Top 5 Armchair Safari Spots in Botswana and Zimbabwe
I often get asked which places I would recommend for a relaxed armchair safari. Safaris can be exhausting: early mornings to catch the predators hunting, late nights watching ‘bush TV’. Having done numerous safaris and often rushing from one place to the next to make sure we know all the camps we are offering, I came to realize that a slower pace is the way to go. If clients insist on seeing many different areas they often don’t have enough time to stay three nights in each camp. In this case, I highly recommend adding the occasional ‘armchair destination’ into the itinerary, where guests can enjoy an afternoon spent in camp, watching the animals from the comfort of their lodge.
Carina enjoys an armchair safari in Nogatsaa.
Pick #1: Meno a Kwena Tented Camp, Boteti River, Botswana
This camp has been one of my favourite places since about 2004. It is situated above the Boteti River, offering stunning views of Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. Its unique location guarantees outstanding game viewing from camp. All tents are built along the edge of the cliff. The best time to travel is between April and November when the zebra migration arrives along the Boteti in search of life-giving water. The camp offers an authentic San Bushmen nature walk, full-day trips into the Makgadikgadi and, for guests that stay a minimum of three nights, a sleep-out under the stars in the middle of the vast nothingness of the salt pans can be booked.
Pick #2: Nogatsaa Pans Lodge, Chobe National Park, Botswana
Nogatsaa had been on my list of camps I needed to visit since its opening. Years ago, I had been camping in this very remote part of the Chobe National Park and loved the area since then. When the owner of Ghoha Hills told me about his plans to build a safari camp in Nogatsaa I was super-excited. The camp is situated on the edge of the Nogatsaa Pans, which have water pumped into them throughout the dry winter months. The pan is one of the few reliable water sources in this harsh area, making it a hot-spot for large herds of elephants. It is the perfect spot for a relaxed armchair safari: guests don’t need to leave camp, they can watch the animals come to drink. We saw hundreds of elephants, buffalo, giraffe, roan antelope, waterbuck, kudu and even a resident baby hippo during our stay. Access to the camp is by road from Kasane; the drive takes about two-and-a-half hours.
Pick #3: Deteema Springs Camp, Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe
Deteema Springs opened in May 2019 and is the second addition to the Machaba Safaris’ portfolio in Zimbabwe. The camp was built on the old Deteema Picnic site, a very popular spot with Hwange visitors. The national park authorities asked that the design of the new camp incorporates the old picnic site and the architects did an excellent job. This tented camp is super-comfortable and offers amazing views over the springs and towards Deteema Dam. Guests can skip an afternoon activity and enjoy the comfort of their veranda to watch the elephants come down to drink from the fresh-water spring.
Pick #4: Savute Elephant Lodge, Chobe National Park, Botswana
The Savuti region in the Chobe National Park has been especially famous for its large lion pride, the Marsh Pride. They had to adapt to the super-harsh environment of this intriguing place in order to survive. This group of sometimes up to 30 lions have become experts in hunting elephants – a spectacle that can’t be guaranteed but one that anyone who has witnessed it will never forget. Savute Elephant offers its guests a comfortable place to relax and enjoy the environment. The hide underneath the terrace and pool offers amazing views over a busy waterhole that gets pumped all year and attracts lots of animals during the day and night.
Pick #5: Kanga Camp, Mana Pools National Park, Zimbabwe
Kanga Camp lies hidden in the backland of Mana Pools National Park. Its unique attraction is the super-busy waterhole right in front of camp. The animals know that Kanga Pan is the only reliable source of water in the area and they make use of that knowledge. Guests can enjoy a delicious lunch on the main deck while watching the elephants come to drink. This authentic bush camp consists of six comfortable tents and guests get a true bush feeling in this remote part of the park.
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Carina
Sliding down into Tuludi
Tucked away in the Khwai Private Reserve, Tuludi from Natural Selection has access to 200 000 hectares of land to explore… so we went exploring!
Overall impression
Tuludi is stunning. Every small detail has been thought of while putting the lodge together. The main area offers so many different places to sit – the problem is that they are all very welcoming so the choices seem endless! All these different seats have different views of the area surrounding the lodge.
The whole lodge, including the staff, is premier material. Food is à la carte with a good number of choices that are out of the ordinary but tasty. The rooms are spacious and restful yet romantic with outside bathtubs. The family room is stunning. In fact, the whole camp is family friendly especially with the fun addition of the slide in the main area!
The vehicles are so comfortable that no bumpy road can ruin your game drive. They also have an elevated hide overlooking water for lunches or dinners.
Comparative value and experience
Tuludi offers a chic modern style, some of it’s design elements are unique, like the bar, made of thousands of mosaic pieces – stunning artwork. This new camp has the air of a premier camp at more classic rates, it would go perfectly well with the likes of Kanana, Nxabega or Xaranna. I can also see it being combined with Ngoma Safari Lodge, Belmond Savute Elephant or the new Selinda Camp.
Ideal clients
This lodge is definitely for clients wanting a luxury safari who love their comfort. It’s also good as an upsell for honeymooners. Tuludi is a good family camp for children aged six and over but a private vehicle must be booked in this case.
Seasonality, wildlife and activities
Tuludi is one of four camps in the vast Khwai Private Reserve. Only vehicles of one of the four camps are allowed to gamedrive in the area, making it an exclusive experience. The main source of water is the eastern-most finger of the Okavango Delta, the Khwai river, which attracts large herds of elephant and buffalo. The permanent waterholes are home to resident hippos. During rainy season the floodplains fill up, changing the landscape from open grassy floodplains to lilly-filled lagoons.
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Mia Ives
Fit for royalty at King’s Pool
Clare and I were among the first to visit the ‘new’ King’s Pool Camp, which has been given a very impressive make-over…!
The new rebuild of King’s Pool is looking fantastic. They have used a lot of earthy colours such as browns, beiges, golds and black, which give a really refreshing feel to be somewhere completely different to the Delta.
From the main area and all the rooms, you have a lovely view over the Linyanti Swamps, teeming with hippos and crocodiles.
One of the special treats of King’s Pool is their very own in-house masseuse, who will spoil you with a massage on the deck of your room overlooking the swamps, for total relaxation in your siesta or after a hard day’s game driving.
The lodge has the advantage of driving along the riverbed in the late afternoons where you don’t have to search for any game, as hordes of different species come down to drink in the heat of the afternoon.
We were lucky enough to watch crocodiles displaying mating behaviour plus see hundreds of elephants, roan and sable antelope among other plains game.
The landscape and habitats are completely different to the Okavango despite the Linyanti Swamps being a Delta system of their own; they are completely separate to the Okavango.
Driving the river’s edge in the afternoon is a completely different experience to driving further back in the mopane woodlands in the early mornings looking for more predators. It gives a complete contrast of habitats.
This area is well known for its large herds of elephants in the dry season: it did not disappoint in that regard as we encountered huge breeding herds.
Another highlight of this camp is the two hides. One is underground in front of the water, meaning you are looking out at ground level up at the gentle giants that dominate this area.
King’s Pool suits first-time safari goers as it is an easy comfortable safari experience. Everything is pretty much thought out for you and not too much energy is required. Those first-time Botswana travellers who have heard about our large elephant populations, but don’t want to do the crowds of Chobe and have the Premier budget, would fit King’s Pool perfectly as they still get the barge on the river and game drives, all in the exclusiveness of a private concession. You have the flexibility of game drives, boating, walks and sitting back in one of the two hides relaxing with a gin and tonic, watching the animals coming down to drink.
The best months to explore this area in a typical year is July to October as the food resources and excess surface water from the rainy season have dried up, pushing the big herds into the Linyanti Swamps area to greener pastures and permanent water sources. In the Green and shoulder seasons, although the big herds will move out, the predators remain because they’re territorial, and the antelope that remain give birth to their young, meaning lots of babies around that make for easy pickings for the lions!
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Storm
Kwara – an exciting rebuild!
We stopped at Kwara Camp in the famous Kwara Reserve in September 2019, just after it reopened after a complete rebuild. The new camp is bigger and more luxurious than the old one: there are nine tents (including one for mobility impaired guests), two swimming pools and private vehicles available.
What was your overall impression of the camp? Please highlight the unique selling points.
Sue Smart of Kwando Safaris was there to show us around and she is clearly very proud of the new addition to the Kwando portfolio – quite rightly so! This new lodge is lovely and the feel is classic 50’s safari style with contemporary touches: elements of décor like old trunks, framed photos of insects on the wall, a brass telescope, fabrics depicting plants and animals mixed in with a modern light fitting and bar stools, for example.
Every small detail has been thought of and geared towards a more demanding, sophisticated and mature clientele. The lodge is definitely not child friendly – the minimum age is 18. The main area is constructed on different levels and offers various places to sit, play games, read, write, lounge, drink and eat. The rooms are huge and include a proper lounge area with a sofa, armchairs and coffee table, a king-sized bed wrapped in a mosquito net, en suite bathroom with lots of packing space and surface areas on which to put toiletries, a vanity, bathtub, enormous rain shower heads in the indoor and outdoor showers, and a large deck with table and chairs. The linen looked first class, too.
The room I saw was for clients with mobile disabilities was all on one level. The others are identical but have a sunken bathroom. The rooms have solid walls and wooden doors and yet there is a canvas feel to it (good for clients who don’t want to sleep in a ‘tent’). I love the fact that there are two good-sized swimming pools at each extremity of the lodge so they will never seem overcrowded nor in full view of the main area. Each pool area has a ‘clubhouse’, which has a fully stocked fridge, tea/coffee-making facilities, armchairs and a ceiling fan. There are four deckchairs on one side of the pool, facing the bush.
How does the camp compare to similar camps in terms of value and experience? Are there any notable special offers applicable?
I feel that Kwara Camp is good value for money. Being a four-star classic camp, it is super comfortable but not as luxurious (or as expensive), as Tuludi or the Wilderness Classic camps. Long-stay rates are always a plus at Kwara and as long as you stick with a minimum of three nights, the Five Rivers package can include Kwara. Please remember that a minimum stay of three nights is necessary, and honestly spoken this concession justifies at least a 3 nights stay, ideally even longer.
How would you combine this camp in an itinerary and why?
The camp covers land and water activities, I would combine it with a camp in a completely different area such as Savute or Makgadikgadi Pans. Or in the Linyanti, the obvious choice would be Lagoon or Lebala Camps because of the reduced long-stay rate.
What type of clients does this camp suit and why?
This lodge is definitely suited for higher-end safari goers, seeking an authentic, good quality safari in one of the best concessions in the Delta. It comes with lots of creature comforts but not over-the-top luxury: groups of friends, couples, families with adult children (minimum age is 18 years), repeat clients and honeymooners would all feel comfortable here. It is also suited to those who want solid walls, and windows and doors that open and close (not tents or canvas).
How does the seasonality of the area change through the year and what effect does it have on a visitor’s experience, with specific reference to wildlife and activities?
This huge private concession borders the Moanchira channel, which has permanent water so boating will always be possible, whatever the season. Game is super-chilled and plentiful. Moremi Game Reserve is just on the other side of the channel so lots of animals cross backwards and forwards throughout the year. If the low water levels in the Delta persist into 2020, the Kwara Reserve will be a big draw as this year water in the upper Delta is more plentiful and reliable.
Posted by
Sarah Graham