Zarafa Camp

From the Hideaway Report

February 2012 Hideaway Report

Zarafa Camp opened in 2008, the brainchild of celebrated filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert, five-time Emmy Award winners and Explorers-in-Residence at National Geographic. For more than 25 years, the Jouberts have chronicled the wildlife of northern Botswana in classic films such as “Eternal Enemies: Lions and Hyenas,” “Eye of the Leopard” and, most recently, “The Last Lions.” Drawing on their decades of experience, they decided to create the perfect safari camp in an ideal location. Perfection is hard to pull off, however, and prior to our visit, we feared disappointment.

We arrived at the camp after a bumpy 45-minute drive from the airstrip. Greeted at the door of our vehicle by a group of extremely friendly African staff, we were ushered into the main lounge area of the camp. There, we found spacious and atmospheric living and dining areas housed beneath a steep, coffee-colored canvas roof and decorated in a French neocolonial style with dark woods, polished leather, framed maps and shelves of hardback books on African history and wildlife. One entire side of the structure opened onto a huge deck that commanded a spellbinding view of the lagoon. Less than 100 feet from its edge, around 40 elephant were happily squirting one another with water.

The guest lodgings at Zarafa comprise just four magnificent 1,000-square-foot tented suites, each with a private plunge pool, shaded by massive ebony trees. The interiors are divided into three “rooms.” Large living areas come with leather sofas and armchairs, polished wooden floors, Oriental carpets, antique chests and old-fashioned writing desks. Beyond a canvas screen, equally expansive bedrooms feature king-size beds draped with mosquito netting, and gas fireplaces with burnished copper chimneys. Beyond that, baths provide glamorous copper-clad tubs and effective indoor showers. (Each also has an outdoor shower at the end of a wooden walkway directly overlooking the lagoon.) The suites have electric lighting, but are not air-conditioned. (We visited Zarafa at a hot time of the year, but thanks to the shade of surrounding trees, the ceiling fans proved entirely sufficient.) In an imaginative touch, each “tent” is provided with its own Swarovski binoculars, plus a top-of-the-range Canon camera with 35-135mm and 100-400mm zoom lenses. Guests’ photos are then burned to a DVD at the end of their stays. Overall, Zarafa’s accommodations provide exceptional levels of privacy, comfort and style.

Having taken tea on the deck, we were driven a short distance to the edge of the lagoon, where the camp’s pontoon boat was tied up. Its upper deck was furnished with leather sofas and Oriental rugs, providing an environment fit for a lounging pasha. We began to cruise slowly and almost silently along the shoreline, watching hippos and elephant at a distance of little more than 50 feet. Our blissful voyage ended only with the rapid descent of the sun, a colossal orange fireball, into the darkening waters of the lagoon.

The Selinda Reserve enjoys a unique location, being virtually equidistant from the Okavango Delta, Linyanti Swamp and Savuti Marsh, the three legendary wildlife areas being connected by the Selinda Spillway and the Savuti Channel. This makes for exceptional year-round game-viewing. The local Selinda pride numbers 15 lion, but it has a large territory, and a sighting is not guaranteed. A pack of rare wild dog can frequently be tracked down, however, and leopard sightings are relatively common. (One morning, we were lucky enough to find a mother and a full-grown cub strolling through the trees at the edge of the spillway and were able to follow them for nearly 20 minutes.)

By the time of our departure, Zarafa had fully lived up to our expectations. It is an idyllic camp, with delicious food and superior service. And with a maximum of eight guests, it provides a semi-private safari experience. However, it is important to understand that this is a true wilderness area. Zarafa does not offer air-conditioning, television, Internet access, cell phone coverage or a spa - though there is a small gym. Some people may find this frustrating, or even unacceptable, but others will relish their temporary escape from the modern world.

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