What is a Mokoro?

As of July 2010, we will be introducing Mokoro (a fibre glass canoe styled on the traditional dug out canoe) as part of the activities included from Linyanti Bush Camp and Saile Tented Camp. Now our guests ask: what is a mokoro?

A Mokoro is a dug out canoe that was designed by the water bushmen to transport themselves through the Okavango Delta. In some regions the Tonga tribe used them for fishing and transport on the Zambezi river.In our case the water bushman of Botswana used them for transport in the Delta and it was also a vessel from which they fished and hunted from.

A traditional Mokoro is made from big hard indigenous trees, however these did not last for many years, and consequently another big tree would be cut down for this purpose. In todays’ modern times, this became a popular way to experience peace and tranquil on the Okavango delta, the Botswana Government made it into law that only fibre glass moulded canoes styled on a Mokoro could be used for commercial activities – this would become a great way to conserve the slow growing big trees of the Delta such as the Ebony but still have access to the crystal clear waters of the Okavango flats.

The bottom’s are flat, and they are moved by poles traditionally known as ngashas (long sticks/poles normally made from a family of trees called Terminalia).