Duba Plains Camp

The renowned Duba Plains Camp sits in the heart of the Okavango Delta.  A matrix of palm-dotted islands, flood plains and woodland, the 77,000 hectare private reserve typical of the region’s unique landscape. Duba Plains Camp offers 5 bespoke tents, in addition to a separate 2 bedroom suite aptly named the Duba Plains Suite, all designed by Dereck Joubert to blend into the forest and to take advantage of the shapes and textures of the shade but also to evoke the old classic African safari style of the 1920’s. It is a wildlife connoisseur’s getaway with literally thousands of animals in an almost endless pattern across the flood plains.

This is the place that the owners, and National Geographic filmmakers, conservationists and explorers, Dereck and Beverly Joubert, chose for their home base. Great Plains Conservation is the only operator on the concession, thereby offering guests the ultimate opportunity for private wildlife sightings.

Duba Plains has developed a model that creates maximum benefit for the community nearby with lease funds, jobs and other projects like our Big Cats Caring for Communities, Lamps for Learning (solar jars) Conservation Camp for Kids. This partnership ensures that these communities receive tangible and substantial benefits from wildlife conservation.

The intimate camp consists of five traditional-style tents, all on raised decking, each with views of the surrounding floodplain and the steady stream of wildlife parading past. The main area consists of a large raised dining room, and comfortable lounge with private dining areas, wine cellar and library, with ample space for our guests to either get away and be private or be all together if they want to. The media room is used for photographic work for guests. Guests staying at the Duba Plains Suite automatically enjoy the services of a private game drive vehicle with their own guide as well as a private butler and chef. The camp’s centre-point is the gathering place of all bush experiences – an extended deck into the swamp under the giant ebony trees.

Duba Plains prides itself on its extraordinary wildlife experiences and intimate up close exposure to the best of the best wildlife, from lions and leopards to elephants and buffalo and everything in between. Duba Plains is also known for interesting Kalahari species like Aardwolf and Pangolins.

Safari Tents
The five traditional-style tents are raised on recycled railway sleeper decking and offer guests amazing views of the surrounding floodplain and the steady stream of wildlife parading past. Each tent has a lounge area, with place to write and do your photographic downloads, as well as the opportunity for private dining in your tent. Each guest tent offers a private verandah plus beautifully appointed en-suite facilities consisting of flush loo, double vanities and indoor and outdoor showers and luxurious baths. Ceiling fans, an environmentally friendly air-conditioning system over the guests’ bed, and careful tent design maintain a comfortable climate for rest and relaxation. Guests will be able to enjoy their own private plunge pool and outdoor under cover sala/day rest area.

Wildlife Drives (day and night)
Game drives (day & night) take place in some of Botswana’s best adapted vehicles. Duba Plain’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 for us. These are, of course, open-sided, canopied and customised for photographers (fold-down screens, raised roofs, photographic bars, multi-plug inverters). Seating only four to six guests on each vehicle, the Cruisers are fully stocked with drinks and snacks. Each tent has the latest Canon camera and lenses as a package for guests to use or try out. Images are downloaded and presented for them to take away at no additional charge.

While the focus remains on the most comfortable times of day (early to mid-morning and late afternoon to evening) for drives, it is very common in Duba Plains to spend full days out in the field, having brunch delivered to the vehicles because the wildlife is so good and our focus is on finding and spending time with these extraordinary experiences.

The schedule is flexible and guests are encouraged to create their own itinerary according to their interests. Very often, our safaris will continue into the night in search of nocturnal species. Great Plains guides are also keen trackers and birders and guests are encouraged to experience everything the camp has to offer.

Guided Walks
Another huge benefit of staying within the conservancies is the ability to appreciate the stunning landscape on foot, peacefully, without the noise of engines. We highly recommend this unforgettable experience. Usually early morning or evening is the best time, as the middle of the day is too hot to venture out of the shade. Wear good walking shoes, a hat, and neutral colored clothing so as not to alarm the wildlife, and take binoculars. Your guide will have water for you. Walks are led by licensed guides with firearm training.

Catch-and-Release Fishing
This is a great activity during mid-day siesta. Make sure you’re with a guide. During January and February there is a moratorium on fishing. Catch-and-release fishing only.

Motorized Boating
Zipping through the Okavango Delta's network of waterways is an invigorating way to get a sense of the scope of this huge wetland. You’ll undoubtedly have wonderful birding and maybe even some hippo, buffalo and elephant sightings. (Boating is a seasonal activity, typically between May and October but varies seasonally).

Young Explorers Program
Duba Plains Camp offers a full syllabus of bush craft skills for young explorers. This is a complimentary program that follows in the footsteps of National Geographic Explorers-in-Residence Dereck and Beverly Joubert. An extensive pack will be provided to eager children on arrival, so they can learn about animal calls, how to track wildlife, and other facts and figures about the wild. At the end of a child’s stay, he/she will become a Young Explorer and Conservation Ambassador - ready to go out and tell the world about what they have learned and what they too can do to help protect this beautiful environment.

For more information on Duba Plains Camp, click HERE

RHINOS WITHOUT BORDERS WAS FORMED BY GREAT PLAINS CONSERVATION AND ANDBEYOND, TWO LEADING CONSERVATION AND TOURISM COMPANIES, AS A RESPONSE TO THE DEVASTATING RISE IN ILLEGAL RHINO POACHING IN SOUTH AFRICA.

Rhino poaching in southern African continues at an alarming rate. Since 2008, more than 8000 rhinos have been poached in South Africa alone. Rhinos Without Borders was founded in response to that crisis. The project aims to trans-locate rhino from high-risk poaching areas in southern Africa, establishing and protecting them as revitalized populations in the comparative safety of remote wild locations.

In partnership with the South African and Botswana governments, Rhinos Without Borders project, over the last five-years, established a substantial new wild population of rhinos in Botswana.  The success of this project is evident in the number of rhinos successfully relocated and the significant number of calves that have been born in the wild. This new population of wild rhinos is giving hope for this iconic species across Africa.  With the population the translocated rhino and their offspring exceeding our original target of 100, our focus is now on the security of these animals.

Rhinos Without Borders has experienced monitoring teams on the ground and in the air, working daily with the Botswana Government and a range of other rhino conservation stakeholders. This incredible co-operative conservation effort has already resulted in the birth of no fewer than 60 calves – an absolutely phenomenal achievement.

The annual costs of monitoring these free ranging rhinos is hundreds of thousands of US dollars. Rhinos Without Borders is continuing to seek support for the security and monitoring of these rhinos. The more funding we manage to generate, the more effective our dedicated support teams will be.

Gifts of all sizes make an impact, with donors of $25,000 or more being given the opportunity to “Name a Newborn” calf and receive updates on the individual animal. Join Rhinos Without Borders today in helping ensure rhinos can roam free across Africa. Donate HERE

To see what it's like to stay at Duba Plains ... Watch