Lap of Luxury - Zarafa Camp

 This morning I bid a fond farewell to my new Bukakwe Bushman friends and traveled to Mapula Lodge where I made a quick inspection of this new Natural Selections property.  To my surprise the entire Board of Directors was present so I was able to meet some of the major players in the industry.  It was especially cool to meet Dave Van Smeerdek who was one of the very early Wilderness Safaris guides.  I started working in the industry in 1989 as the safari specialist at Mountain Travel in California.  Wilderness Safaris was a relatively new company and we sold a lot of mobile safaris from Vic Falls to Maun, Botswana.  I actually traveled with Colin Bell, the founder, and several of the original Wilderness guides on this trip in September that year.  We pulled trailers behind extended base land rovers and slept on ground pads in pup tents - classic old style Africa camping trips.  Fast forward almost 30 years and now Wilderness Safaris is one of the giants in the safari industry with probably 40 luxury lodges spread around the continent.  They are a leading force in conservation and own such famous camps as Mombo, Jao, and Vumbura, some of which fetch a nightly per person rate of over $2500.  A far cry from the early days but a very polished product and worth every penny if you consider that it is more of a non-profit conservation company than a multi million dollar company.  They support such projects as Children in the Wilderness where the take local kids into the camps and teach them not only the value of tourism but provide health education and even offer them jobs if they complete a rigorous training program.  

One of the most exciting new projects is the translocation of black rhinos from South Africa where they are being poached at an alarming rate (over 1,000 a year).  The current population is just over 20,000 in all of Africa so at this rate they will be extinct in 20 years or less.  Thanks to the relocation effort these magnificent creatures are being brought to safety in Botswana’s Okavango Delta where there is no poaching and excellent protection.  I am grateful to have partners like Wilderness who are making a difference in Africa.  Colin later moved on from Wilderness to start Great Plains Conservation with the famous National Geographic filmmakers, Derek and Beverly Joubert (The Last Lions and many other documentaries). 

I am now in one of their premium camps called Zarafa in the renowned Linyanti wild life rich region north of the main delta.  I think I many have died and gone to heaven.  Coming from the very basic Bushman camp to this paradise is mind blowing.  Imagine you own private tree house tented villa beautifully decorated with Turkish carpets, gorgeous hardwood floors, amazing wildlife photographs from the Jouberts, cooper bath tub, outdoor shower, four poster bed, private lounge, plunge pool, full self service bar with a cooler stocked with South African wines, sherry and port station, library, and more.  Oh, did I mention they have air conditioning and it is all run on solar? This would be a dream house for most of us and I had it all to myself!  Amazing.  The main dining area and lounge are set on multiple levels of tented and open sky decking around a lagoon full of hippos and elephants casually munching away just feet below.  In fact, when I walked to my “tent" there was a huge bull elephant waiting at the door to greet me.  This camp is one of the most intimate and beautiful in all of Africa.  Personally designed by Beverly Joubert, the main areas feature a large library, extensive wine cellar, comfortable loungers and couches, a large dining table of teak, and a comfortable outdoor fire pit by the water.  I could go on and on but I think you get the picture.  There are only 4 “tents” here for 8 guests and one private suite called the Dhow which can host up to 4 guests (perfect for a family or two couples or even a honeymoon couple looking for the ultimate private villa with on site chef and staff.

Now I have been gushing on about the lodge but equally impressive is the location in the Selinda concession which is completely private so you will see no other vehicles.  This is rich habitat for wild dogs (painted dogs), leopard, cheetah, large prides of lion, herds of elephant and all the plains game one would expect.  Another treat is that they have a private floating barge which travels out into the cool lagoon to view hippos, crocs, diverse birdlife, all while enjoying a meal or a sundowner cocktail.  I was also able to see their classic style camp called Selinda Explorer’s which is very chic yet authentic old style “on the ground” camp and the Selinda Main Camp which is reached by boat and features 5 large en suite tents set on a lush green lagoon.  Each camp has its own character and charm.  I would recommend Explorer’s camp for my active guests as they focus on walks, mokoro canoe, and all day game drives that go deep into the reserve.  Zarafa would be for that special occasion and Selinda Main camp falls nicely in between.