Duba Plains Camp

OVERVIEW:

Within a private Okavango Delta concession of palm-dotted islands, floodplains, and woodland, year-round Duba Plains Camp is a beautifully designed camp with outstanding wildlife-viewing opportunities, taking pride of place in the impressive Great Plains Conservation portfolio that includes sister camps Selinda and Zarafa. Adopting the classic 1920s explorer style of yesteryear, Duba Plains combines a vintage aesthetic with all the luxuries of a world-class safari camp. Overseen by an excellent team with high standards of guiding, it remains a firm favourite at YZ. Rates are full board and include accommodation, scheduled wildlife-viewing activities, all meals, return airstrip road transfers, laundry services, and non-alcoholic and alcoholic beverages, including premium-brand spirits and champagne.

ACCESS & LOCATION:

Duba Plains Camp is situated within a private concession of over 30,000 hectares within the Okavango Delta. Access is via light aircraft from Maun (40-minute flight), and the camp is a 5-minute drive from the airstrip.

ACCOMMODATION & FACILITIES AT DUBA PLAINS CAMP:

Guest accommodation at Duba Plains Camp consists of five large, open-plan canvas suites for double or twin occupancy and a private two-bedroom villa, ideal for families or small groups. Raised on repurposed wrap-around railway sleeper decks, it has vintage accents that recall the original 1920s safari style, including leather armchairs, oversized kilims, brass lamps, and statement Lamu doors. Each suite has its own veranda with a private plunge pool, an undercover sala, and sensational floodplain views.

Oversized double beds are kitted out with hanging mosquito nets and environmentally friendly air conditioning over the sleeping area. There’s an integrated lounge, a writing desk, a tea-and-coffee station, and a mini-bar. With a strong focus on photography, each guest suite has a professional camera set, including a camera body and lenses, and photos are downloaded to a USB flash stick on your departure. You’ll also find a pair of high-quality binoculars for guest use. Beautiful en-suite bathrooms include a flush toilet, twin washbasins, a freestanding brass bath with views of the floodplains, and indoor and outdoor showers.

For those requiring wheelchair access, the suite closest to the main area offers a ramp from the pathway, and the outside deck, sala, indoor lounge, bedroom, and indoor bathroom areas are all on one level. A removable ramp is also available to allow guests access to the sunken pool deck area of the suite.

Wi-Fi is connected in the suites, but please note that there is no mobile phone reception. 

The two-bedroom Duba Plains Suite (each bedroom with an en-suite bathroom) is completely private and comes with its own vehicle for game drives and a private butler and chef, enhancing the feeling of complete exclusivity.

The open-sided communal lodge is raised on wooden stilts, surrounded by shady trees, and consists of a lounge, indoor and outdoor dining spaces, a library, and an impressive wine cellar with hundreds of bottles from the owner’s collection. Private dining is available on request, and guests can choose to spend the day on safari with a bush picnic.

The expansive decking juts over the water to create a wonderful fire-pit space. This is the best place to gather with fellow travellers and swap safari stories!

ACTIVITIES AT DUBA PLAINS CAMP:

Activities at Duba Plains are focused predominantly on game drives, which take place in the early morning, late afternoon, and early evening.

• Game drives

  – Duba Plain’s open-sided, canopied Toyota Land Cruisers are designed to easily traverse the floodplains and are customised for photographers (raised roofs, photographic bars, multi-plug inverters). This part of the Delta is incredible for wildlife viewing, with all Big Five in residence alongside countless other species – cheetah, zebra, giraffe, hyena, warthog, kudu, impala, tsessebe, red lechwe. It’s common for guests to spend full days out in the field as the wildlife viewing is so impressive. The later drives may not be possible when water levels are high, usually from May to September. However, if you come during these months, you are guaranteed great boating – plenty of opportunities to check out crocs and hippos! 

• Nature walks

  – Led by an experienced guide, nature walks offer the opportunity to observe the landscape in close detail, taking in the resident plant life and smaller, less obvious species. Guests are advised to wear good walking shoes, a hat, and neutral-coloured clothing. Your guide will have water for you.

• Birding

  – With highlights such as bee-eaters, bustards, cormorants, eagles, egrets, herons, and kingfishers, bird enthusiasts will be delighted with the varieties found in this region.

• Motorised boating

  – A seasonal activity (typically between May and October, but this varies), boating on the Okavango’s network of waterways is an invigorating way to experience this vast wetland. You’ll undoubtedly have exquisite birding opportunities and perhaps some hippo, buffalo, and elephant sightings.

• Mokoro boating

  – When the water levels permit, gliding along the still water channels of the Delta is a highlight of any Botswana safari. Led by an experienced poler who guides the boat, few experiences are as mesmerisingly tranquil as a mokoro ride.

• Fishing

  – On a catch-and-release basis, fishing offers a peaceful way to spend an uninterrupted morning out on the water. Please note that fishing is seasonal, as it is prohibited by Botswana law in January and February due to breeding purposes.

• Helicopter flight

  – Take to the skies for an aerial viewing experience across the northern part of the Okavango Delta. Touch down for a 15-minute champagne stop on a palm island en route before returning to camp. This activity must be booked in advance and is subject to extra cost and availability.

• Young Explorers Program

  – Duba Plains Camp offers young explorers a range of bushcraft learning skills. An extensive pack is provided to children on arrival so they can learn about animal calls, how to track wildlife, and other facts and figures about the wild. 

*This property is unfenced and located in a wildlife area, so large and potentially dangerous animals do pass through. If you opt to stay here, always be alert when walking around the camp and request for a member of staff to escort you if you have any concerns. Any guest is escorted after dark as a matter of course.