Anyone who is a fan of wildlife documentaries and story-telling photography from the depths of the Okavango Delta will be a superfan of Dereck and Beverly Joubert. These national Geographic wildlife legends have been showcasing never-before-seen animal behaviour for decades; sharing unimaginable interactions between mother and cub, cow and calf, predator and prey, to educate and inspire the present and future conservationists of the world. The Jouberts, through Great Plains Conservation, have pioneered and perfected sustainable tourism – a model for luxury safari experiences to directly benefit the environment and the original custodians of the land. Their flagship Duba Plains Camp is in the Okavango Delta.
Duba Expedition Camp, is where we find the Delta’s heart and soul, and where we know our guests from all over the globe will walk away with memories of wildlife brilliance, boundless comfort, discrete service, and inimitable solitude. This intimate safari camp is our current favourite in the Great Plains collection, featuring 6 canvas tents, privacy, world renowned bird watching, and remote beauty. Take a look…
Expedition-style Tents
There are 6 individual canvas tents, constructed on elevated wooden decks, which forms the beautiful naturally wooden floors of the suites. Pale cream canvas forms the outer shell of the suites, seamlessly framing large gauze windows, and creating a shaded deck overlooking the floodplains. Inside, polished brass, brown leather, warm burgundy floor rugs, and wooden furniture, fill the space around the richly dressed bed, and beautifully decorate these luxury expedition tents. A pair of white dressing gowns, slippers, and complimentary bathroom products add special touches to the room service, while the private viewing decks offer guests their own platform for game viewing and bird watching under the shade of the large island trees, explorer style.
Private Delta Wilderness
The allure of this piece of paradise is its remote and untouched location on an island in Duba Plains Reserve. A 77 000 hectare private concession in the wonderful wetland of the Okavango Delta, this is in the heart of northern Botswana’s World Heritage Site. This is the location of many a wildlife film by the Jouberts, which have been made famous on National Geographic, and add to its appeal as a truly magnificent wildlife area.
This is one of the most reputable game viewing regions in Southern Africa, where huge herds of buffalo and elephant make themselves at home in the swampy wetlands, where they occupy the water crossings, much to the disgruntlement of countless hippos. In the high water season (usually peaks in June and July), boat cruises form part of the safari activities, which take guests through the vast lagoons and the complex channels and waterways. This is where you might watch lions stalking huge buffalo herds, and bounding into the water to attempt to take their prey down in the water. Something quite special to Duba.
Conservation and Community
True to the Great Plains recipe, Duba Expedition Camp contributes a conservation programme which is living testament to the successful relationship established between the company and the local custodians of the land.
“Duba Expedition Camp is a fully integrated community empowerment project on land leased directly from five local communities, who in turn receive all of the lease revenue.” The majority of the staff at the camp are residents of these villages, providing employment and paying revenue into the community, also ensuring that this ancestral land is of value to the communities as a wildlife haven. Duba Expedition Camp is dedicated to maintaining the natural habitat and protecting the wild inhabitants for generations to come.
