Sanctuary Baines’ Camp

The six suites are modern and luxurious, all including ensuite bathrooms and four-poster beds, complete with softly draped mosquito netting. There are ceiling fans to help guests stay cool during the hottest times of the year and complimentary toiletries are supplied, including insect repellent. One of the most exclusive assets of the sanctuary are the beds, which can be wheeled out onto the private wooden deck for a nights sleep under the stars, with a view of the moonlit waters of the River Boro. Or guests can soak under the stars in an indulgent bath on the private viewing deck whilst looking out for the hippos that frequent the lagoon.

The camp main area juts out onto the river and includes the camps dining and lounge areas, these are boldly yet authentically decorated, creating a traditional safari feel, and dinner is served with spectacular views over the Boro River. An all day snack menu allows guests to order food or drinks straight to the private suites, where a fresh cocktail from the bar can be enjoyed on the private balcony.

The Okavango Delta is filled with wild animals and birds protected and undisturbed. Baine’s Camp offer morning and evening game drives, with expert guides, giving guests the opportunity to see the wild and wonderful life of the Delta up close. Night game drives offer the exclusive chance to see the nocturnal animals that live in the delta, not seen during the day.

The camp offers traditional mokoro excursions. Float gently down the meandering waterways of the surrounding delta, looking out for crocodiles whilst getting a unique view of the delta. Also on offer are motorised boat excursions, only available when the rivers are in flood.

Guided walks are the best way to place yourself within the wildlife and to get close to the animals in the safety of one of the experienced guides. Learn about the local wildlife and figuratively walk in their paws whilst seeing the bush at their level.

For a truly once in a lifetime experience take to the skies in a helicopter and view areas which are unreachable by boat or vehicle. The flights head west towards the permanent delta and showcase the enormity of the Okavango Delta. View the delta swathed in evening or morning sunlight by choosing to fly in the late afternoon or early morning.

Rhinos are still under huge threat from poaching due to the persistent belief that powdered rhino horn can be used as a medicine, so “Sanctuary Retreats has partnered with Rhino Conservation Botswana Defence Forces and others to translocate 20 rhino, both black and white, from South Africa to Botswana where they will be safer from poachers.”

This project focuses on educating the local Botswana youth on the elephant’s importance in the ecosystems to help curb the ongoing struggle between humans and elephants. Sanctuary Camp guests and local school children can interact with the elephants during excursions meant to introduce the local children to the animals. “With a new understanding and appreciation for the elephants and their place in the local ecosystem, the children feel inspired to protect their future.”

Since the opening of their first camp in Kenya in 1999, Sanctuary Retreats have been committed to responsible tourism and conservation. They aim to create long-lasting relationships with local communities and select projects based on this potential. Working closely with communities to improve their well-being they identify “long-term, viable and self-sustaining projects that will have the support of our staff and visitors.”

Sanctuary Retreats supports the Dipetsana women’s bike shop. This employs five local women in Kasane, Botswana – they were trained how to be mechanics and given business skills – so donated bikes can be sold to members of the community who need to travel such as health care workers and students. Donated bikes have been collected from the US, UK and Australia. This enterprise empowers these local women and provides them the opportunity to earn an income whilst helping their community. Similar enterprises such as this bike shop are supported in Uganda, Tanzania and Zambia.

Sanctuary Retreats have partnered with the rural village of Sin Kyun in Myanmar. Working alongside the Chief of the village they have built a Middle School, a house for teachers, and provided emergency assistance during severe flooding.

Sanctuary Retreats work closely with Maasai communities in Kenya to help positively impact education, by building classrooms and sponsoring student school fees, developing community enterprise and encouraging conservation. They also have an initiative to introduce sustainable means to acquire clean water for local school students, with a similar initiative in Zambia and Tanzania too. Sanctuary Retreats have partnered with local schools in Tanzania, close to Tarangire National Park to provide “education and support for the next generation of conservationists.”

Another school that is being supported here is Ilboru School for children with special needs. In Uganda, Sanctuary Retreats works with the Uganda Nursing School Bwindi and helps to invest in and provide scholarships for students who will be the area’s future nurses and health care workers. The Waiting Mothers’ Hostel has been expanded with Sanctuary Retreats help, this provides vital support for expectant mothers by giving them a safe space to stay in the later stages of their pregnancy. Local businesses have been supported in Zambia with eight local female artisans working in Sishemo Bead Studio in Nakatindi.

Through this, these women have a chance to improve not just their own lives but also their families. Sanctuary Retreats works more widely within the village of Nakatindi in Zambia, supporting their primary school by providing school lunches, refurbishing classrooms and building a medical clinic in 2013.

Previously being carved from ebony, the motor boats are now made out of fibreglass and commercially grown wood to help protect the Okavango’s environment.