A luxury experience with a high degree of privacy and flexibility in a prolific wildlife and bird area.
Zarafa Camp (previously Zibadianja) was a refreshing departure from the many offerings in the northern Botswana region. Located on the border between the Selinda and Linyanti Wildlife Reserves, on a palm island surrounded by open flood plains this small camp used to be simple with few frills but a high standard of service and access to an incredible game area. The camp has been reborn and now competes with the best in the Delta in terms of style and luxury. Cast in a more "traditional safari" mould, replete with leather director's chairs, wooden blanket boxes and extraordinary copper bathtubs and fireplaces, the camp is located to make the most of extensive views over the floodplains. The tented rooms are vast with panoramic views from wooden decks and sides that open up completely.
While we slightly regret the rise of a simple bush camp to an impressively opulent tented lodge, there is no doubt that it has been done with a great deal of style and panache.
The surrounding open plains team with herbivores and herds of buffalo that can number several thousand. While the wildlife is comparable to the other camps in the area, the advantage of Zarafa over many of these is that because of it's small size, you can expect a greater degree of flexibility and personal attention. This can be especially advantageous for birders, and is particularly good for groups that want exclusive use of the place. The activities primarily revolve around drives although short guided walks are possible from the camp.
Zarafa is definitely a small luxurious destination and so it does come with a price-tag to match.
4 luxury suites
A luxury experience with a high degree of privacy and flexibility in a prolific wildlife and bird area.
At 135,000ha (300,000acres), the Reserve straddles the Selinda Spillway that connects the watersystem of the Linyanti and Kwando rivers to the Okavango Delta. The lush floodplains attract a wide variety of wildlife that come for grazing and water. Since the area is devoid of contours, the Spillway can run in both directions and has been known to run in both simultaneously, depending on water levels at either end. Read more?
Safaris in Botswana offer dramatic extremes. One the one hand, the lush landscapes of the Okavango Delta and the Linyanti/Chobe River systems, on the other, the beautiful other-worldly expanse of the Makgadikgadi Pans and the Kalahari Desert. The variety of habitats makes for varied animal and birdlife as well as beautiful scenery. Strict controls mean that Botswana safari camps and lodges are generally small, and due to the tricky logistics of operating in a delta or a desert, a safari here is seldom cheap, and it's important to know where to go if you are looking for that authentic safari experience. Read more?
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Catherine's long experience of, and enthusiasm for Africa, makes her a mine of travel information. Add to the mix her vivacious character and inscrutable attention to detail and there are few people you'd rather have plan your holiday.
At Natural High, we've had long experience putting together trips in Africa that really work. Whether it's intimate bushcamps in out of the way places, or a private lodge in one of Africa's top-billing wildlife areas, light mobile camping or remote island escapes, we know there is a lot to choose from. We're absolutely confident that we can recommend the right places for you.
