This is a large concession of 2500 square kilometres on the south western periphery of the Delta.  NG 29 is home to Okavango Horse Safaris, run by the charismatic and remowned PJ and Barney Bestelink who have a wealth of knowledge and experience.  It is on the periphery of the Delta and thus is predominantly drier than more central Delta areas.  This means there is a variety of habitats in NG 29.  At points, your horse will be wading through deep water from island to island.  At other times, the landscape will open out into wide grassy floodplains.  There are also areas of mopane forest

Animals:

You may see antelope not generally characteristic of the Okavango Delta here such as the large and impressive Eland and also Gemsbok because they enjoy the drier habitat found particularly in the dry south of NG 29, although not in large number.  Giraffe like the area.  Buffalo, wildebeest and lechwe in large number are found here as are lion and hyena, although, if on horseback, your guide will certainly be giving the former a wide berth.  The watery parts of the concession are home to crocodile and hippo.

Birds

There is great birdlife of both aquatic and floodplain species.  See the rare rufous-bellied heron, saddle billed storks and the black bellied korhaans.  The rare wattled cranes enjoy the dry open grassland of the concession.

Plantlife

OHS’s base camp Kujuwana Camp is on the Xudum River and marula trees and fig trees shade the camp.  Jackal berry, sycamore fig and palm trees surround OHS’s Mokolwane Camp which is situated on the Matsebe River, which is the main feeder river of Lake Ngami.  There are large areas of mature leadwood and also areas favouring vachellia (acacia) especially knobthorns (vachellia nigrescens) and umbrella thorn or mosu (vachellia tortilis).  Some Northern lala or mokolwane palms are found on the infrequently occurring islands in the midst of the open plains.  These plains are mostly covered with the invasive wild sage.  Tall spiky grasses used by local people for thatching are also omnipresent.

Access

By a 25 minute helicopter transfer into camp or by light aircraft into Pom Pom airstrip with an hour’s game drive into camp from the airstrip,

Best Months

High season is June to October.  The flood reaches NG 29 in around April or May and the water stays in this concession until the end of September.  In these months, the days start cool but warm up to between 25 degrees in the cooler months from May but by September and October the highs are of around 35 degrees in these hottest months.  By July, long grass has died off allowing easier sightings of game.

Camps:

Mokolwane, Kujuwana, Okavango Horse Safaris