Mababe River Campsite, Khwai River

We booked 3 nights but ended up spending 5 nights at Mababe Riverside Campsites. The camp was pretty wet and the restaurant bar area a bit cold and damp. But hospitality was warm and welcoming. The kitchen delivers unexpected high quality meals. Bartender Vincent makes beautiful cocktails. The campsite are outfitted with private ‘sink and kitchen counter’, shower and toilet, light, electricity, potable water and in our lucky case, a grazing hippo at night. Staff is very helpful which was particularly appreciated after we’d gotten stuck quite significantly at the flooded and muddy road to Khwai. We weren’t able to make it to North Gate camp over Khwai River. We had to return to Mababe. Big sigh of relief we made it back there. We were rewarded with sunshine this time and spent 2 lovely afternoons at the infinity pool.

Mababe River Lodge & Camping is located in Mababe at B334 Road (you need a 4x4), 115 km north of Maun. The lodge offers 5 chalets and 8 camping sites. There is a campshop, restaurant with breakfast, lunch & dinner, pool, bar & comfortable lounge, and terrace with view the waterhole. Outfit and layout provide a high-quality bush atmosphere. Service is friendly & helpful. A 3-hour game drive sits you back USD 95, a serious rip-off. We opted for camping and had dinner at the lodge. We had a site with barbecue facility, lighting, and a private shower & toilet facility. The camping in not gated. After dusk always walk with a torch. In the dark hyenas and buffalo roam the camping and often a hippo walks by. Mababe River is a nice lodge & camping, and a fine choice for 1 or 2 nights. Recommended.

We stayed here for one night at the campsite and for one night in the lodge and it was an awesome experience! The campsite was very spacious, good equipped with private ablution, an outdoor kitchenblock and a braai station. We loved it!
The lodge has a beautiful location with a restaurant, a bar and a swimming pool with a nice view. The room was cozy, clean and we really felt at home.
The staff was great, always helpful, really friendly and did amazing service — a lot of other lodges should take an example from that! And the dinner was just awesome — really fresh, tasty and good portions.
We would loved to stay longer and will definitely come back 🧡 Would recommend everyone to stay here!

A great experience staying here. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. They helped clean the vehicles. The food was delicious and the chef would come out and check on the guests. There are plenty of animals to watch during sunset and sunrise and the lounge near the restaurant is quite comfy. The only thing that could be improved is if there was Wi-Fi in the rooms.

Our stay was unfortunately not what we expected. From the moment we arrived, there were countless rules and restrictions – even a big sign at the entrance listing them all, which was quite unwelcoming. What’s more frustrating is that none of these rules were mentioned during the booking process on Booking. Com. One of the most inconvenient rules was the complete ban on eating or drinking in the rooms. We traveled with our camper, bringing our own food and even a small kitchen setup, thinking we could at least prepare our own meals since the listing mentioned an available kitchen. However, we were told this was not allowed unless we booked a camping spot, not a room. This critical detail wasn’t disclosed during the booking process. Adding to the frustration, the prices at the on-site restaurant were shockingly high. A small can of cola cost $8, and a simple meal of chicken, grains, salad, and pudding was $23. Thankfully, we found a picnic site just 300 meters from the entrance where we could finally prepare our own meals. Overall, we felt disappointed and a bit misled, and we wouldn’t recommend this place to travelers who value flexibility and transparent information.

This lodge is perfectly located for exploring Moremi and Savuti, and we spent three nights enjoying its modern, well-maintained facilities. We loved our room (Room 1), especially the outdoor shower and bathtub, and the abundant wildlife around the camp—hippos, elephants, game, and even wild dogs—was a true highlight. Watching them from our balcony or the bar and pool area was unforgettable.
However, shortcomings in the bar and restaurant service left a disappointing impression. On one day, breakfast was simply forgotten (staff overslept, nearly 1h late), and on another, the staff appeared unmotivated and disengaged (constantly on their cell phone), lacking initiative and guest interaction. If service in these areas is improved, this lodge has every potential to offer an exceptional overall experience.

Very pleasant camp site with central lounge and pool area overlooking the plains and a waterhole. Hippos in the camp in the evening. Perfect location for game drives to the river Khwai.

Absolute recommendation. We stayed there for one night at the campsite. Every camping spot has private ablutions and an external power source. The facilities are very clean and way above average. You are also allowed to use the pool and bar from the lodge, which is a big bonus. The prices of the drinks are very reasonable. The staff is very friendly and we felt welcomed.
The campsite is not fenced. During the night we heard different animals, such as hippos, lions, wild dogs and hyenas. As we one the employees showed us the next morning, most of these animals paid a visit to the campsite during nighttime.
We had a great time at the Mababe River Campsite and would book again!

We recently had the pleasure of visiting this new lodge/camp near Chope National Park, and I was absolutely thrilled! The facility has only been open for 8 months and offers everything a camper could wish for.
Each campsite is excellently equipped with its own fire pit, electricity, sink, as well as a private toilet and shower. These amenities make camping here particularly comfortable and enjoyable.
Another highlight is the pool, which is beautifully designed and perfect for relaxing. The self-service bar is also a great place to unwind and end the day. Additionally, the campsite is conveniently located near the Mababe Gate, making access to Chope National Park especially easy.
Overall, this campsite is a fantastic choice for anyone looking to enjoy nature without sacrificing comfort. I highly recommend it!

Definitely a hit and highlight staying here for 3 nights. We stayed in the campsite which was outstanding, lovely spots all with electricity points, hot showers and toilet and washing up areas for each campsite, even they gave our vehicle a wash while we were out on a game drive! Everything is so well organized and maintained, the staff extremely friendly and welcoming. There is a beautiful pool area and deck that you can use and also wonderful meals which you can book ad well as game drives, mokorro rides etc. The lodge and campsite are located very close to Mababe gate and in easy access for game drives and other activities in the area, very good value for money compared to other options in the area. I can highly recommend👍 and plenty of animal viewings on the evening drives, and even a hippo in the camp😜

What a fantastic place! Christine and her team made us feel so welcome. Mula helped us get oriented with our campsite and made sure we were comfortable and happy each day. The lodge itself is very new, beautiful pool, bar and restaurant with a lounge area overlooking the bush. Food was excellent in the restaurant. Campsites have their own private ablutions which are modern and spotless. Great place to recover from the Savuti roads or for before you head north. Highly recommend this place!

I couldn’t have found a better place to stay after 8 days camping. It was perfect. Beautiful rooms — great food — nice bar area. The service was also great. It’s a 4 star place at a very reasonable price. I am glad I went at the end of my trip or I might never have left. You would be fine doing an extended stay here and doing game drives. Had a pool and a great viewing deck. The owners are very nice and helpful.

We arrived a bit late, but the welcoming was very nice. We even still had the option to have dinner. And wow, the dinner was amazing! The owner, waiters, and mechanics where very nice and helpful. They also helped us with trying to fix our car which we had some problems with earlier that day in Savuti. Thank you very much for our wonderful stay at your place with many animals.

Mababe River Lodge & Campsite was a perfect place to spend our 2 nights safari. Originally we were supposed to stay 1 night there and 1 night at another campsite, but after a couple of hours we just cancelled the other camp and decided to stay. The staff is so helpful and friendly, the owner also.
We stayed in a tent but every tent spot had a toilet and shower. I asked to see the rooms and they were just amazing! Also the restaurant\bar\pool area with a nice view of the wild nature was just amazing, having a cold beer in a nice chair listening to lions roar and all other animals living their life.
At night I was in my tent listening to the wilderness, even seeing the shape of an elephant under a lamp 50-60 meters away through the mosquito net. We heard lions every night.
The stay exceeded my wildest expectations, and I felt safe all the time. The safaries we did just near the lodge were also equally fantastic, seeing among others a 3 meter + crocodile swimming in a ca 2 meter wide river.