- Two nights Duba Explorers Camp in the heart of the Okavango Delta and two nights Selinda Explorers Camp in the remote, pristine wilderness of the 320,000 acre Selinda Reserve.

- Experience two of Botswana's most remote and wildlife rich wilderness areas and have them all to yourself, the itinerary traverses only private reserves.

- This itinerary is perfect for bird enthusiasts. Okavango ‘specials’ you might be lucky enough to encounter include the rare wattled crane, Pel’s Fishing owl, white-backed night heron and marsh owl.

- Test your birding skills with a year-long competition, hosted by Birdlasser. Pit yourself against other birdwatchers and see how well you do and contribute to conservation research by populating a central research database.

- Bush camps with style, set on raised decking offer an authentic safari experience.

Days 1-3: Duba Explorers Camp, Okavango Delta

Lying in the middle of the largest expanse of sand on earth the Okavango Delta is one of Africa’s most amazing, sensitive and complex environments. Unique as the largest of the world’s few inland deltas, the region is a safe haven for innumerable bird and wildlife species. Duba Explorers Camp is a wildlife connoisseur’s getaway; situated on an island in the northern reaches of the 33,000 hectare Duba concession and surrounded on all sides by pristine Okavango Delta. This intimate camp, with its own private traversing area within the concession and away from that of Duba Plains Camp, consists of five expedition-style tents of light airy canvas on slightly raised decking, each with views of the surrounding floodplain.

Duba Explorers Camp prides itself on its extraordinary wildlife experiences, and rightly so. Guests of the camp enjoy regular sightings of a diverse range of species, including lechwe, kudu, tsessebe and giraffe. Herds of elephants and buffalo move around the camp and hippo trudge through the swamps creating their channels and paths daily. Lions, leopards and even African wild (painted) dogs are spotted regularly. Birds abound, and the area is a birdwatcher’s paradise. Okavango ‘specials’ include the rare wattled crane, Pel’s Fishing owl, white-backed night heron and marsh owl. Enjoy guided walks, mekoro and boating opportunities or early morning and late afternoon wildlife drives and revel in the one of the most stunning and varied wildlife areas in the world.

Duba Explorers is an intimate camp of five expedition-style tents of light airy canvas on slightly raised decking, each with views of the surrounding floodplain. Each tent has a small desk and private verandah plus en-suite
facilities consisting of flush loo, double basins and indoor shower. Fans and careful open-air design maintain comfortable climate for rest and relaxation. The main area is under sweeping marquee canvas, on raised
decking and consists of an open-concept dining and lounge area which opens to the outdoors on all sides. In the evenings, the fire pit is always a popular spot to enjoy an Amarula and recount the day’s events. Duba Explorer’s Toyota Land Cruisers are aptly named ‘Swamp Vehicles’ due to their extra-high suspension and absolutely huge tyres uniquely designed to traverse the floodplains. At Duba Explorers Camp guests to explore the Okavango Delta’s permanent channels by boat and mekoro when water levels allow, as well as open game drive vehicle safaris and on foot. This is truly an invigorating, yet peaceful experience, allowing for wildlife and birding viewing from the boat.

Days 3-5 – Selinda Explorers Camp, The Selinda Reserve

The Selinda Reserve is a 320,00-acre private concession in northern Botswana at the crossroads of some of northern Botswana’s most prolific wildlife areas; upstream from Savute Channel and Chobe National Park and north of the expanding reaches of the greater Okavango Delta. This unique position gives it the advantages of both of these famous areas but with the tremendous advantage of exclusivity. It is a truly spectacular and varied landscape that boasts staggering wildlife populations in diverse habitats year-round. Home to some of the classic species, such as leopard, lion, elephant, buffalo, Red lechwe, zebra and giraffe, it is also a refuge for some of the more uncommon species such as African wild dog, cheetah, roan and sable antelopes.

Selinda Explorers Camp sits in prime predator habitat, in a location, which we handpicked based on exploring this area for years. Lion, leopard and cheetah and the recently discovered Explorers Pack of African wild dog
hunt these parts regularly. Giraffe, buffalo, roan and sable are possible sightings. At the peak of the dry season in late September, the Selinda Reserve has been documented to hold up to 9,000 elephants. There is phenomenal

Selinda Explorers Camp is a classic camp that transports guests back to the time of authentic safaris, but with a modern twist and hospitality. The camp’s focal point is the Bedouin-style main area consisting of a lounge and separate dining room. The four guest tents provide comfort and style but with a magnificently raw spirit. Subtly placed under the shade of the riverine forest, the camp is designed in the style of the early explorers both in philosophy and practice. This authentic tented camp draws on traditions of the classic East African safari with beautifully detailed campaign style furniture made from recycled hard woods, and soft furnishings from Zanzibar and the East. The custom-designed tents consist of two rooms plus verandah, as well as a private open air ‘bustani bathroom’ with hot water showers and flush loo. This is an unassuming camp, light on its footprint but heavy on its experiential luxury. The atmosphere is one of bush elegance with relaxed bohemian style, complemented by attentive staff, private professional service and fabulous food. With a maximum of only 10 guests Selinda Explorers Camp focuses primarily on the traditional safaris of walking and (when water levels allow) canoeing when the Selinda Spillway is flooding. Wildlife drives are offered, both day and night, but are a supplement to other activities as opposed to the emphasis.

Great Plains Conservation is first and foremost a conservation organization founded with the goal of conserving and expanding natural habitats. The organization uses a high-end, low-volume, sustainable eco-tourism model to protect and restore critical habitats, lead wildlife conservation initiatives and benefit local communities. Great Plains Conservation owns and operates luxurious and sustainable properties throughout southern and eastern Africa. In just over a decade, the company has doubled its operations across the continent with safari camps and experiences across Botswana, Kenya and Zimbabwe, employing almost 500 people and conserving nearly one million acres of land. This land sits (in the majority) outside of national parks, in areas essential for wildlife including community conservancies, former hunting concessions, and key migratory corridors. Every time Great Plains Conservation expands its sustainable tourism operations it does so with the explicit goal of benefiting wildlife and expanding conserved land.

By staying at Great Plains Conservation's camps guests are directly helping to protect Africa's wild spaces. In addition, a USD20 per person, per night Conservation Levy has been added to your stay with Great Plains Conservation as a contribution to the Great Plains Foundation. Through this levy, every traveler who stays with Great Plains Conservation is not only helping to conserve and expand natural habitats, but also contributing to a range of conservation and community projects in Botswana, Kenya and Zimbabwe. These projects include: conservation education; the distribution of solar lanterns; expanding wildlife migratory corridors and, of course, saving and trans-locating endangered species through programs such as our Rhinos Without Borders initiative. Please visit the Great Plains Foundation website to learn more.

Great Plains Conservation is actively engaged with international and local ecotourism rating and certification schemes which promote, celebrate and standardize responsible tourism best practices.

All three camps in the Selinda Reserve (Selinda, Selinda Explorers Camp and Zarafa) are rated "EcoTourism Level" by the Botswana Tourism Organisation’s (BTO) Ecotourism Certification System (re-certified in 2018). This is the top tier of BTO's certification system.
The Selinda Reserve has been ranked one of the world's Top 100 Sustainable Destinations every year since 2016.
Our camps in Kenya are all Eco-Rated through EcoTourism Kenya. Mara Plains and Mara Expedition have Gold Level Eco-Ratings and Ol Donyo Lodge has a Silver Rating.
Mara Plains, Selinda, Zarafa and Selinda Explorers Camp are all Fair Trade Tourism Certified properties.
Mara Plains, Ol Donyo Lodge, Duba Plains and Zarafa are National Geographic Unique Lodges of the World. Every lodge in the Unique Lodge collection is thoroughly vetted (and periodically re-audited) by a world renowned sustainable tourism expert who does in-depth, on-site evaluations. The evaluation includes a thorough vetting based on the pillars of sustainable tourism: protection of natural heritage, protection of cultural heritage, support for local communities, and environmentally friendly practices.

Great Plains Conservation is devoted to advancing best practices in responsible tourism. In addition to our conservation and community initiatives led through our foundation, we have integrated numerous sustainable technologies into our camps and are committed to being on the cutting edge of green technology in use in our camps. For example, Zarafa Camp, which opened in Northern Botswana 10 years ago, pioneered a 50kW solar array technology, providing a luxurious travel experience sustained completely on solar power. A decade later we continue to innovate in the solar power space with state-of-the-art Tesla battery systems. Other best practices include the elimination of single-use plastic in our camps, bio-digesters that convert vegetable scraps in methane gas for cooking in Botswana, recycling greywater for wildlife waterholes and the use of recycled materials in camp construction.

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Botswana | Great Plains Conservation | Great Plains Conservation Birding Challenge

Botswana | Great Plains Conservation | Great Plains Conservation Birding Challenge

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