next to it, it really gives a nature feel.
One down side is the noise over a weekend from the township which obscures the night sounds, but this was only on over the weekends.
Stunning camp sites that are both very private, but also have shading which is great for the Botswana heat and when it rains.
Soft roader 4x4 advice: You wont be able to cross the ferry without significant clearance, but there are some other sand roads to drive nearby which takes you right to the Boteti river. If the ferry is dry you will be able to cross, and I would give it a go in a soft roader 4x4.
Proper blocks of ice and fire wood for sale as well as a well stocked bar, for the magnificent view from the top deck. Our best sighting was a hippo playing the water with her calf.
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Date of stay: December 2021
Location
Cleanliness
Service
Room Tip:Â Camp 7 is the best located and has a romantic canopy entrance
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bush Ways, Owner at Boteti River Camp
Responded Aug 9, 2022
Thank you for your review. We are glad that overall you enjoyed your stay. nestled just beside the park entrance we do offer easier and quicker access to the park. Given the location however we do try ensure our rates are competitive given one a great experience of the national park. We hope to welcome you gain in future
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We camped here in July 2021, and again found the camp neat and tidy and ablutions perfect.
To visit the park, one has to cross the Boteti River with the ferry and if you stay here they give a 50% discount. Currently the river is very high, due to the annual inundation from the Okavango Delta. It varies each year and nobody knows just when or if the water will arrive and how much it will be. It has also been dry for 30 years, but stated flowing after tectonic movement.
To visit the park, one has to cross the Boteti River with the ferry and if you stay here they give a 50% discount. Currently the river is very high, due to the annual inundation from the Okavango Delta. It varies each year and nobody knows just when or if the water will arrive and how much it will be. It has also been dry for 30 years, but stated flowing after tectonic movement.
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Date of stay: July 2021
Value
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Staff were very friendly and helpful. Directions on the internet are terrible - it is actually quite easy to find! The main issue that needs to be changed is the light bulbs. The dining room is so dingy you can hardly see the food and the light bulbs everywhere attract large numbers of moths, which land in your food and in your bathroom.
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Date of stay: February 2020
Rooms
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Our stay on the campsite was ok, the boteti river had no water, so we probably missed a big part of the attraction of the location.
The worst part: I booked the stay three month in advance and payed via WorldRemit. I got a confirmation twice that the money arrived on there bank account from my bank but they keep on telling me that they didn’t get a payment. Therefore I had to pay a second time the day I arrived and I’m still waiting for a solution.
The worst part: I booked the stay three month in advance and payed via WorldRemit. I got a confirmation twice that the money arrived on there bank account from my bank but they keep on telling me that they didn’t get a payment. Therefore I had to pay a second time the day I arrived and I’m still waiting for a solution.
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Date of stay: February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from BushWaysBotswana, Public Relations Manager at Boteti River Camp
Responded Mar 9, 2020
Dear Julia, Even though the Boteti River is quite dry and it has been a difficult year for the people and animals of Botswana we are convinced that you don't miss out on anything while travelling the Boteti region as the waterholes that remained back still attracts many many animals like elephants, zebras, hippos and lots more. However we are very positive that with the good rainfalls at the moment we are looking into a very good year. We are sorry to see that you found it necessary to post this review here on this platform. As advised in our emails to you directly your payment that you have made prior to your arrival in camp was in BWP. To pay into a USD account the payment has to be made in USD and not in BWP, this being the reason that your payment bounced back and you having to pay again while in camp. Unfortunately we haven't heard back from you since we have sent you several emails and advised that we are happy to refund if we get the money into our account. We are sure you understand that we can only refund you if you can send us through a proof of payment from your bank. As said above we are always happy to refund guests and correct a mistake if we made one. Thanks, Bush Ways Botswana
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Although this campsite is effectively in the village you don't notice as it is well laid out with vegetation to give privacy. The biggest plus is that the campsite is 4km from Makgadigadi Park gate so you can get there bright and early! The staff are really friendly and helped us plan our self-drive around the pans. The bar is very nice, although there isn't all that much of a view from the viewing deck. They do evening meals but you need to book that morning. The campsites have taps and electricity points.
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Date of stay: November 2022Trip type: Traveled as a couple
Value
Location
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
The best thing about Boteti are the guide (Degree) and the staff! Botswana is in the middle of a drought, so there is no water in the Boteti River, so that was disappointing. The room/cabin I had was adequate. There is no wifi, which is pretty stressful when you're traveling solo. Food = okay; hot food was never really hot and cold foods were usually warm which wasn't very appetizing. But...the staff were amazing which made up for a lot.
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Date of stay: February 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from BushWaysBotswana, Public Relations Manager at Boteti River Camp
Responded Mar 3, 2020
Dear BJA213, thank you for your words, they are appreciated. We are glad to hear that you were happy with our team here at Boteti River Camp. You are right, this year was a difficult one for the people of Botswana and the animals as well in regards to low water levels but we are looking very positiv into the coming months, as good rains are a very promising sign. Regarding the food we will definitely have a look into this and of course apologies for it. As regards wifi, this is not something we offer at our camps, and we are sorry that you were not made aware of this at the time of your booking. Thank you and best regards, Bush Ways Botswana
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
Due to some strange travel plans we had 3 extra days in Botswana at the start of a Delta trip. We chose Boteti River Camp as it was within our budget.
All in all it exceeded our expectations, it would have been very simple and inexpensive to have upped my score. July is winter and cold! I knew this but providing hot water bottles and covering the concrete floor of the cabin with rugs would have made such a difference!
Saying that the location was great, bird watching from the viewing lounge. Amazing food from the kitchen and thanks for the GF options, top notch!
Mish is a good camp manager and Lister (guide) was perfect for us. The animals and birds around the river were far more than I expected and a full day drive to Baines Baobobs although long (no idea how Lister kept going for 11 hours!!) was well worth it.
Boteti River camp was pretty much as expected for a budget camp. Staff and attention was excellent however.
All in all it exceeded our expectations, it would have been very simple and inexpensive to have upped my score. July is winter and cold! I knew this but providing hot water bottles and covering the concrete floor of the cabin with rugs would have made such a difference!
Saying that the location was great, bird watching from the viewing lounge. Amazing food from the kitchen and thanks for the GF options, top notch!
Mish is a good camp manager and Lister (guide) was perfect for us. The animals and birds around the river were far more than I expected and a full day drive to Baines Baobobs although long (no idea how Lister kept going for 11 hours!!) was well worth it.
Boteti River camp was pretty much as expected for a budget camp. Staff and attention was excellent however.
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Date of stay: July 2022
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We stayed for 3 nights with a family of five in early August. As others have mentioned staff is ok, however not as attentive as we experienced in other Botsuana lodges. No room service although we spent 3 nights ... and you need to pay for drinks, even for water. First night dinner there was not enough food even for booked guests. We were asked at what time we would want to have breakfast but we had not even talked to a guide about activities. Only later that evening we met a guide and things started to get organized. Gabriel was a fantastic guide and we learned we would be with him for the next couple of days. The camp is nicely located closely to the entrance of the NP. You have to cross the river (which was possible by car given the low water level) and then enter the NP. Wildlife was spectacular as there were big herds of zebra and wildebeest we had not seen before. On the second day we went to Nxai pan which was quite a drive but absolutely worth it. Even more and different species and spectacular landscapes. All in all wonderful and worthy stay because of the unique wildlife experience and our fantastic guide.
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Date of stay: August 2022
Location
Cleanliness
Service
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
We had a wonderful three days two nights stay at Boteti River camp with two excellent game drives with the guide Lister. We sw a enormous amount of zebras giraffes wildebeasts at the River side, lunch and dinner was delicious and also the friendly service. Must stop when traveling SA Botswana North South
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Date of stay: July 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
Room Tip:Â Order lunch upfront when arriving at noon
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Bush Ways, Owner at Boteti River Camp
Responded Aug 9, 2022
Thank you for your review we are glad you enjoyed your stay!!! We look forward to welcoming you to our other lodges in future!
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We loved it here! It’s not super fancy but is very comfortable and the food is great. Grace, the manager, is extremely helpful and an excellent host. We loved the view from the upstairs lounge. Bar items were reasonably priced. I highly recommend this lodge!
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Date of stay: August 2022Trip type: Traveled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Tiaan's Camp
LOCATION
BotswanaCentral DistrictMakgadikgadi Pans National Park
NUMBER OF ROOMS
8
Prices are the average nightly price provided by our partners and may not include all taxes and fees. Taxes and fees that are shown are estimates only. Please see our partners for more details.
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Frequently Asked Questions about Boteti River Camp
What are some of the property amenities at Boteti River Camp?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, a pool, and an on-site restaurant.
What food & drink options are available at Boteti River Camp?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Boteti River Camp?
Yes, guests have access to a pool during their stay.