The Verdict Dossier · Luxury Safari Operators
Ker & Downey: The 2026 Review — Camps, Journeys & Rates
Ker & Downey is one of the oldest names in safari — coined in Kenya in 1945 by two professional hunters who helped invent the classic tented safari. Eight decades on, the name lives across several separately-owned businesses. This review is chiefly of Ker & Downey Botswana, a small, owner-run camp operator in the Okavango Delta and Kalahari, with the bespoke journey side (Ker & Downey Africa in Cape Town, Ker & Downey World Travel in the USA) covered honestly alongside. Here is what each actually delivers, where they operate, indicative 2026 rates, and a compass to find your fit.
1945
Name born in Kenya
1968
First Botswana lodge
7
Delta & Kalahari camps
4–8
Tents per camp
$0.7–1.6k
Per person, per night
- The verdict, in two paragraphs
- The Camp Compass — find your Ker & Downey
- The regions, honestly compared
- Every camp, every rate — 2026 matrix
- How to book Ker & Downey (three routes)
- Compare Ker & Downey against another operator
- Straight answers to the questions readers ask
A genuinely historic name, kept small — owner-run Okavango and Kalahari camps of four to eight tents, in the tradition it helped invent.
The Ker & Downey name dates to 1945, when Kenyan professional hunters Donald Ker and Sydney Downey combined forces — pioneers of the classic tented safari who later helped found the East African Professional Hunters' Association and pivoted early toward photographic tourism. The lineage moved into Botswana in the early 1960s (Harry Selby joined in 1962) and opened the country's first photographic safari lodge, Khwai River Lodge, in 1968.
Today the working camp operator is Ker & Downey Botswana, part of the Chobe Holdings group since 2009. It runs a tight portfolio of small camps in prime Okavango Delta concessions and the Kalahari — Kanana, Shinde, Okuti, Maxa and desert-set Dinaka — none larger than eight tents. That is the appeal: intimate, guide-led, classic-safari camps with real water-and-land Delta access, at rates below the marquee majors. For a bespoke multi-country journey, Ker & Downey Africa (Cape Town) plans tailor-made trips across the continent.
The name is fragmented across several separate companies, and the camp portfolio is smaller and less known than the majors.
The single biggest source of confusion is that "Ker & Downey" is not one company. It is at least four independently-owned businesses sharing a heritage brand: Ker & Downey Botswana (the camps reviewed here), Ker & Downey Africa (a Cape Town bespoke operator), Ker & Downey World Travel (a US global tour operator), and The Original Ker & Downey Safaris (a Tanzania business). Deciding who you are actually buying from takes care, and a quote from one is not a quote from another.
On the camps themselves, Ker & Downey Botswana is a boutique operator, not a continental force. It has nothing like the concession depth of Wilderness in Botswana, the pan-African breadth of andBeyond, or the exclusive-use ultra-premium tier of Singita. There is no public rate card, so every price here is indicative. If the brief is "the absolute ceiling" or "one brand across many countries," this is not the most direct answer — but for a small, authentic, well-priced Delta camp, it is a strong one.
The Camp Compass — find your Ker & Downey
Six small camps and a bespoke-journey option cover very different trips. Pick what matters most and the compass returns the best-fit Ker & Downey camp or journey style, with the indicative 2026 rate and one line on why it fits.
What matters most on this safari?
Pick a trip priority above. The verdict, rate and the one camp that fits will appear here.
Ker & Downey's regions, honestly compared
Where the name operates today clusters into four areas: the Okavango Delta and its private concessions, the Kalahari, wider Southern Africa via bespoke journeys, and East Africa — the heartland of the original 1945 business. Each is a different proposition.
Okavango Delta & private concessions
Botswana · Kanana · Shinde · Maxa
The Delta is Ker & Downey Botswana's heartland, and where its small-camp model works best. Kanana (seven tents plus a family tent) sits on concession NG27B along the Xudum River in the south-west, with motorboat access to Southern Africa's largest heronry and reliable Pel's fishing owl. Shinde (seven tents) holds a prime northern-Delta palm island in its own private concession, mixing mokoro, motorboat, walking and night drives. Maxa (five tents) is the newest and most remote, at the source of the Selinda Spillway in the north-east. Verify each concession's flood level for your travel month — water-based activities are seasonal.
Best for
A classic, intimate water-and-land Delta safari in a private concession. Kanana for the heronry and fishing; Shinde for the fullest activity mix; Maxa for remoteness.
The Kalahari
Botswana · Dinaka · Central Kalahari edge
Dinaka is the desert counterpoint to the Delta camps: eight thatched tents (maximum 20 guests) on a 40,000-hectare private reserve on the northern boundary of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. This is a landscape of open grassland, desert-adapted species — gemsbok, springbok, brown hyena, black-maned Kalahari lion — plus habituated meerkats and San-guided bush walks. Game density is lower than the Delta, but the space, the light and the walking are the point. It pairs naturally as a two- or three-night contrast leg with a Delta camp.
Best for
Desert space and walking over sheer game density — a contrast leg to soften a Delta-only itinerary, and one of Botswana's better-value luxury camps.
Wider Southern Africa journeys
Cape Town-based bespoke · Multi-country
Beyond the owned camps, the bespoke side of the name plans tailor-made journeys across the region. Ker & Downey Africa — a separate, Cape Town-based operator using the registered "Ker & Downey® Africa" mark — designs custom trips that string Botswana's Delta and Chobe with Victoria Falls, Namibia's dunes, South Africa's Cape and private reserves, and Zambia or Zimbabwe. This is where "regions" means "wherever the itinerary goes" and "rates" means indicative journey cost rather than a camp tariff. Ker & Downey Botswana itself is also expanding, with a first camp planned in Zambia's Liuwa Plain.
Best for
Travellers who want one planner to design a multi-country Southern African journey rather than book a single camp — bespoke, tailor-made, priced per itinerary.
East Africa journeys
Kenya & Tanzania · Bespoke, the historic home
East Africa is where the name began — Ker & Downey Safaris Ltd ran classic Kenyan tented expeditions from 1945, and a Tanzania business, The Original Ker & Downey Safaris, still trades on that lineage today. Neither Ker & Downey Botswana nor Ker & Downey Africa owns camps here, so an East African trip under the name means a tailor-made journey through third-party camps in the Maasai Mara, Serengeti and Ngorongoro. Treat this as a bespoke, migration-led itinerary — best priced by a specialist who can compare the underlying camps honestly.
Best for
A migration-led East African journey with the heritage association — but shop the actual camps on merit, since none here are Ker & Downey-owned.
Every Ker & Downey Botswana camp, indicative 2026 rates
Rates below are per person per night sharing, fully inclusive of accommodation, meals, most drinks and standard activities. Ker & Downey Botswana does not publish a public rate card, and prices move sharply with season (green vs peak) and exchange rate, so treat every figure as an indicative 2026 range, not a fixed quote.
| Camp | Area / concession | Tents | 2026 rate (pp/night) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Kanana | Okavango Delta · NG27B, Xudum | 7 + family tent | ~$900–1,600 | Heronry, motorboat, mokoro; Pel's fishing owl |
| Kanana Nyana | Okavango Delta · Xudum | Small (new) | Enquire | Recent addition; serenity-focused sister camp |
| Shinde | Northern Okavango · Shinde concession | 7 + family tent | ~$950–1,700 | Palm island; walks, mokoro, night drives, boats |
| Shinde Footsteps | Shinde private concession | 4 (max 6 guests) | ~$850–1,500 | Rebuilt 2023; smallest, back-to-nature camp |
| Okuti | Moremi Game Reserve · Xakanaxa | 7 units (Masasas) | ~$800–1,500 | Inside Moremi; strong big-cat game viewing |
| Maxa | NE Okavango · Selinda Spillway source | 5 (max 12 guests) | ~$900–1,600 | Remote stretch-canvas tents; KAZA landscape |
| Dinaka | Kalahari · N boundary Central Kalahari GR | 8 (max 20 guests) | ~$700–1,200 | Desert species, meerkats, San-guided walks |
| Grays Eden | Maun · Thamalakane River | Town retreat | ~$150–350 | Not a safari camp; town base for arrivals/departures |
| Ker & Downey Africa (bespoke) | Southern & East Africa · multi-country | Tailor-made journey | Indicative ~$800–1,500+ | Cape Town operator; priced per itinerary, not per camp |
Figures are indicative 2026 per-person-per-night ranges, sharing (double occupancy), based on comparable Okavango and Kalahari camp pricing and rounded — Ker & Downey Botswana publishes no public rate card, so confirm every figure at time of booking. Inclusions typically cover accommodation, meals, most drinks, laundry and standard game activities; park and concession fees, premium wines, transfers between camps by light aircraft, and international flights may be additional. Grays Eden is a Maun town property, not a safari camp. Bespoke journey pricing is illustrative only. Always verify at time of booking.
Live Botswana inventory
Botswana safari trips, priced right now
Real per-person prices from the current catalogue for Botswana — Okavango, Moremi and the Kalahari where Ker & Downey operates. Filter and enquire on any itinerary, or scroll on for the three ways to book.
How to actually book Ker & Downey — three routes, honestly compared
Because the name spans several companies, the cleanest way in is usually a specialist who can price the specific camps you want and compare them fairly. Three routes work depending on how much planning support and how many quotes you want. You can also enquire direct via kerdowneybotswana.com.
Route 1 · Tailored specialist quote
Safari.com
Best for readers who want a curated Botswana quote fast. Safari.com can price the Okavango and Kalahari camps Ker & Downey runs and pair them with adjacent operators for a wider circuit — useful when a single small camp needs a second leg to make a full trip.
Request a Botswana quote via Safari.comRoute 2 · Bespoke planner
Go2Africa
Best for first-time bookers who want a human designing a multi-camp, multi-country route. Go2Africa specialises in tailor-made Southern African itineraries — the trips where pairing a Delta camp with Chobe, Victoria Falls or the Kalahari actually pays off.
Design a trip with Go2AfricaRoute 3 · Self-serve comparison
BookAllSafaris
Best for readers still shortlisting — comparing Ker & Downey's small camps against other Okavango and Kalahari operators before requesting a quote. Self-serve, with the broadest comparison field across Botswana.
Compare Botswana camps on BookAllSafarisNot sure Ker & Downey is the fit? Compare against another operator.
The other luxury safari operators we have reviewed in depth.
Wilderness
60+ camps. The deepest Botswana footprint; small, remote, low-footprint camps.
Read the Wilderness review →Natural Selection
Conservation-led Botswana & Namibia; characterful, lower-density camps.
Read the Natural Selection review →Great Plains Conservation
Joubert-founded; conservation-first camps in the Okavango and beyond.
Read the Great Plains Conservation review →African Bush Camps
Community-rooted; strong Botswana and Zimbabwe portfolio at luxury tier.
Read the African Bush Camps review →andBeyond
29 lodges across three continents. Pan-African breadth at one standard.
Read the andBeyond review →Singita
Exclusive-use concessions. The tier above on ultra-premium positioning.
Read the Singita review →Sanctuary Retreats
A&K-owned. Chief's Camp in the Okavango plus a Nile cruise fleet.
Read the Sanctuary Retreats review →Asilia Africa
East Africa specialist; strong value-to-luxury ratio in Tanzania and Kenya.
Read the Asilia Africa review →The full operator index
Every luxury safari operator we rate, compared side by side.
Open the 2026 index →Straight answers to the questions readers ask
Is Ker & Downey one company or several?
Several. The heritage name is shared today by at least four independently-owned businesses: Ker & Downey Botswana (the camp operator in the Okavango and Kalahari, part of Chobe Holdings), Ker & Downey Africa (a Cape Town-based bespoke tour operator), Ker & Downey World Travel (a US-based global luxury tour operator), and The Original Ker & Downey Safaris (a Tanzania safari business). They stem from the same 1945 origin but are not the same company, so a quote from one is not a quote from another.
Who founded Ker & Downey, and when?
The name dates to 1945, when Kenyan professional hunters Donald Ker and Sydney (Syd) Downey combined their operations in Nairobi. They were pioneers of the classic tented safari and helped move the industry toward photographic tourism. Harry Selby joined as a director in 1962, the business expanded into Botswana, and it opened Khwai River Lodge — Botswana's first photographic safari lodge — in 1968.
Which Ker & Downey camps are in Botswana?
Ker & Downey Botswana runs a small portfolio of Okavango and Kalahari camps: Kanana and its sister Kanana Nyana on the Xudum River, Shinde and the four-tent Shinde Footsteps on the Shinde concession in the northern Delta, Okuti inside Moremi Game Reserve, remote Maxa near the Selinda Spillway source, and desert-set Dinaka on the edge of the Central Kalahari. Grays Eden in Maun is a town retreat rather than a safari camp. None of the camps exceeds eight tents.
How much does a Ker & Downey Botswana safari cost in 2026?
Expect roughly $700–$1,600 per person per night sharing, fully inclusive, depending on camp and season — the Delta camps sit toward the top of that band in peak months and the Kalahari's Dinaka toward the more affordable end. There is no public rate card, so these are indicative ranges; green-season stays (roughly November to April) are materially cheaper than the July–October peak. Always confirm the live rate at time of booking.
Which Ker & Downey camp is best for a first Okavango safari?
Shinde or Kanana. Both are seven-tent camps in their own private concessions offering the full Delta activity mix — game drives, mokoro, motorboat, walking and night drives — so you experience water and land in one stay. Kanana adds the heronry and excellent birding; Shinde has arguably the more varied concession. Pair either with Dinaka in the Kalahari for a contrasting desert leg.
Is Ker & Downey as good as Wilderness or andBeyond?
It is a different scale. On raw concession depth in Botswana, Wilderness is stronger; on pan-African breadth, andBeyond is far larger; on ultra-premium exclusivity, Singita sits above. What Ker & Downey Botswana offers instead is small, owner-run camps with real heritage and classic-safari character, usually at lower rates than the majors. For a boutique, authentic Delta experience it is a strong choice; for scale or the absolute ceiling, look to the larger names.
Does Ker & Downey operate in East Africa or beyond Botswana?
Not as an owned-camp operator. The original business was East African, and a separate Tanzania company still trades on that lineage, but neither Ker & Downey Botswana nor Ker & Downey Africa owns camps in Kenya or Tanzania. An East African or multi-country trip under the name is a bespoke journey routed through third-party camps — best priced by a specialist who can compare those camps on merit. Ker & Downey Botswana is, separately, expanding with a planned camp in Zambia's Liuwa Plain.
What is included in the nightly rate?
Across the Botswana camps, rates typically include all accommodation, all meals, most drinks (premium wines may be extra), laundry, and twice-daily guided activities — game drives plus, where water allows, mokoro and motorboat outings, walks and night drives. Park and concession fees, light-aircraft transfers between camps, premium beverages, gratuities and international flights are generally additional. Confirm the exact inclusions per camp when you book.
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Disclosure. Uncompromised Travel earns affiliate commissions on qualifying bookings made through Safari.com, Go2Africa and BookAllSafaris links on this page. Editorial verdicts, region breakdowns and honest comparisons are not influenced by commission structure. "Ker & Downey" is a heritage name shared by several separately-owned businesses; this review identifies which is which and is not endorsed by, nor written in partnership with, any of them. Rates cited are indicative 2026 ranges compiled at time of publication; always confirm at time of booking.