Zarafa Camp

OVERVIEW:

Zarafa Camp is a beautiful and intimate camp embedded amongst ancient ebony trees overlooking Selinda Reserve’s Zibadianja Lagoon. With super-luxe accommodation, excellent cuisine, and the ability to offer complete flexibility due to its vast, private wilderness location, Zarafa Camp is the ultimate no-expenses-spared addition to any luxury Botswana safari. The camp is part of the Great Plains Conservation portfolio, spearheaded by award-winning wildlife filmmakers and conservationists Dereck and Beverly Joubert. Zarafa’s acclaim further extends to its status as the first property in Botswana to be listed by Relais & Châteaux. Accommodation is booked on a full-board basis, including all meals, a selection of alcoholic and soft drinks, all wildlife-viewing activities, and a laundry service. The camp is open all year round.

ACCESS & LOCATION:

Zarafa Camp is located in the eastern part of the private 130,000-hectare Selinda Reserve, overlooking the Zibadianja Lagoon, the source of the Savute Channel. Access is by light aircraft to Selinda airstrip, approximately 45 minutes from Maun, followed by a one-hour road transfer.

ACCOMMODATION & FACILITIES AT ZARAFA:

Zarafa Camp has just four marquee-style guest tents, raised off the ground on repurposed railway sleepers and spaced well apart for maximum privacy. Interiors are highly luxurious but designed with great thought and integrity in keeping with the signature Great Plains Conservation bygone-era style. Focal points include the exquisite Zanzibari doors, recycled ancient hardwood furniture, and claw-foot copper baths. With front-facing views of the Zibadianja Lagoon, accommodations feature spacious bedrooms with mosquito nets draped over the beds, wooden chests, antique kilims over dark wood floors, and statement copper gas heaters for the colder months. Additional amenities include overhead ceiling fans, air conditioning, useful items such as umbrellas, insect sprays, and electronic safes, and professional Canon cameras for guest use with take-home SD cards. Separated by a canvas partition, the lounge areas have comfortable vintage leather sofas that face the outside deck with sweeping views. Each beautifully designed en-suite bathroom offers a separate flush toilet, twin washbasins beneath ornate feature mirrors, a rainfall shower, and a deep bathtub. Every tent also has an outdoor shower on its wraparound front deck as well as a private plunge pool for cooling off, with more sensational vistas over the lagoon.

The communal spaces at Zarafa are equally glamorous, with lounge, dining, bar, and library areas that extend to a stunning water-facing deck where communal meals are usually taken. Here, you’ll also find the camp’s fire-pit – a welcoming gathering place for early morning coffee and pre-dinner drinks against the soft glow of firelight and paraffin lanterns. There’s a bush boutique that sells safari clothing, books, and some well-curated curios, and an outdoor gym allowing fitness enthusiasts to exercise with jaw-dropping views of Zarafa’s landscape. In-room massages are available upon request, or guests can enjoy treatments in the small spa that overlooks part of the lagoon.

ACTIVITIES AT ZARAFA:

With its privileged location in the vast Selinda Private Reserve, Zarafa Camp offers a range of land- and water-based activities with plenty of flexibility.

• Game drives

  – Zarafa Camp’s custom-made Land Cruisers, complete with fold-down screens, raised roofs, photographic bars, and multi-plug inverters, are ideal for exploring Selinda Reserve during the early morning, afternoon, and evening. Look out for lion, leopard, elephant, and buffalo, while smaller predators include cheetah, hyena, jackal, and the elusive wild dog. Herbivores such as hippo, giraffe, zebra, red lechwe, roan, and sable are also common. Please note that those travelling with children aged 12 years and under must book a private vehicle for game drives.

• Guided walks

  – Walks tend to start from camp during the early morning and offer a fantastic opportunity for close observation of the smaller lives of Selinda – the plants, insects, and birdlife – in the company of a knowledgeable wildlife guide. The reserve also boasts over three hundred bird species, not least an entire colony of African skimmer, as well as fish eagle, slaty egret, and double-banded sandgrouse. Please note that 12 is the minimum age for walking safaris.

•  Boat cruises 

  – This is a season-dependent activity, which involves exploring the aquatic wildlife of the Zibadianja Lagoon aboard Zarafa Camp’s own HES Zib. The boat boasts a 275 square foot deck complete with couches, dining area, and bar for guests to enjoy floating brunch or sundowners. Boat trips provide close encounters with Selinda’s elephants, hippos, and magnificent displays of waterbirds. If you are particularly interested in this activity, please contact a member of the YZ team to discuss the best time to visit Zarafa.

•  Photography

  – Each of Zarafa’s guest tents is equipped with a professional Canon camera set, which can be used throughout the duration of the stay. Photos are downloaded to a DVD on departure so that you can keep a lifetime of memories. You’ll also have access to a pair of high-quality binoculars, and stargazers will enjoy the telescope on each suite’s private deck.

•  Young explorers program

  – Tailored for Zarafa’s younger guests, the young explorers program teaches children all sorts of bush survival specifics, including animal calls, tracking wildlife, and other exciting topics and tools related to life in 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.