Zarafa Camp
premier Camp | Linyanti / Selinda Reserves, Botswana
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Zarafa Camp is located near the Zibadianja Lagoon, source of the Savute Channel, and is one of the best game-viewing areas in the world. All of the wildlife found in the Chobe region is present at Zarafa, with excellent density and variety of both birds and mammals. Accommodating just eight guests, Zarafa Camp evokes an old-style safari ambience with its four large, luxuriously appointed 'marquis-style' tents.
Our Expert Says
At sunset, draw up a bath in the copper tub, lie back and relax as you enjoy the stunning colors of the sky and sweeping views of Zibadianja Lagoon, directly in front of your room. An exciting feature of this camp is that its operations are 100-percent carbon neutral.
– Suzanna Spencer
The Camp
Location: Linyanti/Savuti Reserves
Number of Tents: 4
Zarafa Camp caters to guests seeking an intimate experience of luxury in the bush. Accommodations are in four spacious tents sheltered beneath leafy trees, with breathtaking vistas of Zibidianja Lagoon. Each tent includes a large bedroom with king-size or two twin beds, an en-suite bathroom featuring a copper soaking tub and both indoor and outdoor rain showers, and a broad wooden veranda with directors’ chairs positioned to survey the wildlife activity in the lagoon. The camp's main area is furnished in the same 'campaign' style as the tents and evokes the classic safari ambience of a century ago. Relax into one of the deep leather sofas in the lounge, and enjoy candlelight dining beneath canvas or on the expansive deck shaded by giant broad-leafed trees. After dark, draw up chairs around the campfire and listen to the sounds of the African night.
Wildlife Viewing & Activities
Zarafa Camp is surrounded by the Selinda Reserve’s varied habitats: open savanna, flowing channels surrounded by dry woodland, and broad river systems and floodplains that draw thousands of animals seeking to quench their thirst in the dry season. Activities are flexible to suit guests' particular interests and include day and night game drives with experienced professional guides in custom-built 4x4 Land Cruisers. Guided nature walks from camp introduce guests to some of Africa's less prominent wildlife. Between excursions guests can relax in camp and enjoy a swim or a massage. The camp also offers fishing on a seasonal basis. Zarafa boasts all of Chobe’s diverse wildlife: abundant plains game includes lechwe, kudu, buffalo, zebra and giraffe, while plentiful predators such as cheetah, wild dog, lion and leopard are frequently sighted. Massive herds of elephant are another highlight, and birdlife is superb, with at least 300 species observed.
Conservation
Zafara Camp is owned by Great Plains Conservation, co-founded by Dereck and Beverly Joubert, award-winning filmmakers at National Geographic for more than 25 years, who have spent much of that time filming in and around the Selinda Spillway. Their films, dedicated to conservation, have revolved around the larger and more famous animals in the region (elephant, rhino, zebra and leopard) because, in their words, "we need to focus our attention on the intrinsic value of nature, and if we can't see it in lions, whales or elephants, then what hope would there be for the lesser known and often far more endangered species?" Having made films for both National Geographic and Walt Disney Pictures, the Jouberts’ efforts have been seen by more than a billion people in 50 languages. Among their award-winning films are 'Ultimate Enemies,' 'Relentless Enemies' and 'Eye of the Leopard,' all filmed around Zafara Camp.