Mapula Lodge
Located just outside of Moremi Game Reserve, Mapula Lodge lies deep in the Okavango Delta. Boasting 9 luxury chalets which are inviting and unique, filled with locally handcrafted safari-chic furnishings, the atmosphere is ethereal and earthy. The main area’s commodious viewing deck includes soft, inviting sofas overlooking the hippo-filled lagoon. The majestic riverine flora around the lodge is home to a great variety of birds; game viewing, in open vehicles, is excellent in this area. The guides at Mapula Lodge have been trained by legendary Ralph Bousfield, who was inspired and trained by his father Jack, who loved adventure. Always passionate about conservation, Ralph and his mother established Botswana’s first Wildlife Orphanage and Education Centre.
Mapula Lodge, Botswana
This extensive 220,000-acre concession is on the northern side of the Okavango Delta. There are only a handful of camps in the area, making it a key destination for those looking for exclusivity and an intimate experience with nature. The camp itself is located along the Selinda Spillway, the famous river connecting the Okavango to the Linyanti. The area has remained unchanged for centuries and encompasses floodplains, grasslands, lagoons and palm-strewn islands.
Guests can fly direct from Cape Town and Johannesburg airports to Maun, where they will take a small charter plane to Mapula Lodge’s own airstrip.
- One of the continents most game rich concessions
- Safari in exclusivity
- Access remote areas and waterways
- Cool down in an aquamarine swimming pool
- Watch the wildlife from the viewing deck
An airy and bright canvas and thatch bedroom tent with comfy metal poster beds and authentic Malawi chairs. Indoor and outdoor showers are included in the ensuite bathrooms. Large windows allow for natural light to flood the rooms and increase the feeling of being at one with nature. Each tent includes a private balcony with deck chairs so guests can relax and take in the stunning views of the endless delta horizons.
6 twin chalets, 2 double chalets, and 1 family chalet are available
The main area of Mapula Lodge includes comfy seating areas, a library and a dining area with a bar. Enjoy a drink and a meal on the main viewing deck absorbing the atmosphere and environment whilst you relax and take in the surroundings.
Being in a permanent water area, Mapula Lodge’s water activities include poling mokoro’s peacefully through lily-filled channels, where you may see buffalo congregating on the edge of the water or crocodiles lounging in the water.
Drive through the wilderness of the Okavango Delta in search of the rare sitatunga antelope as well as a large number of wild animals such as hippos, cheetahs, elephants, leopards and lions.
Take some time to explore the outstanding natural beauty and native wildlife around the lodge on a walking safari with an experienced guide.
Enjoy the calm serenity of an afternoons fishing, where species include catfish, bream and tigerfish.
Grab a pair of binoculars and watch for some of the Okavango Deltas native birds, such as the slaty egret and the African skimmer.
Enjoy a once in a lifetime birds-eye view of the Okavango Delta and its grasslands, waterways and lagoons from a helicopter flight.
Enjoy the weightless feeling of riding in a hot air balloon whilst enjoying the view of the surrounding area and all it has to offer from unique angles.
Mapula Lodge, being part of the Natural Selection Foundation, is “committed to making a positive impact on wildlife conservation and in the lives of local people and wildlife areas of Africa.”
There is also a conservation initiative for local wildlife and livestock by a programme called CLAWS (Communities Living Alongside Wildlife Sustainably), this helps to create local employment, re-establish land which has been overgrazed and reduces the killing of lions. Other initiatives include an anti-poaching unit for the protection of rhinos and a herbivore and bird surveying project.
Mapula Lodge are also part of an initiative to use the photographs taken by tourists to help ecological data collection, this being called citizen-science. Dr. Kasim Rafiq says “by uploading your photographs of lion, leopard, wild dog, hyena and cheetah on this in-camp system, we will soon have a better understanding of the large predator guilds in these areas and an ability to make informed decisions on conservation priorities.”
Natural Selection ensures that 1.5% of your expedition fees goes to wildlife conservation. They also work with the local communities, governments and conservation organisations in order to help protect conservation areas, and sustain them. The camps that are built are subtle and blend in with the environment and the habitats that already exist there, causing minimal disruption to the surrounding wildlife.
Natural Selection supports the vision of the Botswana Community and Conservation Initiative (BCCI), which provides regional conservation and support for rural communities to develop sustainable land-use practices that promote conservation-based economic opportunities, facilitate landscape-scale wildlife movements, and provide for climate change resilience. Natural Selection has also partnered with Coaching Conservation ‘to provide local people with the critical information they need to stay safe and healthy during the pandemic.’
‘Over the last three years, 1.5% of every guest’s stay in [Natural Selection’s] camps has gone towards community and conservation projects. Combined with the direct contributions that [Natural Selection’s] camps make to local community outreach, this amounts to nearly 1 million USD of committed funds.’
Natural Selections has been working with the local Khwai Village in order to identify needs within the community and create solutions. Natural Selections have launched a number of projects to do this, such as the Feed A Child programme which provides schoolchildren with a healthy vitamin-rich meal at the start of the school day, setting up a pre-school in Khwai Village and providing an income for the teachers, supporting the village elders and disabled members of the community, and providing homes with electricity using solar power.
Natural Selections’ initiatives not only help the local communities but inspires the local villagers to see ecotourism in a positive light, helping to prevent human and animal conflict.
The increase in the number of elephants in the Okavango Delta in recent years is a cause for celebration. However, for villagers around the Delta, the sudden boost in elephant numbers means that their land is more likely to be trampled and humans may be at risk of fatal encounters. Natural Selection has recognised that transportation for local communities is a need, and they worked with EcoExist and the Okavango Community Trust to launch the ‘Elephant Express’ in January 2020. The ‘Elephant Express’ service transports children to schools safely, as well as helping patients get to clinics without the fear of crossing paths with a gigantic elephant.
Natural Selection started the Etosha Heights Rhino Protection program which is an anti-poaching group that monitor Rhinos, and ensure that poachers are unable to illegally hunt these endangered creatures. ‘We take rhino conservation extremely seriously, and the Etosha Heights team work tirelessly to safeguard the future of these bushveld unicorns and ensure that many more generations can enjoy watching them.
Within the reserve we have an anti-poaching camp and team who are dedicated to protecting the rhinos and preventing any illegal hunting from happening along the boundaries of the reserve. Our rangers are on the ground 24 hours a day and have completed an intensive training programme to ensure that they’re the best of the best. Combined with new state of the art anti-poaching surveillance technology, this team is a force to be reckoned with.’
Mapula Lodge welcomes children from 6 years of age