Wilderness to open new camp in Okavango
Qorokwe, a new Wilderness Safaris Classic Camp situated in the private, wildlife-rich 26 180 hectare (64 692 acre) Qorokwe Concession in Botswana’s south-eastern Okavango Delta adjacent to Moremi Game Reserve, is set to open for guests in December 2017. According to a press release, Qorokwe, which is owned by the Maun-based Calitz family, ‘is a spectacular and highly productive mix of fertile Okavango habitats’. The camp’s diverse landscape includes scattered acacia and mopane woodlands, open seasonal and permanent floodplains and picturesque riverine islands along the Gomoti and Santantadibe Channels. “We are thrilled to be partnering with the Calitz family to reveal this exclusive new land-based camp and private concession – a highly-productive game-viewing area that has been unutilised for the past four years. The quality of the landscape and our experiences to date are such that we are confident that our guests can look forward to exceptional wildlife experiences”, said Kim Nixon, Wilderness Safaris Botswana Managing Director.
The exclusive camp will feature just eight elegant tented suites and one spacious family suite with its own splash pool. The main area overlooks a scenic lagoon and the dining area, lounge, library, bar and infinity swimming pool are built on raised wooden platforms, all connected by walkways. In line with Wilderness Safaris’ commitment to operating with as light an eco-footprint as possible, the camp will be 100 percent solar-powered and all water will be heated by means of thermodynamic solar geysers, further helping to mitigate the camp’s carbon emissions.
In addition to creating an exceptional ecotourism offering that will ultimately ensure the ongoing biodiversity protection of this pristine concession, Qorokwe will play an important role in the empowerment of local communities through job creation and other income-generating opportunities. “We have already employed 49 people from our local communities and are extremely proud of the special team we have in place who collectively cannot wait to start welcoming guests and exceeding their expectations”, commented Johan Calitz, owner of Qorokwe Camp.
“Our family is looking forward to working closely with Wilderness Safaris to launch, market and sell Qorokwe to the world, enabling us to make a sustainable difference to the conservation of this incredible area and the empowerment of the local people”, said Johan Calitz.