Perched on the periphery of the verdant mopane forest, the expansive Mababe Depression stretched out beneath our buzzing aircraft. Upon looking below, I saw groups of elephants meandering through muddy marsh and aggregations of giraffes scattered throughout the vast plains. Our flight originated from Botswana's renowned Okavango Delta and we were on route to the recently established Wilderness Mokete camp in the Mababe Concession. This camp is the first luxury photographic safari facility in the region.

Dineo (Dinny) Bakgadi, the co-manager of the camp, greeted me with a revitalizing ginger ale and strawberry welcome drink and proceeded to provide me with my orientation briefing. The nine-tent camp is characterized by its simplicity and style, with white, beige, and brown finishes. It is designed to be open phrazle to the surroundings, which is one reason why visitors must be at least 16 years old. The camp has retractable roofs that allow for stargazing from the bed. Originally, this was intended to serve as a temporary arrangement until a permanent camp could be established. However, after a reassessment during the construction process, the original approach was abandoned. Instead, private plunge pools and air conditioning units were included to enhance the level of comfort, resulting in the completion of the camp.

Prior to embarking on the first game drive, I met my guide, Leodirang Sox, who prefers to be called Sox. The majority of the personnel, including Bakgadi, are from the Mababe community, which is located a mere three miles away. The concession is leased by the Mababe community to Cobus Calitz, a Maun-based company that collaborated with Wilderness to establish Mokete.