Hosted and guided by Marleen and Simon Byron, the latter a Condé Nast Traveller’s top 25 guide, Beagle Expeditions’s Kweene Trails is an ultra-remote mobile camp experience in the Abu Private Reserve in Botswana.
Overview
An exclusive journey between two camps in diverse habitat zones of the Okavango Delta accessible only by helicopter, Kweene Trails is a truly wild journey into one of Botswana’s last remaining remote wilderness areas. Guests begin their adventure at Kweene River Camp in the southern part of the Kweene River, a periodic swamp habitat with arid conditions and grass-dominated floodplains. Then the journey ends further north of the river system at Magwegwe Camp, a seasonal swamp habitat of endless floodplains, overgrown islands and year-round water flow.
One of the most unique and memorable parts of a Beagle expedition is ‘moving day’, where guests journey to the next camp either by foot, mokoro or game drive while the team backs up and sets up camp in the new location ready for sundowners in the late afternoon.
No expedition is the same and the itinerary of each one depends largely on the season, the level of recent rains, and the needs of their guests. Some are undertaken on foot and some by boat, while others can be done via mokoro or customised expedition vehicle. Whatever the trip, the camp is a canvas construct, consisting of a mess tent and sleeping tents. The mess tent consists of a dining table and chairs, a coffee and tea station, and a fire pit with camp chairs and a bar. Please note that Wi-Fi is not available.
Rooms
Although the camps are simple, they are luxurious, and sleeping arrangements are spacious canvas en-suite Meru tents. The bedding is fine Egyptian cotton atop a very comfy bed roll with a soft padded carpet underneath for maximum comfort. Stretcher beds are available for guests who would prefer to not sleep on the floor. There is a bucket shower with hot water, a compost loo and a hanging wardrobe.
Food & service
Kweene Trails runs a top-notch service, with a comforting family feel to it in amongst the excitement of real adventure. All food is sourced locally and the seasonal menu is cooked on an open fire by experienced bush chefs. A good selection of soft and alcoholic drinks are available and premium South African wines are a common theme.
Activities
Activities take place in hugely biodiverse ecosystems, as different from one another as they could be. Kweene Trails’s guides say it’s important to see as much of these varied ecosystems as possible to gain a good understanding of the steady ecological dynamic. A typical day’s expedition may consist of venturing into the delta by aluminium boat setting up camp on an island and exploring them by foot, picnicking on the water’s edge and relaxing in a hammock with a book and drink in hand.
Impact
Conservation and community
Beagle Expeditions contributes US$ 30 per guest, per night to the Wild Entrust, an organisation founded and managed by Tico and Lesley McNutt. Aside from being at the forefront of predator conservation in Botswana, Wild Entrust has set up some incredible community initiatives in the village nearest to Beagle’s operations in the Habu Conservancy.
Commerce
All of the camp’s supplies and services are sourced locally, which provides a crucial stimulus for the surrounding economy.
Where to next
See below for information on the country, area, and climate Kweene Trails operates in, and for our most recent press and blogs on this most wonderful of accommodations.