This Stunning New 9-tent Safari Camp Will Only Exist for 2 Years

Come September, there will be a brand-new safari camp opening in Botswana — and you'll only have two years to visit it. 

Wilderness Safaris' Wilderness Mokete is a limited-edition camp in the Mababe Concession, a lesser-visited area of Botswana known for large herds of buffalo, elephants, and zebra, as well as predators that follow them like lions, cheetahs, and painted dogs.

"The location of our vast private area, over 50,000 hectares for our sole use, is unknown to travelers who have been to Botswana before," said Keith Vincent, the CEO of Wilderness Safaris, in an interview with Travel + Leisure. "It is situated to the east of the Okavango Delta and to the south of Chobe National Park, therefore outside of the parts of Botswana that travelers are familiar with. What also makes it unique is that there are wide open grasslands here, with visibility not found anywhere else."

Mokete will feature nine canvas tents for guests, each with a retractable roof for stargazing. The tents will be connected via elevated walkways to the main tent and a swimming pool. After its two-year run, Wilderness Mokete will be dismantled and replaced by a permanent camp, Meraka. 

"The development of the permanent camp that will replace Wilderness Mokete is going to take some time and careful planning, but we wanted to give our guests access to this spectacular area as soon as we possibly could, hence the limited-edition camp opening in September this year," Vincent said. "All the elements of Mokete will be repurposed in the back-of-house area of the permanent camp when it opens."

During the two years, Wilderness plans to run photographic safaris from Mokete. "Mababe has never before been utilized for photographic tourism, which means that Wilderness, together with Cobus Calitz, now has the incredibly exciting opportunity to launch photographic safaris here, which will contribute to the conservation of this pristine wilderness area and at the same time, benefit the local community through the payment of lease fees and employment opportunities," Vincent said.

Between the robust wildlife, unique landscapes, and photo tours, a visit to Wilderness Mokete is sure to be a treat.

Wilderness Mokete is now open for bookings from September 2023, with rates starting at $1,320 per person per night.