Six Safari Tents
Six large tented rooms accommodate a maximum of 12 guests. Each room has an en-suite bathroom, an outside shower and flush toilet facilities. Each tent has a verandah overlooking the floodplain. The dining room and bar are raised on decking under large riverine trees. There is a small pool as well.
Kwedi Reserve - Okavango Delta, Botswana
Year Round
Botswana is an all-year-round wildlife destination. However, there are certain seasonal concerns of which groups with special interests should take note: The best birding months are November - March, when the delta is brimming with migratory birds. The best botanical months are December - May, when the vegetation is lush and green and most plants are in flower. Botswana’s popularity as a destination is such that seasonal differences are not as marked as in other African destinations. Traditionally, however, peak season is from July to October and middle season is from May to June. Note that availability is at a premium during these seasons so you will need to book well in advance. November to April is a less popular time for travel to Botswana. This is the wet season, and due to the abundance of water, it is less certain that one will see wildlife at perennial water holes. Also, the heavy rains can make dirt roads impassable.
Day and Night Game Drives, Birdviewing, Mokoro Rides & Guided Walks.
The camp focuses on the incredible wildlife in the area through game drives, which are conducted during the day and at night in open 4 x 4 vehicles. Access to the camp is by aircraft only. The wildlife at Duba Plains is fascinating. As the vast open grasslands and floodplains are often isolated from the mainland by deep waterways, the variety of animals is not as high as in other areas within the Okavango. However, Duba Plains has more than made up for this as it has been a high impact game viewing area. Thousands of buffalo are hunted almost daily by up to four different prides of lions. Often the hunting has been during the day - so guests get great photo opportunities. In addition, large herds of elephant feed on the islands, hippo concentrate in deeper channels and leopard are found on the forested islands.
Lechwe, buffalo, elephant, tsessebe and warthog dot the savannah and hippo concentrate in the deeper channels. We often have productive hyena dens in the area that offer great hyena cub viewing. Leopard are found on the forested islands. Most of the Okavango Delta's birdlife is found in the area and birding "specials" like wattled crane and slaty egret are often seen.
Local Info
Duba Plains is situated in the extreme north of the Okavango, about 30km north of Mombo, in what is known locally as the Kwedi Reserve. More formally the Kwedi is known as areas NG 22 and 23. The entire area of over 100,000 hectares has been ceded by the Botswana Government and the Tawana Land Board to the people who live along the Okavango's northern boundary so that they can derive direct benefits from the wildlife and the environment on their doorstep.
These people live in five traditional villages to the north of the Okavango and the Kwedi. To ensure that the benefits from this arrangement are spread throughout all the people in this area, the annual payments we make go to a trust called The Okavango Community Trust. This trust represents the interests of all the people living in the five villages to the north of the Okavango. They also get the first job opportunities, the training and the benefits of other community projects that we run in the area from time to time. The five villages involved in this joint venture are Seronga, Gunitsoga, Eretsha, Betsha, and Gudigwa.
The vegetation ranges from the vast open flood plains to dense mopane bushveld and usually and historically has offered spectacular game viewing and birding opportunities all year round.
Wilderness Safaris operates five camps in this area where both land and water activities can be offered. The camps are Duba Plains, Vumbura, Little Vumbura, Vundumtiki and Kaparota. Each of these has its own identity and character while subscribing to the very high standards set by Wilderness.
The Okavango Community Trust
Duba Plains is in an enormous tract of prime wildlife country, on the Moremi's northern boundary. Our landlords at Duba Plains are the Okavango Community Trust, a trust which represents and administers the interests of all the local folk who live to the north of the Okavango Delta in remote villages. These communities have been ceded this reserve by Government to manage in a joint venture, for photographic safaris.
The villagers lease the land to Duba Plains and derive all the direct benefits in return. Money, jobs, training and the secondary businesses that can flow from such arrangements, all accrue directly to these communities. It is these villagers who can determine the well-being of the the wildlife in their area depending on their attitudes and survival needs.
Guest Reviews
"If I had to build a lodge, I would come here to learn. In fact I would probably copy it! The food was excellent and so refreshingly different, and boy do they go the extra mile here."
- B.C.
"The management made us feel like we are family and we will keep a great memory of our stay."
- B.B and B.B., Virginia Beach, Virginia USA
"Our stay was most enjoyable. Everyone from the managers to the guides were wonderful. The food was delicious and plentiful and the service was outstanding. We will have many fond memories for years to come."
- B.B. and J.B., USA
"We loved our stay here. It is one of our favorite places and we hope to return again. We loved the total ambience and friendly staff and the charm of Britt and Cardo."
- B.G and H.G., New York USA
