Lodges
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Abu Camp, set in a pristine pocket of riverine forest, is situated in a vast private reserve of 180 000 hectares (400 000 acres) in the heart of the Okavango Delta.
Named after a very special bull elephant, Abu was the original base camp Africa's first elephant back safaris were pioneered in the Delta 17 years ago. Today the camp is located in a grove of magnificent hardwood trees on the edge of a large lagoon with a resident school of hippo.
An imaginative use of canvas and pole has created a unique style of tent which has been called Afro-Bedouin, high, wide and airy and blending in well with the natural surroundings. Each of the six en-suite accommodation units has its own distinctive furnishings and fittings, many of them antique, imparting an air of opulence amid the bush setting. Each tent has its own private elevated teak deck sculpted around one of the lofty sycomore figs or jackalberry trees.
Well-lit pathways link the tents with the main lounge and dining area, again high vaulted tenting opening out onto a tiered teak decking surrounding a giant termite mound, one of the characteristic sights of the Okavango Delta. The lounge is replete with comfortable antique furnishings and boasts an absorbing library of field guides and illustrated volumes on wildlife. A well-stocked bar provides drinks and cocktails for post-safari sundowners around a camp fire while most of the meals are taken al fresco on the deck. Nearby a secluded plunge pool enables guests to cool off and relax.
With its shady trees and views overlooking the tranquil lagoon, Abu Camp is a haven of peace and seclusion.
Abu is unique in that it allows guests to interact with the resident elephant herd, meeting each individual and beginning to understand the complex behaviour of the largest land mammal on Earth. Guests are invited to become part of the elephant herd during their stay and may watch them being fed in the evenings, enjoy the frolics of the babies and accompanying them on foot as they move through the bush. These elephant encounters provide magical moments and being with them allows a closer approach to other animals than is able to be achieved when simply walking as an obvious human figure.
Abu also offers morning and afternoon game drives, night drives and nature walks to view the abundance of fauna and flora in the area. During the seasonal floods, guests are invited to take to the waters in the mokoros, the traditional poled craft used in the Delta.
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Declared a National Park in 1967, Chobe was the first National Park in Botswana. It is home to one of the largest concentrations of elephant on the African continent.
Surrounded by wildlife management areas and reserves that allow game to roam freely, the 11 700 km² (4 500 square mile) reserve is located in the far north of Botswana, bordering on the Chobe River. Home to the entire Big Five, Chobe is particularly well known for its large herds of elephant and buffalo, as well as the two antelope that cannot be encountered anywhere else in Botswana, the puku and the Chobe bushbuck.
Chobe offers both dry savanna and permanent swamp, in addition to the vast floodplains along the river. Dense teak woodland provides thick cover in the northeast parts of the reserve.The burgeoning elephant population has been responsible for removing the riverine forest that formerly fringed the Chobe, opening up this habitat for other herbivores and the carnivores that prey on them. Watching the elephant families drink and bathe in the river is an unforgettable sight, all the more impressive when herds of buffalo, rafts of hippo and gigantic Nile crocodiles are part of the scene. Lion and spotted hyena are frequently seen on the floodplains, where red lechwe, puku, zebra, sable and roan come out to graze.
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One of the Okavango Delta's most remote camps, Duba Plains is a small, intimate camp on a tree-filled island in a private 30 000-hectare concession known as the Kwedi Reserve.
Accommodation is made up of six roomy tents with an en-suite bathroom, an outside shower, and a veranda overlooking the floodplain. The thatch-roofed lounge, dining room and bar areas are raised on platforms along with a swimming pool, all providing a beautiful view.
Apart from good numbers of lion and buffalo, herds of elephant feed on the islands and hippo concentrate in deeper channels. Tsessebe and blue wildebeest dot the plains, while red lechwe are found on the wetter floodplain fringe.
Duba Plains is known for the titanic clashes between buffalo and lion, and so a classic game drive is one that tracks down the truly enormous buffalo herd to see if any lions are also headed in that direction. Aside from this interaction the age-old conflict between lion and spotted hyaena is also a point of interest. Birdlife is abundant and impressive, with many Okavango Delta specials such as Rosy-throated Longclaw, Slaty Egret and Wattled Crane being found in the area.
A variety of activities include day and night game drives, often tracking the buffaloherd or various lion prides around the concession and leisurely nature walks. Mokoro trips are also possible in times of good floods - usually only between May and September.
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Adjacent to the world renowned Kruger National Park, the Sabi Sand Game Reserve is famed for its intimate wildlife encounters, particularly leopard viewing. Home to a host of wildlife, including the Big Five, the Sabi Sand is part of a conservation area that covers over two million hectares (almost five million acres), an area equivalent to the state of New Jersey and larger than some independent countries.
With no boundary fences between the reserve and the Kruger National Park, this area benefits from the great diversity of wildlife found in one of the richest wilderness areas on the African continent along with the additional benefits experienced on a private game reserve.
Game drives traverse an area of 10 000 hectares (25 000 acres) and strict vehicle limits at sighting ensure the exclusivity of your safari activities and game viewing experience. Off-road driving ensures that you have the best possible view of any exceptional sighting and rangers are constantly in touch with each other to keep track of animal movements.
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Adjacent to the world renowned Kruger National Park, the Sabi Sand Game Reserve is famed for its intimate wildlife encounters, particularly leopard viewing. Home to a host of wildlife, including the Big Five, the Sabi Sand is part of a conservation area that covers over two million hectares (almost five million acres), an area equivalent to the state of New Jersey and larger than some independent countries.
With no boundary fences between the reserve and the Kruger National Park, this area benefits from the great diversity of wildlife found in one of the richest wilderness areas on the African continent along with the additional benefits experienced on a private game reserve.
Game drives traverse an area of 10 000 hectares (24 700 acres) and strict vehicle limits at sighting ensure the exclusivity of your game viewing experience. Off-road driving ensures that you have the best possible view of any exceptional sighting and rangers are constantly in touch with each other to keep track of animal movements.
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The Serengeti National Park forms part of a huge conservation area, encompassing the adjacent Ngorongoro Conservation Area, well as the Masai Mara in neighbouring Kenya. With no fences or man-made barriers, huge numbers of wildlife move freely throughout this area, constantly recreating an ageless natural cycle. The magnificent Serengeti is famed for its vast tree-less grasslands allowing for excellent wildlife sightings. The Park boasts 35 species of plains-dwelling game and prolific birdlife.
Grumeti Serengeti Tented Camp is set in the remote reaches of the Park, on a bywater of the Grumeti River, known for its wildebeest crossings and enormous Nile crocodiles. Tucked into a strip of riverine forest, guests thrill to the antics of spectacular pied colobus monkeys (found nowhere else in the Serengeti) and enjoy nocturnal serenades by orchestras of owls and bushbabies.
Every year between June and July, Africa’s annual Great Migration passes through Grumeti, and hundreds upon thousands of wildebeest, zebra and other herbivores cross the Grumeti River, risking the jaws of some of Africa’s largest crocodiles.
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In the central region of the concession, vast open floodplains provide some of the most stunning scenery Botswana has to offer. Jao Camp lies in the southern side of the plains, an area with beautiful islands fringed with riverine forests.
Jao Camp has nine spacious, beautiful tents, each individually handcrafted. Built on raised decks, each has a private sala for afternoon siestas and offers wonderful views of the spectacular surrounding floodplains of Botswana. In addition to the lounge and dining area, there are two plunge pools and an outdoor boma for dining under the stars, complemented by wines from an excellent wine cellar. Jao Camp also has a salon where a wide range of massage therapies are offered.
Mokoros, boat trips, fishing, nature walks, day and night game drives and birding are usually on offer all year round due to the abundance of wildlife in Botswana. During an unusually high flood season, game drives begin by boating out to a nearby Hunda Island where the vehicles are waiting, and the drive begins from there. Huge herds of red lechwe can be seen, followed by their primary predator - prides of lion. Other game typical of Botswana include elephant, buffalo, leopard, tsessebe, zebra and wildebeest, hippo and crocodile. Many bird species are resident such as Meyer's Parrot, African Harrier Hawk, Black egret, Coppery-tailed Coucal, Malachite Kingfisher, Hamerkop and Black Crake being some of the avian treasures found at Jao Camp.
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Situated in the Luamfwa Concession in the southern sector of the South Luangwa National Park, Kalamu Bush Camp takes its name from the adjacent Chankalamu River, a seasonal tributary of the Luangwa. It faces west, overlooking a well-used crossing point on the Luangwa River and the distant Muchinga escarpment provides a wonderful vista from camp. The deeper pools of the river and a nearby seasonal lagoon hold large vocal pods of hippo and silent crocodiles. These waters attract elephant, buffalo, puku, impala, yellow baboon and other species in increasing numbers as the season progresses and other water sources dry up.
This typical tented 'bush camp' consists of five Meru-style en-suite tents, each one with a different outlook on the Luangwa River. The central areas of the camp - the plunge pool and deck and shaded bar and dining area - maximise the sweeping river views. A deck built into a fallen fig tree provides an unusual lookout point, with the river flowing past on either side - almost the middle of the river! The camp's understated luxury interiors fit well with the heating and light provided by the sun; our design philosophy has as its aim to be as environmentally friendly as possible, something Kalamu succeeds in admirably.
Activities at Kalamu Bush Camp focus on the Luangwa River with both game drives and walks exploring its banks, fringing woodland and open scrub. The famed 'walking safari' in fact first took place in this Park.
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Rated by Condé Nast Magazine as one of the planet's ten most romantic destinations, Kaya Mawa is located on the south-western tip of Likoma Island in the far north-east of Lake Malawi, close to Mozambique. The island is covered with mango trees and ancient baobabs and encircled by glorious sandy beaches and rocky coves.
Ten stone and teak-framed thatched cottages - including two family cottages and one honeymoon chalet - have a panoramic view of the lake and private terraces with direct access to the water. Each one has en-suite bathroom facilities, a four-poster bed, shower, and a sunken stone bathtub. The honeymoon chalet with its incredible views is tucked away on its own private island.
The stunning setting of the lodge and the unique comfort of the rooms means that many guests choose to make relaxation their main activity but there are enough activities on offer to keep guests busy.
Walking or biking around the island is a must. The local population is legendary both for its friendliness and thus a simple unescorted stroll around the island perhaps with a few cold drinks and snacks is a wonderful experience where one can stop off to swim en route, engage the locals in conversation and visit the cathedral and the lively market nearby.
The waters around the lodge are both safe and clear and swimming and snorkelling are on offer - some of the best snorkelling on the island is right at the lodge (snorkels and masks are provided). Alternatively there is a rock swimming pool right by the bar. The lodge has its own NAUI accredited instructor and excellent dive equipment and can offer casual dives as well as a range of instruction. Waterskiing, tube riding and wake snaking are offered as well as fishing trips and the lodge has a small wooden skip for sailing journeys around the island. Ovenight trips to Nkwichi Lodge and the Manda Wilderness area can also be arranged.
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Immortalised through famous tales of olden day safaris, the Masai Mara National Reserve is one of the richest and most diverse wildlife areas in the world. Known as the ‘spotted land’ to the Maasai, the reserve is home to a vast number of resident wildlife, as well as part of the annual phenomenon of the Great Migration. The migratory wildebeest, zebra, kongoni and topi join abundant elephant, hippo, buffalo, giraffe, lion and cheetah in the Mara. Leopard and serval are frequently encountered, while endangered black rhino can be found in the dense bush thickets. The Mara River is also famed for its enormous crocodiles, which lay in wait for the wildebeest and zebra during the excitement and drama of the migration. Six species of primates and over 450 birds add to the Mara’s incredible natural diversity.
The Masai Mara National Reserve is part of a huge conservation area that also includes the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area in neighbouring Tanzania. With no fences or man-made barriers, wildlife can move freely throughout this area, constantly recreating an ageless natural cycle.
Located on a private concession leased from Maasai landlords in the western Mara, Kichwa Tembo lies directly in the path of the Great Migration.
