Reviews of Kanana

"THIS REVIEW CONCERNS MY EXPERIENCE WITH CAMP KANANA in Botswana (owned by Ker & Downey.)

September 2024, booked 3 nights.

Prior to uploading on Expert Africa’s www., Tripadvisor, and other media, the report has been sent to the management with Ker & Downey. The Sales Director has replied, mostly about what other guests think, which is completely irrelevant to me – and to the users of Expert Africa’s guidance, Google reviews, and Tripadvisor.

I found Kanana Camp run in an unappealing regimented style. As a guest you need to fit into staff routines. When staff claim, you can ask for anything, well, not true. If it does not fit the regimented time schedule, their eyes fluster.

It appeared difficult for the team to assist with any requests that were out of their very set schedules.

Arrival
I got into the vehicle at the airstrip. We drove into the shade and out comes the disclaimer form which needs to be signed right there by the airstrip! This was a first, and fortunately only time that happened! All other camps manage this procedure inside the camp. I found the procedure annoying.

It surely made me understand, I was heading towards a regimented camp – OMG.

Arrival in camp
Manager Carol greeted me. We sat down in the main area and tried to have a conversation. Carol shared information on how this camp was run. Time schedules, among others.

Well – someone should consider sending the Service Design Manager on a course. It went completely overboard. I quietly counted nine (9) staff interrupting our meeting. Every time we tried to revert to our conversation someone new came over to introduce themselves.

Do you ever revisit your actions? It is impossible to remember names and faces, when you come in such numbers, and being interrupted constantly is very unpleasant and confusing.

Lunch
It was an order: “you are having lunch now.” (13.00 hours.) I very clearly felt, my lunch was a breach of the team procedures, it was something they needed to get over with. My guide and I had lunch together, not my choice, it is how the tables are set up. There was an endless number of staff constantly interrupting again. Asking about drinks, trying dish up our food, interrupting again to check everything was ok.

Noone asked if I wanted company neither at lunch nor dinnertime. I sat with a guide I just spent hours within the vehicle. We had exhausted subjects for communication. I am sure it was painful for both of us.

I noticed there were no guests in the main building and the tables are set up, so you barely see the other guests. The main area is U shaped with trees in the middle. The trees block the views between the two areas in the main camp. This made it hard to see or enjoy other guests at mealtimes.

Lunch is served at 11.00 hours, basically when you return from the morning drive. Again, the regimented style takes over. There must be staff available to welcome you back to camp, and therefore it is easy for the team to get lunch finished.

Tent No. 5 and No “0”
After lunch Carol walked me to my tent. We passed a few, and I started commenting on how far from the main area, I was going to be. I know Maruska (EA) had made notes, that I prefer not to be far from the main area. The camp was by no means full, and we passed several empty tents. When we arrived at No. 5 (feeling halfway back in my home country) Carol did say, she could move me to tent “0” next to main area. I accepted. This transpired at 14.00 hours.

The next remark takes the price for stupidity in my mind, when I heard Carol say: “you will have to wait until after your afternoon tour, the housekeepers are having their break.” Actions speaks louder than words. That remark completely encapsulates my experience; we say you can ask for anything, but we do not act it out.

While I do not want to feel entitled, I did find the above to be an issue that was not necessary. They had the notes from my agent, the mistake was entirely on the camp management in their distribution of tents. Furthermore, a price tag a little short of USD 2,000 does come with some expectations in terms of a functional camp.

I sat in tent five until high tea, left for my afternoon tour, returned for dinner, and only thereafter, could I unpack and settle in. FYI – no one was in the main area; the guests were somewhere else.

Black net
I assume someone decided to do something different and suggested black mosquito nets around the beds. I would like to ask the interior designer and camp owners, just how much time do you think it takes to identify black flies and mosquitoes against a black background? The net is not see through, which means you cannot enjoy the outside views from the bed. Interior design gone wrong.

The net also absorbs the little light, you find in the tents.

Poor lighting
The poor lighting in the tents makes the above-mentioned black nets even more hopeless. Five lamps in total, all with a yellowish light bulb. I looked for a dimmer, not available. The two bedside lamps are facing towards the ceiling and cannot be moved around, hence reading in bed is not an option. The full lighting of the tents reminds me of a night club – yellowish and dimmed. A frustrating light setting.

Water in thermos in tent
One (1) thermos bottle with chilly water is available in the tent – ONE! Bear in mind that early morning and after around 18.00 hours, you cannot go to the main area for refill, as you are only supposed to move around when escorted.

There is no fresh water available by the sink for brushing teeth. In this camp the tap water is copper/brown and not for drinking or brushing your teeth in. In all other camps, I have been to, we had average four chilly water thermos available, one hot water thermos bottle, plus one by the wash basin.

No coffee & tea tray
I have never ever in any country stayed in a camp that did not offer an appealing tray with cookies, snacks, coffee and tea and a large thermos bottle with hot water. Never. Until I got to Camp Kanana. Considering the hours when you are not supposed to walk around alone, the lack of a tray is an issue.

No flashlight available
I wonder if Ker & Downey have safety and security officers? There is no flashlight available in the tents. While I fully agree with guests not going outside alone after darkness sets in, you simply must consider safety. An animal charging a tent, a fire, an unwell guest, loss of power, to name a few. To me it spells lack of security big time, and I found this very alarming.

Water bottle
This is the only camp that did not provide a private water bottle with a name tag. There are some transparent water bottles with screw lids available by the water tank in the main area. They did not look completely clean; they have stains on them. That would be ok, unless – I unscrewed the lid of a bottle and saw traces of lip sun block or something similar, and the bottle smelled very unappealing, so that is a no thank you.

I don´t find it respectful to pull out a bottle carrying another company name in a camp, but I had to in this situation.

Banging my knees against a metal rod in the vehicle
I have never seen such small safari guest vehicles. I wonder what a big man does. I am 184 cm. I sat with my kneecaps against a metal rod. Every time the vehicle “jumped,” I banged my knees. That was painful to put it mildly.

Morning coffee
They wake you up at 05.00 hours with a cup of coffee or tea. Well, á cup literally. God forbid you would enjoy two cups.

It was a freezing cold morning and the below arrived at my tent, on a tray. I has asked for instant coffee, and I did write hot water, on the note.

There was about enough water for one cup. I bet you can imagine, how freezing cold the cup was, being walked through the camp to the tent. The water had gone lukewarm. You cannot make instant coffee with lukewarm water and in any case it was a complete let down. How can this even be, I mean, I am not the first camp guest?

Schedule
05.00 – wake up, supposedly with a hot drink
05.30 – escort to main camp - breakfast
06.00 – departure morning tour of about five hours
11.00 – LUNCH upon return to camp
16.00 – high tea
16.30 – departure afternoon tour about 3½ hours – the last 1½ hour in complete darkness
20.00 – dinner

No wildlife
I saw a leopard cub only because an adult with a cub had been found earlier in the day. When we arrived after 50 (50) minutes’ drive, the mum was not with her cub, so we looked for her for a while. On the same tour we saw two lions in a tree. Bar that a few impalas, and four elephants.

Coming from three camps in areas with wildlife in abundance, this area was a major let down. The tour felt more like a search and rescue mission than a tour in the wild. I sensed my guide’s worry about this too. He confirmed that what we saw that afternoon, would be what I should expect throughout my 3 (three) night’s stay at short of USD 2,000 per night.

I appreciate wildlife does what wildlife do, however, this was completely ridiculous. You travel in Botswana for wildlife. Hours in a vehicle just hoping is by no means a real safari.

Between them the guides did not share info on sightings. I did suggest my guide to radio the other guides when we saw two lions in a tree. That is what colleagues do in other camps.

BORROW A GUEST PONCHO … OR NOT
It was freezing cold the morning; I was at the camp.

My flight out of Scandinavia was 2 hours delayed, I had 19 minutes to get to the MRU flight, and I did. Long legs, flat shoes, and determination. However, one of my suitcases did not make it.

Hence, I was a little underdressed for the morning tour.

When I got into the vehicle, I looked for a poncho in the box, there was none. I asked the camp manager if the camp offered ponchos, he replied: “we only use ponchos if it rains, you can purchase a jacket in the shop.” While he was pointing to the jacket the guide was wearing. Again, the service delivery fails completely.

They claim to offer service?? This was at 06.00 hours in the morning.

TIME TO GO
The list of issues that irritated me, coming from really appealing well run relaxed camps, are endless, as you can see. To be fair to the team and to look after myself, I called it 30 minutes into the morning drive the next day. No wildlife in 30 minutes. I struggled with the chilly water delivered to my tent, and I had to struggle at breakfast getting HOT water and a HOT cup to do a HOT coffee – I mean really? It became irritating. Everything was time consuming, and by the time they came with HOT water in a thermos bottle, well – it was time to leave.

I was offered Okuti and Shinde, an hour into the work to relocate me. When I asked about wildlife; eyes flustered, and a candid person replied, “same as here.” That means NO WILDLIFE. I therefore decided it was in my best interest to leave.

I regret having to upset people, but I saw no reason to sit the above out to please anyone. The price tag is hefty, so are the promises on their website.

MEETING IN MAUN
I met the Ker & Downey Assistant General Manager and the Inbound Markets person in Maun. The Inbound Markets person met me at the airport too.

The Inbound Market responsible person had the same behaviour as the camp team. Already in the airport AND in the 15 min. transfer, she kept asking, why I left. MADNESS!

I was just out of a camp, where I most likely upset a few people, I had been in a plane for two hours – give me a break! I insisted I needed a bathroom, and fortunately the GM at my new lodge (who reads people and situations well), came to my rescue and insisted, we went to my room first.

I did address the lunch and dinner times at the meeting. The Ker & Downey Ass. General Manager highlighted the high tea served in camps at 16.00 hours. Dinner is served at 20.00 hours. Lunch at 11.00. High tea is not a meal, it is snacks, cakes etc. For most people it is a rare occasion and not a healthy meal.

To me the timings for the lunch and dinner are too far apart. NINE hours, let me write that again, there are NINE hours between lunch and dinner.

I was charged in full and have paid my two nights in the new accommodation, and I also paid short of USD 2,000 per night at the camp I left after one night.

How other guests experienced their stay, has no positive impact on my experiences, as I am sure you agree with.

(Photo documentation is available on TripAdvisor and Google.

Look for the lovely well run camps in the Kalahari, Linyanti and especially along the Selinda Spillway.

-o0o-" See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana

"Accommodations were clean and comfortable. There is wifi in the rooms, as well as yoga mats and hand weights for exercising. Setting is nice but water was very low, permitting only limited water activities. Sleep-out platform allowed beautiful view of stars and felt completely safe. Our guide was skilled at finding animals but we felt he could have explained more about the animals we saw.

A couple things to note:

Kanana utilizes guides only, and not a guide + tracker team. We thought the quality of the game drives could have been improved if the guide could focus on communicating with us rather than trying to do both jobs simultaneously.

The jeeps at Kanana are not covered like at the other camps we stayed in. We found it quite unpleasant to have the sun beating down on us, even with sun protection." See all these reviews: 11n in Botswana

"Kanana was amazing.

Our guides were very focused on making sure we got to see all of the action, speeding across the concession to catch up with a pack of wild dogs and then inserting us in the middle of their hunt. While the water blocked our ability to watch the kill, it was a thrilling experience unduplicated anywhere else.

Of special note, the food was outstanding, the best of the three camps we visited." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana; 1n in South Africa

"We had a lovely welcome to Kanana camp - we had the family room (No 8) so there was lots of space, although it was a 5 minute walk to the main reception area. It was very comfortable and all the facilities in the room were very good. It was very well organised although their timetable for meals seemed to be quite strict.
Our guide Ona was excellent, very knowledgable and skilled at tracking animals doggedly.
The food was excellent and all the staff at the camp were very friendly and happy to go the extra mile." See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana

"Overall good camp.

Excellent guide however water levels low for boat trip . Good sightings.

Swimming pool and area excellent for relaxing as rooms were very hot ." See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana

"Firstly, we fully understand the decision by Ker & Downey to move us from Dinaka Camp based on their assessment of the risk from the bush fires. We were moved to Kanana, which we felt was a significantly inferior experience to that we would have had at Dinaka. Of the three groups of guests who were evacuated (two couples and one group of three), the other couple had arrived from Kanana and told us that Dinaka was a much better camp. It appears that the decision as to which camp to move us to was based on the view that as we had already been to Shinde we would not wish to return, and that the other couple would not wish to return to Kanana. Although it was necessary to move us out as soon as possible, the situation could have been handled better if we had been given some choice of camp and given an idea of what facilities were on offer at each option. We would certainly have preferred to return to Shinde.

Camp Facilities
The opportunity to view wildlife from within the camp was very limited, in contrast to the other camps we stayed at, and particularly Dinaka where the camp facilities overlook a water hole which was frequented by many species almost constantly during our short time there. As you already know, there is no bunker available at Kanana to view wildlife - it appears to be an exclusive facility at Dinaka which was one of the reasons for selecting it for our vacation. We were given no detailed information about the activities available at Kanana - we only found out about the heronry excursion from other guests at breakfast on our final morning.

The two game drives we undertook both followed a very similar route, almost as if the guide had set locations he checked on rather than following any specific new tracks. Previous guides had taken us to many varied locations based on what they observed, both from tracks and animal behaviour. We were fortunate to see a Leopard during the morning activity, but were surprised when we joined a group of four other vehicles from a different tour company; at every other location only the camp operator’s vehicles might be present. There was no hand sanitiser available in the passenger areas of the vehicle, and this was the only camp where one of us suffered numerous insect bites despite using the provided insect repellent.

There were no books/library facilities in the communal area as there were at all other camps we stayed at.
On arrival our dietary requirements were not requested; fortunately we do not have any food allergies, although I do not eat fish with the exception of tuna/salmon. It was therefore disappointing that, although the staff went to a great deal of effort to make our last evening meal a special occasion, the main course was Bream, which I did not have. The choice of food available at breakfast was also limited.

Our flight on the final day was scheduled to depart at 1130. As our return journey would take 24 hours, involving 4 flights, we elected to forgo a morning game drive to give us time to relax and prepare. We were not offered any food or drink after breakfast prior to our flight to Maun - the coffee machine had been unplugged so we were unable to make our own - and there were no staff around to ask. We had observed at other camps that guests who departed before lunch had been provided with packed meals and this had also been done for other guests evacuated from Dinaka; we did meet up at Maun with the group of three guests who confirmed that they had been provided with a packed meal that morning by the camp they had been moved to. Our first food after breakfast was that served by Air Link on the flight to Johannesburg at around 1500.

We sat in the communal area from 10.45 whilst awaiting transport to the airstrip and it was only after asking about the transport departure time that the staff went looking for a driver. At times it felt almost as if we were an afterthought at the camp and that they were not really prepared for us in terms of arrangements and facilities.

We would also note that because of the evacuation we did miss an evening activity on the 19th, our first night at Kanana, as a result of the time of the evacuation, although we do understand that this could not have necessarily been avoided. However it would have been appreciated to have been offered a short ‘sundowner’ trip.

At all previous camps, pre-dinner snacks were served by the staff around the open fire; at Kanana this comprised a bowl of dip with chips which was left in the central area. This seemed somewhat unhygienic as there was no indication of which other guests had ‘dipped’.

Whilst we did appreciate the offer of a sleep-out whilst at Kanana, we had viewed both the Dinaka and Kanana facilities whilst out on game drives. As a result of the general appearance of the facility at Kanana, coupled with our disappointment with the tented chalet, we decided not to take up the offer as we both felt that the experience would not have lived up to our expectations and we preferred to keep this as an option should we be fortunate to return to Dinaka on a future vacation.

Room Facilities
The tented chalet at Kanana was the lowest standard of all five camps we stayed in. I think it was the only chalet we stayed in during our vacation with a canvas roof; thatched or tiled roofs being used at the other camps. There was no outside shower facility and the general quality of the chalet was poor; for example the bathroom fittings were corroded, the toilet bowl was stained and less than half of the water nozzles on the shower were working. There were areas of the canvas roof that were stained, and part of the wiring to the lamp had been joined or repaired with insulating tape.

Room preparation was disappointing - the toilet waste bin had not been emptied before our arrival and only one bath/hand towel had been provided (we did request a second one of each). In contrast to Dinaka, the room safe was much smaller. We were not provided with an in-room pre-dinner drink although there were two glasses available (at Dinaka a small bottle of sherry was placed in our room in the evening when the beds were made up), and for the morning wake-up cup of tea only one small teapot was provided, in contrast to the two we received at Dinaka and Shinde.

Although these are minor points, they contributed to the overall sense of disappointment we felt with the camp." See all these reviews: 12n in Botswana

"Very similar to Shinde in the rustic nature of the camp and the communal dining, but the staff we probably not as adept at getting everybody to eat together as a group, as one larger group wanted to eat separately." See all these reviews: 12n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe

"Another excellent camp with welcoming and friendly staff; very comfortable and well-provisioned accommodation. Kanana is very well managed and offers great game drives and water-based trips, both by boat and mokoro (although this year -2022- with less water in the Xudum and SW channels in the Delta there is no water in the lagoon in front of the camp and you have to travel over to Paradise Island for the boat trips and visiting the Heronry).

We are grateful to our guide, Sue (m) who was excellent, for some wonderful experiences in an area that offered magnificent game viewing. He was knowledgeable on the game, bird and flora of the area and answered all our questions. We were privileged to see a lioness with her cubs, lion prides, extremely good sightings of leopard, and witness wild dogs on a kill. And this was amongst all the other game we saw. V

Visit to the Heronry provided a unique spectacle of the great variety of birds returning a dusk. Our guide / 'punter' on our mokoro trip (Wizzy) was very forthcoming on his upbringing and village life, and drifting through the swamps was again a peaceful and calming contrast to bouncing around on the game drives.

Our only disappointment was the way the night drive was organised. Table staff at dinner ignored our request to be served first and our drive was therefore delayed and the drive curtailed. I think it also unfair to expect the guide to drive and operate the light - there should be a separate 'spotter' in the vehicle operating the spotlight." See all these reviews: 13n in Botswana

"What a fabulous place. The staff were brilliant - nothing was too much trouble and everyone was exceptionally friendly and helpful.

Excellent food, I particularly recommend the Kudu.

It is great being so close to the wildlife - only a few minutes from the lodge (as is a private concession). We recommend spending a night in the Sky Bed as well as a trip on the Moroko canoes. Knowledgeable guides.

Highly recommend." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana; 3n in South Africa; 3n in Zimbabwe

"Stunning facility and rooms. Very high level of service including hot drinks brought to your rooms at your wakeup call in the morning, and sherry left at turndown . Chalets had yoga mats and hair dryers, not something you see at every camp. They had wifi in the common area. Pool is nice, although we were there in winter we took a chilly dip on a warm afternoon. There a really pleasant places to sit and relax at the main building. Campfire was fine. The staff does a traditional singing and drum performance that lasted maybe 20 mins or more before dinner one night, some guests were surprised by the show. I learned they do this a few nights a week.
We had great sightings including leopards which was our goal at this camp. We took a speed boat ride which was fantastic, saw elephants right in the water with us.
They had a full breakfast with eggs cooked to order. Amazing baked goods at tea time. Game drive times are later than at some camps, they have a later wakeup call time as well as the eggs at breakfast so you don't get out quite as early as other places.
The overall vibe here was fancy. The staff seemed a little more scripted than at other camps, some seemed nervous around the guests. Maybe it was just the days we were there, but the other guests were more standoffish towards fellow travellers than at other camps, and some guests were pretty bossy to staff etc.
It was still a great experience and the location is incredibly gorgeous, but if you don't need a hairdryer and are more interested in the animals than the silverware a more mellow camp would work. I think this place would be super for part of a honeymoon or for people travelling with older relatives who require luxury." See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe