Tag: lux safari

Daunara Safari Camp: Experiential Okavango

Posted on by James

Exclusive-use is becoming more and more the thing to do in bush circles. Your very own camp in which you determine the activities, the timetable, the meal times, and everything you would do if you owned a home in the bush.

Daunara Safari Camp, one of the newest lodges in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, epitomises everything that is good about the exclusive-use option, and so much more.

Conceptualised by legendary safari guide Matt Copham, and designed and built over a two-year period, Daunara has finally opened its doors, and is redefining what “experiential” means in the broader safari context.

Set on a palm-fringed island adjoining a hippo pool in the South-east of the Delta, Daunara enjoys easy helicopter access from Maun, which is the transfer method most guests opt for. FOr the more adventurous there is a two hour road transfer available as well.

The design of the camp is elegant, contemporary, and sophisticated – distinctly African in its roots. With hand-crafted finishes in timber and canvas, it’s a home, designed with care, boasting a team who deliver sincere and charming service, deeply proud of their Botswana heritage.

Five stand-alone classic, spacious and beautifully appointed tented suites all overlook the delta, two of which are interconnected with a shared sitting room. Elepphants are pretty much daily visitors to the pool in front of the camp, and lechwe, zebras, impalas and cavorting wildebeest abound in the floodplains.
The whole camp is connected via raised wooden walkways, allowing safe movement through the day. All the tented suites are fully air-conditioned in both the bedroom and the bathroom.

Food is clean and uncomplicated with distinct flavours that celebrate the fresh produce we can get from our community garden, itself an amazing initiative based at nearby Daunara Village (from which the camp gets its name). The days and menus are unscripted, for you to enjoy meals at your own pace. Meals are paired with the finest South African wines we have personally selected.

In between game drives and exciting adventure activities, you can find time for a quick workout at the gym or a relaxing massage in our dedicated massage pavilion.

The family suite features two luxury tented suites connected by shared sitting and dining areas. Ideal for parents with younger children or close family who need to be closer together. The second room converts easily into a twin or a king-size bed.

 

Envisioned by a man with over 30 years in the safari business, Daunara is truly one of the most flexible and innovative camps we’ve encountered. Visits to the local elephant orphanage, tracking lions, helicopter flights to go tiger fishing or to nip across to the San cultural heritage site of the Tsodilo hills… all this and more is possible out of Daunara; it simply goes way beyond your standard safari offering.

With all the buzz being generated around it, availability is being snapped up at a rapid rate, so if your own home-away-from-home in in the Okavango Delta appeals to you, get in touch, and let’s start planning your tailor-made safari…

The Best Treehouses in Africa

Posted on by James

Counting sheep is one way to try and fall asleep.

Why not go one better though? Try to count a billion stars, have a lion roaring in the distance as a lullaby, and feel the cool night breeze of Africa on your face as it sussurates through the mosquito net… That’s the way to do it.

More and more safari lodges across Africa are offering a romantic sleep-out as an option, and their stunning treehouses are as opulent as one could desire.
No simple matress-and-sleeping-bag combinations are to be found here; instead guests are greeted by soft mattresses, expansive duvets, the warm glow of kerosene lanterns, and more than likely the subtle accompaniment of nightbirds trilling nearby.

Although the idea of a sleep-out can be intimidating to the inexperienced safari-goer, treehouse locations are as safe as any luxury lodge, and are an incredible way to experience raw nature. You will never sleep as deeply as you will when the night sounds of Africa are your personal bedtime story.

Here then are three of our favourite safari sleep-out offerings:

Wilderness Linkwasha, Zimbabwe

Tucked in the south-east corner of the Hwange National Park, the Linkwasha Concession plays host to four stunning lodges in the Wilderness portfolio: Linkwasha, Davison’s, Maokolo and Little Makololo. The area boasts a stunning variety of wildlife, and is particularly productive in the dry season when animals are entirely dependent on the few remaining surface water points.

It is next to one of these pans – which is kept topped up by the National Park – that the Linkwasha Sleepout platform is situated.
Tucked up against an ancient Leadwood tree, the treehouse enjoys stunning panoramic views over the surrounding plains, with prime viewing over the waterhole and whatever might be coming down to slake its thirst.
In the dry season one can be assured of a constant parade of elephants doen below, whose splashing and gurgling will be a gentle accompaniment to your snores through the night, and the grasslands will almost certainly reverberate to the call of a big cat during the evening.
Open skies all around mean that the star-gazing will be unsurpassed!

Xigera Lodge, Botswana

In the heart of the Okavango Delta – about as close to a wildlife eden as you can get on earth – Xigera Lodge offers unmatched opulence in the safari industry. Stunning architecture in a remote location with some of the best game viewing on the sub-continent really makes this destination hard to beat.

Throw in a treehouse built to resemble one of Africa’s most iconic trees – the baobab – and you have just about one of the most romantic sleep-out venues on the planet.

The sheer imagination used to design such a stunning creation will take your breath away; something like a treehouse standing by itself could be potentially incongruous, but the Xigera offering just fits.

A night out here will be one you will never forget…

Lion Sands, South Africa

The Sabi Sand Game Reserve is one of the best places to view predators in Africa, and Lion Sands ticks this box brilliantly.
Apart from boasting some of the most luxurious lodges and one of the densest leopard populations on the continent, they have three stunning treehouses to choose from if a sleep-out under the stars is what you’re after. Each of the Chalkley, Tinyeleti and Kingston treehouses has their own unique charm, but all have much in common at the same time – comfort, beauty, and a sense of place, almost as if the treehouses were always there.
The feeling you want from an experience like this is one of belonging, as if you are actually part of the environment. And you get that feeling in droves at the Lion Sands treehouses…

As rustic as they may sound, the treehouses on offer at the higher-end lodges are anything but. Bathroom facilities, their own dining experience, 24-hour communication with the lodge via radio, and a whole host of other make them incredibly comfortable, safe, and as user-friendly as one could wish.

A treehouse sleep-out is just about as authentic an experience that one can find in the African bush…

If this is the kind of adventurous night you’d be interested in, get in touch through info@iconicafrica.com, and let’s start looking for a treehouse for you…

 

 

Iconic Africa Wins Another Award

Posted on by James

For the 5th year in a row, Iconic Africa has scooped top spot in a LuxLife Travel Awards category, this year being declared Best Luxury Africa Travel Agent – USA.

We could not be more proud to once again be recognised for the experiences we keep aspiring to deliver for our guests, and the continent we keep aspiring to promote.

To quote the LuxLife Website:

LUXlife Magazine is a premium lifestyle publication which was founded in 2015. Distributed to a circulation of 94,000 globally, LUXlife focuses on a range of topics within the luxury lifestyle industry, featuring articles on fashion, beauty, fine dining, travel, luxury real estate and much more.
The LUXlife awards honour the extraordinary achievements of those shaping the luxury industry. These prestigious awards are a testament to the relentless pursuit of brilliance, recognizing those who are shining with excellence.

The travel and tourism industries have made a strong comeback! After enduring the effects of previous years, 2023 finally brought back a sense of normalcy. It is predicted that 2024 will continue this upwards trend in travel bookings and build upon it. Economic struggles and doubts about industry recovery are now a thing of the past. The travel industry is operating at full capacity and surpassing expectations!

Iconic Africa has been revelling in this upward trend in travel, and we have never been busier. With new sales agents joining our team and new guests from all over the world travelling with us, we continue to refine our offering, seeking out only the best destinations for our bespoke safaris.

A crucial aspect of Iconic Africa’s philosophy is that the destinations we represent must demonstrate a genuine commitment to the conservation of Africa’s last great wilderness areas and the rural people who live around them. Terri Abadi and John Holley, our founders,  have both personally been extensively involved in education and social upliftment in rural Africa.

When you travel with Iconic Africa,  a portion of the money you spend on your life-changing African vacation will be put to wilderness conservation and social enterprise development. Our destinations contribute to the protection of rhino, innovative green energy, valuable ecological research, education, lion conservation and community involvment.

Iconic Africa creates exclusive luxury African safari and adventure holidays for couples and families in southern and East Africa. Our gorgeous destinations are all hand-picked and visited by Terri and John and are as varied as Africa is large; from Cape Town to Kilimanjaro, along the Zambezi River and through the Kruger Park to Mozambique’s tropical coastline and everything in between…

With five years entering the LuxLife Tourism Awards and 5 awards to our name already, we can’t wait to see what 2024 will bring for Iconic Africa, our guests, and the magnificent continent we call home…

Get in touch with us through info@iconicafrica.com, and let’s start planning your safari…

A Londolozi of Leopards

Posted on by James

The collective noun for multiple leopards is actually a Leap, but the alternate term in this post’s title is more than appropriate, given that Londolozi practically pioneered leopard viewing as we know it today.

In the early 1970’s, thanks to progressive land-management practices and a sensitive approach to viewing wildlife, Londolozi started seeing a single female leopard fairly regularly. Carefully observing her habits and getting her used to the game drive vehicles meant that her cubs picked up her relaxed approach to being viewed, which spawned successive generations of habituated leopards. Londolozi is now viewing its 8th generation of leopards descended from that single female; most likely the most documented leopard lineage in existence.

These days Londolozi remains at the epicentre of Leopard viewing. A camera-trap study conducted by the Panthera Organisation concluded that the Sabi Sand Reserve contains the densest population of these spotted cats yet recorded in Africa, with Londolozi and its neighbours (all of whom sit at the core of the Sabi Sands) containing the highest density of them all; approximately 12 leopards per 100 square kilometres.

A combination of ideal habitat and the resulting prey availability, as well as the fact that the reserve is unfenced and open to the 6 million hectare Greater Kruger National Park, has maintained the population as stable and allowed for unrestricted genetic flow.

Experienced rangers and trackers – among the best in the business – understand the behaviour of the cats intimately and are able to find them on game drives repeatedly.
Although leopards steal the show, and are one of the reasons that guests visit Londolozi from all over the world, they are part of a much wider cast of wildlife, including all the Big 5, as well as cheetahs, wild dogs and a plethora of general game species that will your camera’s memory card up more rapidly than you could dare dream.

The camps themselves offer a wonderful diversity of accommodation options, from the slightly larger family camps – Founders and Varty – to the three-roomed Pioneer Camp, which is generally booked in the exclusive-use villa style, you will almost certainly be able to find what you are looking for.

It is the people of Londolozi that truly set the place apart however.
Since the Varty family rebranded the lodge as a stand-alone, family-run affair in 2007, the vibrant culture that permeates into every nook and cranny of the land has become more and more entrenched, and for many repeat guests, it is the friends they have made amongst the staff that sees them returning time and time again.
Some can boast over 50 visits…

Londolozi delivers time and time again, from the bush experience they offer to the food, hospitality, wellness spa and everything in between.
It may be the place to see leopards but it is also the place to feel more alive than you thought you could. Where you can reconnect with ancient energy and connect to yourself all over again…

Get in touch now through info@iconicafrica.com to enquire about rates and availability…

The Beautiful Darkness: Black Leopards of Laikipia

Posted on by James

In the heart of Kenya lies Laikipia County, slap bang on the Equator and one of 47 counties in the country.
The county encompasses the high, dry Laikipia Plateau, a wilderness of thornscrub, rocky outcrops, valleys and rivers, with Mount Kenya rising imposingly in the distance to the south-east, just beyond Laikipia’s borders.

Over the last few years, this previously unobtrusive part of Kenya has crept into safari prominence. Not because of its wonderful wildlife density and diversity, but because of a very special population of leopards roaming its hills; melanistic ones.

Although long known about by the locals, they were essentially ghosts in the night; glimpsed from afar by a villager tending his flocks or heard calling in the distance, passing themselves off as one of their spotted cousins. It was not until Will Burrard-Lucas famously camera-trapped an individual in 2018 that a spotlight was finally shone on the region and the unique gene pool it contained.

Local researchers have shown that approximately 10 melanistic leopards (or black panthers, if you will) roam the greater Laikipia region, but it is one individual that has captured the world’s attention with her relaxed demeanour and accessible territory; Giza Mrembo – the Beautiful Darkness in Swahili.

This young female was first seen fleetingly as a young cub around four years ago, but as her mother is quite relaxed around vehicles, Giza herself become habituated within 18 months, and these days is completely relaxed around game viewing vehicles.

Photographic opportunities are plentiful as a result, but it is certainly not just the chance of seeing a black leopard in the wild that one visits this area for.

Elephants make their stately way through the acacia trees and dik-diks (one of the world’s smallest antelopes) peer out from almost every bush. These diminutive ungulates are the main food source of Laikipiia’s leopard population, and their importance in the ecosystem cannot be overstated. The striking vulturine guineafowl is a common feature in the area as well.

Safari options in the immediate area are varied, but the best option if one wants to stand a good chance of viewing and photographing Giza, is one of the Laikipia Wilderness Offerings; River Camp, Wilderness Camp itself, or the newly established Palm Camp, found a little bit upstream on the Ewaso Narok River.

Wilderness Camp, perched up on a hillside, overlooks the whole stunning vista. Giza – and other leopards – are spotted consistently from the hillside above the camp, and a beautiful lookout deck is perched on top of the hill from which some of the most spectacular sunsets in Africa can be observed.
River Camp sits down below and its guests are lulled to sleep by the bubbling of river water over the rocks. Elephants regularly come to drink at a culvert opposite Room 5.

Venture a few kilometres upstream and you find Palm Camp, Laikipia Wilderness’s newest offering, only opened in the second half of 2024. The simple yet elegant rooms stay cool even on the hottest days thanks to their intricately woven palm-frond roofs.

Cuisine at the camps is simple and delicious; coffee and muffins on morning drive with the occasional bush breakfast if you are to be out long. Brunch is a wonderful mix of whatever the chef may feel like on the day, dinners are a similar selection of local and international flavours. Mealtimes are completely up to you, depending on the safari schedule you have discussed with your guide.

The guides at the camps are very experienced. They operate in an incredibly nuanced environment, and believe us, they know how to find leopards, particularly Giza the black panther. Well versed in her habits, they have a knack of being in the right place at the right camp.

Laikipia is well and truly on the map for its black leopard sightings these days, but there is far, far more to it than one cat. A whole world awaits discovery in a beautiful, diverse and remote landscape.

If it is true bucket-list stuff that you are after, look no further. The black leopard of Laikipia will truly take your breath away, as will the rest of it…

Singita Pamushana: Another World

Posted on by James

Perched high on a sandstone ridge overlooking the shimmering expanse of the Malilangwe Dam, Singita Pamushana Luxury Lodge’s eight elegant suites – all with private plunge pools – draw inspiration from the rich tribal history of ancient Zimbabwe.

Maximising opportunities to be immersed in the restorative power of its incredible wilderness setting, the lodge’s guest experience allows for a safari that’s both soothing and inspiring – with comfort, intuitive ease and a complete sense of freedom underpinning every stay.

Featuring a series of staggered and interlinked platforms, Pamushana’s main lodge area provides a variety of living spaces from which to appreciate the astounding natural beauty of the area. Expansive decks deepen connections with the landscape and a cliff-top fire pit and bar-deli overlooking the dam provides the perfect setting for alfresco dining and fireside storytelling.

Pamushana Luxury Safari Lodge is set in Zimbabwe’s remote southeast, within the 130,000-acre Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve.

Guests have exclusive access to this untouched wilderness and can immerse themselves in nature on twice-daily game drives, bush walks, sundowner boat cruises, excursions to rock art sites and more.

In addition to the benefits for the reserve, it is envisaged that lessons learned here will help to derive best practice protocols that will have application in other conservation initiatives

As custodians of the Malilangwe Wildlife Reserve in Zimbabwe, the Malilangwe Trust manages the conservation of this pristine wilderness – which comprises 38 different habitats and ecological zones in 130,000 acres of protected land.

After successfully introducing 28 black and 15 white rhinos to the reserve in 1998, it’s now home to a globally significant population of both and the programme has been so successful that it is a source for restocking rhinos in other reserves on the continent.

The Trust has developed a blueprint for creating harmony between conservation initiatives and community development in villages that neighbour wildlife areas and ensured a sanctuary for a wide range of wildlife, including breeding herds of rare antelope species such as sable and roan.

An onsite Environmental Education Centres for school teachers and children allows them to immerse themselves in Outdoor Education and fieldwork, while the Trust’s nutrition programme provides 20,000 children with a fortifying meal before school every day in order to address increasing food insecurity in the region.

In this south-eastern corner of Zimbabwe, Singita Pamushana is really defining  what community-focused conservation should be.

Get in touch with us through info@icocniafrica.com to find out more, and let’s start planning your safrai…

&Beyond Tengile: Beyond Sensational

Posted on by James

The Sabi Sands is renowned as being one of the best wildlife destinations in the Africa. The Big 5 and many more abound here, and the reserve has officially been established by the Panthera Organisation as having the densest population yet recorded anywhere in the world.

The reserve gets its name from the two major rivers that flow through the park – the Sabi and the Sand – and river frontage plays a major role in determine how good the game viewing is likely to be; the dry season in particular draws an abundance of wildlife to the water.

The Sand River flows right through the heart of the reserve, and in a prominent bend in the river’s southern reaches, one finds one of the newer camps in this wildlife heaven – &Beyond Tengile.

An extension of the original Kirkman’s Kamp (named after Harry Kirkman – the reserve’s first warden) Tengile overlooks a beautiful open stretch of Sand River that almost always seems to have a breeding herd of elephants traipsing across it. Leopards skulk through the reedbeds and along the banks, their presence often being betrayed by the warning bark of a bushbuck, and the eerie wail of a hyena is regularly heard through the hours of darkness.

Wildlife viewing here is simply superb, and the fact that &Beyond boasts one of the finest ranger training schools on the continent means that your guides will be some of Africa’s finest.

This magnificent lodge features nine large, air-conditioned, intimate suites, secreted in the dappled shade of the riparian woodland, each with broad Sand River views. In addition to a master bedroom, bathroom and outdoor shower, there is a lounge, dining area, fully-stocked bar, coffee station and outdoor seating and dining area that are quite simply sensational.
A private lap pool on your spacious deck comes complete with sunken outdoor lounge looking out onto the wilderness.
For families, two of the lodge’s suites are joined by a covered walkway to create an extended family suite.

The lodge’s guest area offers a mixed selection of open, interactive and private places. The viewing deck is a wonderful addition and the library is a treasury of fascinating curated objects and interesting books. Bespoke furniture, lights and unique décor pieces have been created from skilled local artists and striking fabrics have been masterfully hand-painted. A massage and gym area offers guests a space of well-being and tranquillity and a Safari Shop is stocked with beautiful handcrafted item.

Tengile really is a jewel in the &Beyond crown; get in touch through info@iconicafrica.com to find out about rates and availability in this bushveld paradise…

4 Reasons to Get Off the Beaten Track

Posted on by James

Africa’s photographic safari scene is by now well-established.

Areas like Kenya’s Maasai Mara or South Africa’s Sabi Sands have over 60 years of experience in crafting the ideal safari for their guests, making subtle tweaks depending on their visitors’ nationality, ages, preferences, safari history etc., and you are bound to get an absolutely mind-blowing, world-class nature immersion as a result. 

Yet over the last decade or so, a few off-the-beaten track gems have started popping up on our radar (read about a few of them here), and knowing what we do about how much incredibly positive feedback some of our travellers have sent us about their stays in such lodges, we thought we’d fill you in on a few reasons why it’s sometimes the smaller, hidden-away places that really set your soul on fire.

Here then, are four very good reasons why the lesser known spots should sit high on your next-want-to-visit lists:

  1. Lower Vehicle Density

The established places are where everyone wants to go. Sure, there’s a reason – usually that the game viewing is exceptional – but hand in hand with that you will sometimes find things like vehicle pressure, blaring radios and evidence of man starting to intrude into what should essentially be a wilderness experience. 

By looking slightly further afield to the lesser well known areas, you stand a much greater chance of enjoying sightings to yourself, enjoying them for far longer, and getting a sense of exclusivity that you didn’t pay a premium for.

Which brings us to Point #2:

 2. Lower Costs

Safari can be expensive, there’s no denying it, particularly in the luxury lodges in the high-impact game-viewing areas. 

Yet if one chooses carefully, you can often see just as much without breaking the bank to have to do so.
There are plenty of game reserves in Africa – like Ruaha National Park in Tanzania or Nxai Pan in Botswana – that can provide world-class wildlife sightings, yet because they have tended to fly under the radar, don’t charge as much as their better known cousins nearby.

 3. Variety

One will often find that the more established wildlife destinations have a formula that works. And this is all to the well and good. However, by going further afield, you are likely to encounter experiences that can’t be found anywhere else. The truly nuanced safari and adventure destinations differentiate themselves in a myriad of ways; by involving you in the uniqueness of the local culture; by giving a completely different take on what sundowner drinks should involve; boat cruises on a lake where you can cast a line to try out tiger fishing… anything is possible when you try somewhere unique…

4. Thrill of Discovery

You will likely have a fair idea of what to expect in the more documented wildlife areas of Africa. You will likely have seen pictures or seen a documentary feature or two.

Yet the secret parks feel like just that a lot of the time; well-kept secrets. Dry river beds fringed with palm trees and endless baobab forests covering rolling hills as far as the eye can see… you can find these and so much more just when you least expect them, by venturing a bit more into the unknown… You won’t have friends or family telling you exactly what it will be like based on their own experiences, instead you get to be the explorer, to break the new ground of all your contemporaries.

Don’t just book somewhere random, that’s definitely not what we’re saying.

But if you do want to truly feel that adventurous spirit, almost as if you are the first person to venture into a place, then do a bit of research (or ask us), see where the reviews say is brilliant but not a lot of people know about, and go…

Get in touch through info@iconicafrica.com to start planning YOUR adventurous safari…

Garonga Hambleden Suite

Posted on by James

To the west of the world famous Kruger National Park, nestled beneath the norther escarpment of the Drakensberg Mountain Range, lies the 22000 hectare Greater Makalali Private Game Reserve. This secluded corner of South African bushveld welcomes you for an immersive Big 5 safari experience. High profile endangered species like cheetahs and wild dog are also to be found here, as well as a spectacular array of bird life, with over 200 species waiting to be ticked off by the avid twitcher.
The Makhutswi river wends its way through the rolling hills and grassy plains of the reserve, and perched on a slight rise within it all is Little Garonga Camp.


The three gorgeous suites that make up Little Garonga are completely separate from Garonga’s two other camps. All three are fully en-suite, thatched and air-conditioned, each with a raised deck, complete with hammock and stunning bush views. They are located around centralised indoor and outdoor lounges, with a swimming pool overlooking the bush.

The Hambleden Suite in particular is our favourite, and is a two-bedroom private villa suitable for a family of four or a couple who wants an extra-special and secluded stay.
The bedrooms are spacious and centre around four-poster beds. The hand-beaten copper bathtub is the highlight of the en-suite bathroom, which includes indoor and outdoor showers. The suite has a central fireplace, mini-bar and air-conditioning.

The indoor living space opens out onto a covered outdoor lounge and open raised deck with own swimming pool.

Little Garonga is for honeymoons and romantic retreats that deserve extra privacy and exclusivity. As a self-contained and run lodge, there is a private team of staff ready to meet all your needs. For a small family or friends group, Little Garonga is also an ideal exclusive-use lodge for a special safari experience.

With full exclusivity at Little Garonga your family can enjoy their own safari lodge while still being part of all the facilities of the main camp. This includes their own private safari vehicle and guide/tracker team.

This Big 5 wilderness celebrates South Africa’s biodiversity and wildlife conservation, and is now a sanctuary for some of Africa’s most endangered species. All members of the Big 5 and various other game were the first to call the reserve their home thanks to important game reintroduction progams.

Now, African wild dog, cheetah and pangolin populations also thrive here under the protection of K9 anti-poaching units. The endangered ground hornbill along with various threatened vulture and raptor species are a special part of the nature-lover’s checklist.

If you want a truly immersive Big 5 experience, away from the crowds, and with the exclusivity of your own private camp, Little Garonga is the place for you, and if you want to experience a home-within-a-home, the Hambleden Suite is a must.

Get in touch with us through info@iconicafrica.com to find out more…

Abu Camp: Delta Bliss

Posted on by James

Well over 150 000 hectares of traversing suggests a fantastic wildlife experience.

The Abu concession in the south-western sector of the Okavango Delta is as wild as it is vast. Lala palms sit arrayed as sentinels on every horizon and seemingly endless floodplains stretch out from every small island.

This is a land of change, as is most of the Okavango. The contradiction lies in the rainy season being the time when the floodwaters are at their lowest ebb, whilst the winter months – the peak dry season – coincide with the flood. This is because the rains that fall in the Angolan highlands – the same rains that cause the greening up of northern Botswana – take months to accumulate and trickle and flow down the length of the Okavango River to spill out into its almost infinite channels and waterways.

Abu Camp lies in the perfect position to experience and appreciate this change.

The lagoon in front of the camp is a singular water-source in the summer. Isolated and with extensive flat land around it, it serves as a safe haven for grazers especially, who can see danger coming for hundreds of metres in each direction. Fast forward to May, and the flood waters have arrived, causing the lagoon to overflow and push right up to the deck of the lodge. The former pasture land is now well underwater, and life changes – for both the wildlife and guests at Abu.

Flood time means water activities. Traditional mokoro canoe excursions or speedboat trips through the waterways feature prominently in the Abu excursions during the winter months, as wildlife is forced to seek higher ground and wade across channels in order to move between grazing grounds.
Lions forge their way across extensive flooded ground, and elephants are regularly encountered fording deeper water.
And then things start to change as the rains disappear and day after day of clear skies add nothing further to the water levels. Abu Camp bears witness once again to open grasses and space, whilst only a small amount of water remains in the deeper channels.

The rains return and the bush becomes lush once more, and the game spreads out into floodplains which until only a few short weeks ago were impassable.

Abu Camp is situated to take full advantage of the changing of the seasons. With only six rooms, it operates as one of Wilderness Safaris’ premier camps, and does not in any way fall short of the expectations. The sense that you are alone in the wilderness – which with 180 000 hectares you pretty much are – is one that never really leaves you.

Leopards are a more than regular sighting here. Wild Dogs – although one of Africa’s most endangered carnivores – are often seen, and buffaloes, elephants and the local lion population provide more than their fair share of incredible viewing.

Abu Camp is certainly among our favourite camps in the Delta.

Different times of year however, mean completely different experiences for the visitor, so be sure to get hold of us to let us know exactly what you are hoping for in your safari, and we’ll be able to help…