Vumbura Plains

Each of the two camps have seven modern, luxury suites sitting on raised decks. the suites are decorated in wooden, natural hues and floor to ceiling windows make the space airy and bright. In the centre of the room sits a sizeable bed with romantic drapes which double up as mosquito nets. Each room has two levels, the lounge is sunken and has a comfy corner sofa overlooking the diverse surroundings and private decking.

All suites have an ensuite bathroom with a large open-plan indoor shower and an outdoor shower. Included in the room is a minibar fridge and tea and coffee making facilities. Guests can relax and have an afternoons dip in the suites private pool or have a siesta on one of the sun loungers.

Each of the two family suites available are bright and open plan and include two bedrooms, featuring all the same amenities as the standard size suites

The main dining area of Vumbura Plains camp is decorated with authentic wooden carvings and traditional African sculptures. Part of this area is under cover and part is open air, allowing for a dining experience under the stars. Romantic dinners in guests own outdoor ‘sala’s’ can be arranged for a more private dining experience. Guests can enjoy a pre or post dinner drink from the bar, found in the main area.

Both day and night game drives are available from the camp. Experience the beauty of the Okavango Delta and be bought closer to the animals in their natural habitats. The game around the area is varied, with lion being relatively common and cheetah and wild dog also being prominent; night drives are a good time to spot one of the many nocturnal animals of the delta.

Explore the clear waterways of the delta on boat, looking out Nile crocodile and hippo. Glide serenely down the water in a traditional mokoro, allowing you to get closer to the water lilies and the small, croaking reed frogs. Catch-and-release fishing is also available seasonally; the Okavango Delta is home to 71 species of fish including catfish and tigerfish.

Explore the surroundings on foot with an experienced guide for a chance to observe some of the smaller things you might miss on a game drive. Follow the animals footsteps and really place yourself in the middle of nature.

Helicopter trips are available, and are an amazing way to view the surroundings uninterrupted and uniquely. Hot air balloon rides are also available, allowing for a way to float silently over the Okavango Delta. Morning and evening rides offer the best light for pictures and seeing the sunset from a hot air balloon is a truly ethereal experience.

Treat yourself to a soothing, relaxing massage from an onsite massage therapist after a long afternoon exploring the surroundings.

Wilderness Safaris partner properties all work under the sustainability ethos of conservation, culture, commerce and community. Pack for a Purpose is one of the community projects that Wilderness Safaris has partnered with, it is “a non-profit organisation that provides travellers with up-to-date information about required supplies for community-based projects.” With no one inhabiting these rural areas of Africa accurate recordings of species could not be undertaken.

Wilderness Safaris are present throughout the whole year which allows them to provide not just financial support but also logistical support to anti-poaching initiatives. Due to their presence wildlife numbers have increased dramatically with elephant, lechwe and puku growing markedly. The emphasis on ecotourism is changing lives “camps and lodges bring employment and training, opportunities for growth and travel, and exposure to another world.”

“The camp is situated in a Wildlife Management Area which is leased from five villages through the Okavango Community Trust, in a partnership that ensures that the benefits of eco-tourism are shared with our neighbouring rural shareholders.”

Wilderness Safaris created their own Trust in 2003, this is an independent entity that fund-raises for money to be put into various conservation projects. This engages with projects which can be beyond the scope of the areas in which Wilderness Safaris operate, ensuring that “conservation is a driving force in reaching more people, wildlife and places.” The Jao Concession and the University of Botswana have created a committee hoping to “encourage better engagement between local communities and the Jao Concession, specifically regarding curbing poaching and overfishing.”

25 different projects are funded by the Trust annually, the past 10 years seeing the Trust fund more than 100 different projects that were in 8 different countries in Africa. Whilst Wilderness Safaris contributes to these projects logistically, the Trust “is involved financially in the projects, supporting research, habitat management and community upliftment.”

Wilderness Safaris works in partnership with Save the Rhino Trust and three separate Namibian conservancies to help conserve and protect the rare species of the desert-adapted black rhino. These rhinos play a vital role in shaping the landscape of Africa, by grazing lawns and vegetation they help protect plant biodiversity and keep the plains hospitable to other herbivore species. Without them, whole ecosystems would begin to die out.

Wilderness Safaris Desert Rhino Camp works specifically in partnership with Save the Rhino Trust and acts as rhino monitoring post, as well as a camp, to help increase rhino security in an otherwise unmonitored area. Due to an increase in recruitment, Wilderness Safaris and their partners have “dramatically and sustainably increased the range of desert-adapted black rhino in the north-west.” Both the black and white rhino were declared locally extinct in Botswana in the early 1990s. Since then, Wilderness Safaris helped to restore these rhinos to the wild “in the largest cross-border move ever completed.”

This is an educational programme created by Wilderness Safaris which aims to educate and inspire the next generation of environmental leaders by teaching them life skills and environmental issues. This programme aims to “create a network of learning sanctuaries that uplifts and cares for our children and conserves the planet.” Great numbers of children are involved in these programmes, 2,500 children attend rural, school-based clubs per year; more than 300 children per year are granted a scholarship which pays for their education and Wilderness Safaris and their partner destination host annual camps, which more than 500 children attend.

Wilderness Safaris aim is that if the camps ever needed to be moved they could do so without leaving an imprint on the land. All Wilderness Safari camps are built in the most eco-friendly way possible. To reduce their carbon footprint and to help them become carbon neutral in their operations, they invest in new technologies to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels.

Wilderness Safaris serves to protect and conserve the land in which they operate. The continent of Africa is unique, with over 1000 different mammal species and fauna and humans living side by side. With a commitment to ecotourism, they are helping to conserve biodiversity. Currently, Wilderness Safaris helps to protect over 2.5million hectares of African wilderness and in 2015 they were awarded a medal by the government of Botswana for Meritorious Service to the country.

One of the ways they try to protect the environment is by making sure their camps have a light footprint. Trying to achieve “purposeful luxury” their camps are all built with environmentally-sensitive architecture. Understanding the fragility of the wilderness they operate in, they make sure they minimise any negative impact they might have on the environment and the camps are thoughtfully placed in locations where they don’t take away from the wilderness of the area.

Wilderness Safaris have a commitment to community engagement in the areas surrounding their camps. Through community employment, Wilderness Safaris currently have more than 100 staff members from local communities throughout their camps, and with the average staff member supporting 7 other people each, 700 further people benefit. Community partnerships can also help to protect and conserve the land.

Wilderness Safaris Damaraland Camp is located in the Torra Conservancy, and through community work and ecotourism they protect around 350 hectares of land within the Torra Conservancy. As a result of this protected land the wildlife is prospering and “‘problem animals’ are now seen as a resource that can bring money into the community via ecotourism.”

With animals and humans living side by side there is a risk of human-wildlife conflict, and Wilderness Safaris seek to address this issue. The Skeleton Coast has seen its desert-adapted lion population grow considerably in the past 15 years. Lion mortalities are declining as attitudes in the community are changing due in part to Wilderness Safaris’ help. A research centre was built at Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp for their Desert Lion Project, and the attention gained from an acclaimed documentary have helped local communities and guests understand the importance of the desert-adapted lions and a greater understanding has allowed rural communities to live peacefully with the lions.