Wildlife, food and luxury in the Okavango, Botswana

2/8/2016

Duba Expedition Camp, Okavango, Botswana

By Roxanne Reid
Show-stopping wildlife sightings, exciting drives, great food, a commitment to conservation and community, and a low-impact camp that doesn’t compromise on luxury – these were some of the good things we enjoyed at Duba Expedition Camp in the Okavango, Botswana.

When we visited Duba Expedition Camp, which is Great Plains Conservation’s newest camp in Botswana, it had only been open about six weeks. [Update 2019: this camp has now been moved to the northern part of the concession and renamed Duba Explorers Camp.] Made entirely of building materials like wooden poles, with canvas tents on slightly raised wooden decks, it could be torn down tomorrow and nature would reclaim the area within a few months.

Great Plains is the brainchild of wildlife film-makers, photographers and conservationists Dereck and Beverly Joubert. It uses eco-tourism to support its conservation work. Here on the Duba concession, for instance, land that used to be used for hunting is now a wildlife conservation project supported by photo-tourism instead.

When the floodwaters are high, they should reach the edge of this deck

The camp
But don’t think Great Plains is only about conservation so they’ve dialled back on luxury. Not for a minute. The camp’s communal lounge and dining area is spacious and elegant, with leather sofas, wooden chests, some of Beverly Joubert’s photos as artwork, and a fire deck overlooking the floodplain.

Our tented ‘villa’ under an African mangosteen tree overlooked the water too. We had a deck shaded by scalloped canvas where we could drink in the scenery and the sounds of the Delta. To spoil us here in one of the wildest and most beautiful areas on earth there was a king-size bed, writing desk, kelims, a tea chest, huge bathroom area with twin brass basins and a shower that looked out across the water.

Eco-tourism and community
Duba Expedition Camp is on a 31 000ha private concession that’s a typical Okavango mix of floodplain, woodland and islands peppered with palm trees. Through a community empowerment partnership between Great Plains and the Okavango Community Trust, the land is leased from five local villages so their people benefit directly from the wildlife conservation and eco-tourism projects on the land of their forefathers. Some 80% of staff who work at Duba come from these villages too.

From left: Olebogile (Lebo) Sefo, Gakologelwang (Daps) Lebopamo and Lucia Sekondeko

The experience
Joseph Basenyeng was our guide, joined by escort guide Gaothobogwe (Gee) Samaemo. Gee was from one of the five local villages and was there to learn, observe and report back to the communities. They took us driving on a series of log bridges over swampy areas and through water in search of wildlife

Escort guide Gaothobogwe (Gee) Samaemo (left) and guide Joseph Basenyeng

In fact, we joked that they seemed to think their Toyota Land Cruiser was a motor boat, driving through water deep enough to flood the cab and require doors to be opened to let the water out. It was great fun, something different from the usual game drive experience. Some stretches of ‘road-river’ went on for perhaps a half a kilometre and it was an adrenalin rush to lean out over the side and watch how deep we went, a reminder that in the flood season parts of the Delta turn into a swamp.

Our Land Cruiser doubled as a motorised boat

We welcomed it as a chance to see a few crocs, a glimpse of a fast-moving clawless otter, as well as patches of yellow nidorella plants, which grow in marshy areas, and the pink vlei ink flower. ‘It’s partially parasitic and will steal nutrients from grasses nearby,’ said Joseph.

Nidorella plants grow in marshy areas

We revelled in the changing landscape of this true wilderness where the only vehicle we saw was the other one from our camp, which accommodates a maximum of 12 guests. We saw birds like Senegal coucal, ground hornbill, pied kingfisher, slaty egret and a little bee-eater catching insects in flight. We found elephants eating wild date palm fruit and a troop of banded mongoose running as one through the veld. ‘They help to control insects and will eat snakes, starting from the tail,’ Joseph said.

A kudu carcass had drawn the attention of some 40 white-backed vultures and a solitary lappet-faced vulture. Some perched in a dead tree, others on the ground or on top of the carcass. The stench of decomposition prompted Joseph to explain that in the old days wild basil was used to keep a dead body fresh while the family gathered for the burial.

Leopard with a kill
Joseph circled a patch of bushes as he followed tracks, then stopped and switched off the engine. We could hear sounds of licking coming from deep inside the bushes. A few minutes passed, then an excited whisper. ‘Look, a leopard!’

A leopard with a warthog piglet’s head in her mouth. She put it down and called into the bushes. Back came a high chirp – a cub. She was calling for it to come out and join her.

We waited, our hearts thumping. But the cub was shy and only flashed us its little face before diving back into the bush. The guides were as excited as we were; it was the first time they’d seen the cub, which was about three months old.

For 40 minutes we watched mom come and go, climb a tree where the rest of the warthog kill was stashed, and call to the cub. As a responsible guide, Joseph decided to leave as the sun began to set because the cub would be vulnerable on the ground overnight. It needed to get into that tree, away from the clutches of passing predators.

Leopard, Duba Expedition Camp, Okavango, Botswana

A food safari
That evening chef Herman Breedt prepared a six-course tasting menu. It was heaven. My favourites were freshly made fettuccine with exotic mushrooms and parmesan, sweet potato and coconut soup with an onion bhaji, and a heavenly dessert of poached pear with honey and lemon curd.

Breakfast laid out on the deck with artistic flair

Chef Herman Breedt with his high tea of mini pizzas and brownies

Lunches, high teas and breakfasts were equally inspired and I ate till I thought I would burst. I won’t torture you with more details, but if your two favourite things are wildlife safaris and lip-smacking food, you should definitely think about putting the Okavango’s Duba Expedition Camp on your bucket list.

Some of the lunch spread - a feast for both the eyes and the palate

Note: I was a guest of Great Plains Conservation for two nights, but had free rein to write what I liked. I paid for all travel costs.

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