Sable Alley – Botswana’s best kept secret

Head of Digital Operations, Jenieen van den Heever, shares why her two night stay at Sable Alley in the pristine Khwai Concession turned out to be one of the highlights of her Botswana safari. 

See our Botswana family safaris here.

About Khwai Reserve

Male lion and cub spotted in the Khwai Reserve, credit Natural Selection

Sable Alley is located in a private concession in Botswana’s Khwai Reserve – bordering wildlife meccas Chobe National Park and Moremi Game Reserve. One of Botswana’s best kept secrets, the reserve boasts 200,000 hectares of pristine wilderness and is home to over 50 wildlife species including lion, wild dog, leopard and cheetah, as well as big herds of buffalo, elephant, giraffe, sable, roan and Lechwe.

Wild dogs captured by Jenieen van den Heever, Jumbari Family Safaris

This is an action-packed safari destination! During my stay, I witnessed 3 male lions take down a buffalo on an evening game drive. 

Getting to Sable Alley

Birds-eye view of the Okavango Delta

Sable Alley is accessible by a light aircraft flight from Maun or Kasane Airport to the Khwai Airstrip. The flight takes approximately 45 minutes from Maun and 60 minute from Kasane Airport and gives you a glimpse of the Okavango Delta from above. If you travel during the wet season, from June to September, you can enjoy breath-taking views of the flood plains below. Alternatively, traveling over the drier months gives you a completely different contrast of the Delta. I would recommend visiting Botswana twice just to experience this phenomenon. 

About Sable Alley

Exterior view of Sable Alley

Located on the banks of a lily-covered lagoon, Sable Alley is the ultimate ‘arm-chair’ safari camp. In fact, a hippo family has taken residency in the lagoon and has become a favorite drinking spot for elephant and buffalo.

Family tents at Sable Alley

The intimate camp features 12 spacious canvas tents – 9 twins, 1 honeymoon and 2 family tents. Each tent boasts uninterrupted views of the lagoon and are fitted with a private deck where you can soak up the surrounding wilderness. The main lodge features a communal swimming pool, lounge, bar and boma area where you can sit back and watch the happening of the lagoon – G&T in hand.

Mokoro safari at Sable Alley

There are a number of activities on offer at the camp. During your stay you can discover the winding waterways on a mokoro and boat safari, search for wildlife on morning, afternoon and evening game drives and get active on a guided walking safari through the African bush. If you feel like staying at Camp, you can do so in the comfort of your tent or your private veranda while overlooking the lagoon. It is absolutely peaceful here! 

Communal fire pit at Sable Alley overlooking the lagoon

The team are world-class and were attentive and friendly during my stay. At night, dinner is served either in the indoor dining area or on the deck under the stars. Guests will love the authentic home-cooked style meals and the team are able to cater to all dietary requirements.  

Our tips on staying at Sable Alley:

Game drive at Sable Alley

• If you want to experience a boat safari, you will have to travel during the wet season, from June to September, when the water levels are high enough for the boat to go out. The water levels are dependent on the rain season in Angola. 
• All the tents are situated to overlook the lagoon so they have all good views, however, if you would like to have an outdoor bath, the honeymoon suite is the best option. It’s also the furthest away from the main area so if you would like more privacy, this is the tent for you. 
• Whilst Botswana has introduced Rhino in the past few years it is still very difficult to spot them. Therefore I wouldn’t recommend it as a Big Five safari destination, however, the wildlife sightings here are incredible. 
• As the one of a few lodges in the concession, guests at Sable Alley can skip the crowds of the bigger parks like Chobe and experience the game rich floodplains of the Khwai Reserve on morning, afternoon and evening safari game drives.
• Sable Alley has partnered with the local communities in Khwai and proceeds from staying here go straight back into the Khwai Village community projects. 

If you are interested in experiencing a safari at Sable Alley with Jumbari Family Safari, get in touch with our travel experts who will help curate a unique itinerary just for you.