Sanctuary Chief’s Camp

The Geoffrey Kent luxury suite is among one of the most spacious luxury safari accommodations in all of Botswana. At a sizable 2,035ft2 (620m2) this suite offers the utmost comfort and privacy, able to accommodate up to six separate guests, making it the ideal lodging for both families and groups of travellers. Deriving its name from renown photographer and philanthropist Geoffrey Kent – pioneer of luxury safari photography expeditions, this grand suite pays homage to his lasting legacy and impact on the tourism industry.  Boasting an interior rich in character, as well as a kitchen, indoor lounge, private boma and secluded deck areas, additional perks include a personal chef, waiter, housekeeper and personal vehicle.

Amenities Include:

• Air-conditioning
• Balcony/deck
• Bath
• Complimentary WIFI
• Dressing gowns
• En-suite
• Fan
• Hairdryer
• Complimentary laundry service
• Lounge area
• Complimentary mini-bar
• Mosquito nets
• Outside shower
• Private pool/jacuzzi
• Pure cotton linen bedding
• Safe
• Shower
• Tea and coffee

A total of 10 spacious and breezy 460 ft2 (140m2) bush pavilions provide some of most exquisite bush accommodation in all of Africa. Modern enhancements, such as air-conditioning, as well as conventional electric powered fans, are among some of the cut-above amenities. The bathrooms have floor-to-ceiling windows and folding glass doors leading to outdoor showers, in addition to generously sized tubs to enjoy indulgent, undisturbed soaks.

Amenities Include:

• Air-conditioning
• Balcony/deck
• Bath
• Complimentary WIFI
• Dressing gowns
• En-suite
• Fan
• Hairdryer
• Complimentary laundry service
• Lounge area
• Complimentary mini-bar
• Mosquito nets
• Outside shower
• Private pool/jacuzzi
• Pure cotton linin bedding
• Safe
• Shower
• Tea and coffee

For those who seek a rich and unique dining experience, Sanctuary Chief’s Camp has you covered. Start your day right with a continental breakfast buffet, with all the commodities and extras avid diners could hope to enjoy. An abundance of lite bites and snacks are provided throughout the day, ensuring all day appetite satisfaction. Don’t think for a moment that dining is restricted to the indoors. Why not enrich your daytime game viewing activities with a spot of brunch alfresco?

Enjoy a host of sumptuous meals while immersed in the thick of the wild. Savour not only the wealth of deliciously prepared food, but also the spectacular vistas from elevated in-camp viewing platforms while you tuck in. Evening dinner provides the opportunity to reflect on the excitement with a deliciously prepared banquet of luxuriously foods and delicacies. With all pallets and dietary requirements accounted for, you’re sure to find something to please your appetite. All-inclusive food and drink as standard.

Should you care to unwind with a refreshing range of hot and cold beverages and lite bites to eat, this all inclusive, sheltered bar, with its wide variety of locally sourced and imported alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages has you covered. There are few ways better way to unwind at the eve of a days adventure than enjoying sundowners with friends and family.

The catalogue of activities available at Sanctuary Chiefs Camp will keep even the most avid safari enthusiasts thoroughly entertained. Start your day with a Mokoro excursion across winding delta channels, then take to the open plains for afternoon game drives in open 4×4 safari vehicles and witness the scores of exotic game; be it lion, cheetah, zebra, wild dog or giraffe that are readily seen throughout the vastness of the Moremi Game Reserve.

Embark for the wilderness with your own private guide in search of rare and illusive bird species that call Botswana home, and absorb the open bush atmosphere with alfresco wilderness picnics. The sky’s the limit with bespoke scenic helicopter flights that take you high above the action for spectacular views of the surrounding landscape – ideal for photographers looking to capture the true essence of the land (available at additional fees).

Sanctuary Chief’s Island, situated within the boundaries of the The Moremi Game Reserve is host to over 450 indigenous bird species that flock inland to mate, thriving amongst the undisturbed natural habitats that amass the land, attracting birders and wildlife enthusiasts all year round. Optimum months for birding range from between November to March. Feel immersed in nature as you traverse the open bush with knowledgeable guides who will call the names of different bird as you encounter them. Be sure to bring binoculars for an intricate view of the many rare avian species that call Botswana home, such as wattled crane, rosy-throated long claw and African fish eagle.

Sanctuary Chief’s Camp offers a range of spa treatments to rejuvenate you after a days activities. From body therapies, body rituals, facial skin treatments and massages, all preferences are catered to, ensuring a relaxing and revitalising experience. Treatments may be booked at the reception with the camp manager or with the therapist. A full consultation will be held before every treatment.

Take to the sky’s in this quintessential aerial safari experience of a lifetime. Scenic flights involve flying west towards the permanent delta, exposing areas which are unreachable via conventional land and water based safari, showcasing the sheer enormity and magnitude of the Okavango Delta. Choose between 30, 45 or 60 minute tours in a one turbine Bell Jetranger helicopter with 3 seat capacity. This bespoke activity is offered on a year round basis. As this is a personalised activity, you may decide what time of day you wish to embark, however, early morning to late afternoon is recommended as to provide optimum lighting for photography. Preferred flight times can be requested on booking.

Embark on the safari adventure of a lifetime with your own private and experienced guide as you take to winding Delta waters in a mokoro – a traditional style African dug-out canoe. Every June, the whole area around the camp floods and turns the Okavango Delta into a labyrinth of lily-filled lagoons and streams where hippos fight for bathing rights, and crocodiles prey on unwary antelope. Calmly drifting through the byways created by the floodwaters makes for a truly magnificent experience that allows guests to get very close to some of the largest game both aquatic and land based, ensuring a surreal experience with memories to last a lifetime.

Experienced guides are always available to share their incredible wealth of wildlife knowledge as you traverse the Delta in modified, open 4×4 safari vehicles on morning and afternoon game drives. Sanctuary Chief’s Camp encompasses an abundance of indigenous game and vast aches of landscape with which to explore.  On the plains one may find the roaming lions that prey on the thousands of antelope, buffalo and zebra who live among the Delta flats year round. There are also healthy populations of wild dog; extremely rare predators that have been hunted to the point of extinction in most areas of Africa, with this being one of their last remaining havens.

The objective of the Bike Shop Programme is to empower local people through means of mobility and self sufficient transportation. Communities lacking in infrastructure and available means of public transportation face a decisive obstacles that prohibits many people from finding work and commuting the vast distances it takes to travel. The Bike Shop Programme seeks to provide a practical and cost efficient solution for people in secluded communities and villages to breach the gap between long distances, hereby creating long-term solutions to the burden of long distance domestic travel.

This will enable health care workers to visit more patients, students can make the journey to school, middle- to low-income workers can get to work in an affordable manner, and families can carry more goods to and from home.

The Dipetsana Women’s Bike Shop employs five local women in Kasane. Donated, second-hand bikes are collected and shipped from the United States, United Kingdom and Australia, and, upon arrival, the shipping container itself was converted into the bike shop. These women have endured extensive mechanical and business oriented training to prepare them with the appropriate skills needed for self sufficient practices, enabling them to train additional workers and impart the knowledge they have learned.

This village bike shop and tour enterprise provides these women with the opportunity to earn a much-needed income while also providing their community with much needed access to transportation. With Sanctuary Retreats support, the bike shop receives restock shipments on a regular basis.

Despite the continued efforts of conservationists and wildlife protective institutions worldwide, poaching remains a prevalent issue that threatens natural game populations throughout Southern Africa to near extinction. Black and white rhino populations have been particularly affected by the illegal ivory trade, perpetuated by the still-present belief that powdered rhino horn can be used as a cure-all medicine. Sanctuary Retreats has strategically partnered with Rhino Conservation Botswana, the Botswana Defence Forces, and other partners to translocate 20 rhinos, both black and white, from South Africa into the Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana – providing protection from poachers while enabling the natural restoration of rhino populations.

The Moremi Game Reserve was chosen specifically as an appropriate location to stage this initiative as it offers increased security and vast stretches of natural land with which to effectively initiate a resurgence in the rhino population, ultimately bringing them back from the brink of extinction.