I stayed here w. a freind as part of a 12 day safari of Botswana and Zambia's premier Wilderness Safaris Camps.

It's a lovely Italian designed all wooden camp w. an Indonesian feel to it. There is a 1 km long wooden walk way up to 2 meters high in places directly under trees to the rooms making you feel you are in a tree house. The rooms are beautifully appointed and animals come right into the camp (a leopard did when we were there!), so you need to be accompanied to your room at night.

The food is stellar if not quite as excellent as at Mombo. On Monday night they do a buffet around a bonfire with a traditional African dance and sing song put on by the staff. Unlike other premier camps in Botswana, this camp has less Americans and is very cosmopolitan. Service is impeccable but the place can feel a bit snootty. (Unlike at other camps, people spend more time in their rooms or enjoyng the facilities than communally.)

We arrived here from Mombo and had been told there would be less game viewing. It is true that one rarely sees lions here and that on a mokoro you see less game, but oh what a joy to be on the water with just one other person is a boat and be poled through greenery in the early morning or at sunset. We asked especially to do this twice during our 3 night stay we liked it so much!

However, they offer a trip to Hunda Island where the Tubu Tree Camp (in the same concession and under the same management) is with terrific game viewing. The red litchwe and zebras running through the water is stunning. You can get right next to elephants and see crocs. We got stuck in the mud and had to get towed out by another vehicle when our high jack broke. It was so beautiful though that no one complained! At Jao itself we saw a leopard hunting in grass. Some guests come here to fish as well.

There is a great gift shop and a mini spa next to it where you can have various treatments while looking over the peaceful scenery and being sereneded by the bell chime frogs, birds, etc.

Whenever I need to think of a magical, peaceful place, it will be Jao. I can't wait to have some more Jao Therapy!

It's worth the whole trip to see a herd of Red Lechwe's bounding through the marsh.

If you have already been to a traditional land-based Big 5 reserve, try something new in the form of Jao Camp.
I found that the staff at Jao really made the camp. The managers at the time, Rebecca and Clinton, are down to earth, friendly, and truly hospitable, with no pretense about them. Every night there was a big bonfire, where most of the guests would sit around with the staff and chat and enjoy drinks. It was quite nice.

Jao is truly luxury in the delta; unlike a camp near Kruger, there aren't any power or water lines running from a nearby city, so I was astonished at the amenities and structure. We stayed in tent no. 9, the honeymoon suite, which is a bit more removed from the main lodge than the other rooms. We had a wonderful outdoor shower with a view of the delta, a sala with the same view, and a wonderful room. The elevated pathways from room to room and to the lodge are amazing—you feel like you are walking in the trees. Unlike other camps I've been to, there aren't any electric wires or barriers around the perimeter of the camp. We had hippos under our tent every night. On the day we left, we had an elephant walk underneath us. It was a truly unforgettable experience.

Not much has been said about the wildlife at Jao with all the hype about Mombo. The viewing can be comparable, if not better at Jao. One day we took a very long game drive on Hunda Island. We left at about 6am on a boat for a wonderful 45 minutes through reeds and lily pads. We boarded Land Rovers when we got to the island. The drive ended up lasting until 2pm because we kept seeing new things and everyone was keen on staying to check it out rather than going back for lunch. I saw more game on that one drive than I think I had in my last four safari experiences combined! It was incredible! I particularly liked seeing the game in a water environment and watching them drink, run, and wade in the water. We saw lots of lion cubs, which were very hesitant to get in the water at all, and we got to watch a lioness nudge one group into the water. It was amazing. There were huge breeding herds of elephants and the other typical game, but they were in herds larger than I've seen in South Africa. We tracked a couple of leopards but never managed to come across one, although other groups did.

The hippo pools near Jao camp itself were also a delightful experience. We went out on the mokoros, yes, but I truly enjoyed taking the bigger boats out into the deeper water. We had a great time tiger-fishing.

Another aspect I really liked is that Jao's concession is huge, and we never saw anyone else during our activities. This is a major change from the Sabi Sands or Chobe experience, where you are constantly bumping into other Land Rovers. We loved the total isolation and remoteness of the place.

The food was also excellent. We even had sushi one night; they flew the seaweed and fish in from Joberg. I definitely did not expect that in the Delta. For a special occasion, the staff organized for a night game drive for us alone, and they took us to a private island where they had created a huge bonfire and a private dinner. The whole island had been illuminated with lanterns, and we had our own chef ready and waiting for us. This was all a surprise for me, but apparently they went well above and beyond what had been requested. To have the kind of food we had cooked over a fire was truly amazing.

So in sum, I'd highly recommend Jao. I definitely had an amazing game viewing trip (although that wasn't my goal). Jao is definitely luxury and definitely romantic, and I'd definitely recommend it on any itinerary.

Jao Camp is beautiful--a fusion of Polynesian architecture and classic African interior design. The staff is warm and wonderful. Our guide, Victor, and his apprentice, Daniel, were knowledgeable and down-right fun. Spectacular scenery, remarkable attention to detail, and fabulous food (especially the fresh baked breads).

My favorite Jao moments: (1) Resting on pillows in my sala (my tent's private gazebo) while elephants grazed nearby; and (2) Seeing scores of shooting stars while sipping after-dinner drinks around the boma fire.