Perched on the river after which it is named, accommodation at Thamalakane is in huge stone and thatch chalets with large en suite bathrooms and a glorious view of the river and African bush beyond. Some chalets have private splash pools - great in summer and for an added touch of romance.

The living area is casual and relaxed with a large open-fronted thatched dining and lounge area and a swimming pool that will be very hard to extract yourself from. While the food, wine and service won't win this place any awards, you can expect good value for money in wonderful setting.

Thamalakane is a convenient overnight stop about 20km from Maun, which serves as your entry point into the Okavango Delta. If you can spare an extra night or two but not the pocket change, Thamalakane offers day trips into the delta which is about a 90-minute drive. You can opt for a full day's game drive; a full day's mokoro ride; and a full day's delta boat safari. All the activities are fascinating but if you must choose only one it should be the mokoro - your guide/poler is a man of the delta and this is the most intimate, scenic and unique nature experience Botswana has to offer (and that's saying something).

The delta boat excursion is good combination of both game drive and mokoro ride as you get to see some big game especially elephants and cover a much greater area of the delta.