Old Bridge Backpackers — International / Botswanan, Maun
Old Bridge Backpackers is the central node of Maun's traveller social network — a riverside camp and restaurant where everyone who passes through the delta gateway eventually ends up. The deck extends over the Thamalakane River, and the combination of cheap food, cold Castle, and the river's wildlife creates an atmosphere of disproportionate pleasure.
The kudu burger is the kitchen's signature item — minced kudu meat, lean and flavourful from the Okavango grasslands, grilled to order and served with chips that are hand-cut and properly cooked. It is among the most honest game-meat burgers in Botswana.
The bar runs to 2am on weekends, fuelled by the specific energy of a gathering point where safari guides, backpackers, and the occasional conservation researcher share space and stories with the ease that the Maun atmosphere produces.
Crocodiles are occasionally visible from the deck — a feature that Old Bridge markets with cheerful pragmatism and that adds a specific quality to the experience of finishing a cold Castle above the river.
Best Occasion: Great for Birthdays
River deck, kudu burgers for the group, cold Castle in rounds, and the social energy of Maun's best gathering point. Birthday dinners here acquire their own stories.
Best Occasion: Perfect for Solo Dining
The river deck at Old Bridge produces company naturally — solo travellers are absorbed into the Maun community within one cold Castle. Order the kudu burger and let the evening happen.