ABOUT US
Our family-owned company
Rooted in the Okavango Delta
Okavango Walking Safaris is a local tour operator and family-owned company based in Maun, Botswana. Having grown up in the Okavango Delta, our passion is driven by the connectedness to nature and love for wilderness.
Our local tour guides are all certified. With their sense of conservation, they share the secrets of nature and life in the bush while providing the highest level of security to their groups. This offers you a highly immersive safari experience.
Our work supports an ethical and sustainable tourism that protects the natural environment and our local communities.
As a small-scale, hands-on operation supported by a reliable local team on the ground in Botswana, we provide both exclusivity and trusted expertise.
Okwa Sarefo
Born and grown up in a small village of the Okavango Delta, Okwa Sarefo's guiding experience was absorbed already from childhood. During that time fishing and hunting was his daily sport and he learned how to pole a mokoro (the traditional method of transport) at the age of 8. ​He became a full professional guide in 1996 and has more than 25 years of experience in Botswana’s safari industry. He has worked as guide and manager at some of the most expensive and high-end lodges the country has to offer and has a wealth of knowledge, experience and stories to share.
​Okwa loves to share his knowledge about the bush with his guests and enjoys to meet people from all around the world.
Onnalena Okwa
Onalenna Okwa, well known as "Owner", is born and raised in a small village called Etsha on the edge of the Okavango Delta. She enjoyed the kitchen already with only 6 years old. Her parents encouraged her to go for a food production qualification as a chef. After completing her qualification in Maun she freelanced for Wild Expeditions Safaris which was founded by her father, Okwa Sarefo. As she proved to be a loyal and productive employee, her father offered her shares in the company which she proudly accepted. She enjoys learning new menus and cooking the most memorable meals for her guest.
Being with Owner on a mobile Safari is definitely an unforgettable culinary experience, as the food that she can perform in a fire kitchen is just admirable.
Open Mogale
Open was born in the Okavango Delta and grew up in a small village called Sekondoboro. He collected his first experiences in tourism when he joined Letaka Safari in the year 2012. As he enjoyed working in the industry he continued in tourism and worked from 2013-2018 as a waiter at Great Plains Conservation, a Luxury African Safari Company.
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Open is our front of house manager. Besides from maintenaining the camp and serving our delicious dinner, he also mixes you the perfect drink for your sundowner. Always friendly and with a smile on his face he makes sure that you feel home wherever your camp might be set up.
Open loves to meet new people from all around the world and shows them his country with a big passion for his job.