We’re flying above the Okavango Delta towards the Chobe National Park in Botswana, cruising over the labyrinth of rivers, tributaries and waterholes that nourish the earth like alveoli through lungs.
In this Eden of extraordinary diversity, creatures great and small flourish; our dinky bush plane bumps and grinds to a triumphant standstill, and we are now guests in their territory.
Chobe is known as the “elephant capital of the world”, but it’s lions that greet us first as we journey to Belmond’s Savute Elephant Lodge. Two magnificent beasts, sprawled out glamorously in the midday sun, eye us with nonchalance, indifferent in the face of camera clicks.
All big cats are killing machines, but Savute lions are so formidable that they were “the first known pride to start hunting elephants,” our guide, Moses tells us.
Why? The more extreme the environment, the more “survival of the fittest” comes into play – in the dry season between May and October, when the land is parched, the lions have to get creative.
We drive on, enveloped in great gusts of wild sage that blow through the vehicle, accompanied by a fabulous escort of glittering southern carmine bee-eaters.
Moses has a keen eye, spotting everything from Verreaux’s eagle-owl, impala and jackal to leopard tortoise, dwarf mongoose and guinea fowl.
There’s also a grim reminder of nature’s uncompromising savagery: the bloated carcass of a young elephant lies contorted into a grotesque sculpture, alive with a million maggots and further violated by the marabou storks and vultures that pick over what little remains.
The horror is swiftly forgotten upon arrival at camp, a thatch-and-timber building overlooking the Savute Channel that blends beautifully with its desert surroundings.
A shaded alfresco dining area makes an ideal spot for enjoying the view, anchored by a campfire for after-dark storytelling. Unexpected luxuries exist too, such as a spa, staffed by in-house masseuse, Kenny.
As a young girl, Kenny would soothe her grandfather’s weary muscles; it was he who first told her she had a gift for touch. He was not wrong: a massage with Kenny is pure art, beginning and ending with the shiver-inducing tinkle of a rainstick, traditionally used in ceremonies to summon the annual rains. After this alchemy, it’s no surprise when the heavens open.
As the season’s first downpour comes crashing down during dinner, a huge herd of elephants is lured to the stage and we feast as elephants gambol in the moonlight beyond. Later, in my tent, chubby raindrops splash out a staccato lullaby as they explode onto canvas, soothing me into a deep and restful sleep.
There’s no shortage of water at Belmond Eagle Island either, a deluxe lodge set across a 15-acre estate in the heart of the Okavango Delta’s UNESCO-protected wetlands, 94 miles southwest of Savute Elephant Lodge. The most reliable way to navigate this watery wilderness is by dugout canoe or mokoro.
Local guide Lovers navigates the fine channels while divulging the delights of the delta; a minute acid-green long-nosed frog clings to a blade of grass and a malachite kingfisher flits through the reeds, while a mating pair of African fish eagles keep watch from the treetops like sentries on duty. The best bit? We’re deposited directly to the camp’s Fish Eagle bar for sundowners at the water’s edge. “The bar is always open,” says mixologist Owen, with a smile, as he hands me a local Okavango gin and tonic.
In the spirit of slow travel, I head out on a walking safari with Belmond Safaris’ Head Environmentalist, Isaac Seredile. It’s but moments before we are prompted to hush. To our left are three bull elephants, while to our right is a herd of Cape buffalo, a highly aggressive species and one of the most dangerous animals in Africa.
Isaac’s lifetime of experience is swiftly deployed and, after a pregnant pause, we are rerouted onto a safe path. From the coo and chirps of doves, owls and insects to the tidal sounds of waist-high grasses swaying in the breeze, getting lost in the tones of the bush must be nature’s purest meditation. My stay here comes to a close with a final sundowner next to a waterhole occupied by wallowing, grunting and snorting hippos, as Botswana’s vast, golden sky blazes crimson then scarlet.
With its low-volume, high-cost tourism model, Botswana is not short on luxury lodges. But Duke’s Camp, 30 miles northwest of Eagle Island Lodge is something else. This off-grid, solar-powered camp is a sibling to Ralph Bousfield’s renowned Jack’s Camp in the Makgadikgadi Pans, so it’s fair to say it carries superstar DNA.
Duke’s is as remote as it is ravishing, hidden in a clearing of ebony and leadwood forest crowned by a soaring safari tent adorned with billowing swags, antiques and curios. Flanking this canvas palace are further delights: a cosy bar stocked with spirits for crafting DIY cocktails, a Moroccan-inspired lounge draped in sheepskins and printed cushions, and the bijou emerald-green swimming pool – not to mention, the world’s grooviest lavatory, ingeniously constructed around a gnarled tree trunk.
We feast on a high tea of freshly baked scones and sausage rolls, washed down with pitchers of real lemonade, before joining Duke’s expert guide and all-round legend, Costa, to explore the 22,000-acre concession. A natural orator with a flamboyant style, he brings the bush to life like a born performer – and there’s no shortage of drama at Duke’s. Every game drive is filled with spectacular sightings, from lions at rest and a den of playful hyenas to a cheetah searching for a midnight snack.
During early starts, breakfast is served wilderness-style on the bonnet of the safari vehicle, followed by a communal lunch back at camp and a divine three-course dinner that includes the likes of fillet of local beef and crème brûlée. Evenings are spent enveloped in birdsong, insect hums and a chorus of frogs, before retiring to the luxury of a mahogany four-poster bed.
Our last game drive delivers a finale I will never forget: a pack of wild dogs in hot pursuit of a warthog. With only 700 wild dogs in all of Botswana, this is a remarkable spectacle indeed. Chirping the soundtrack to a horror movie, the pack strategically corners the petrified pig as it seeks refuge atop a termite mound.
We watch the alpha dog approach stealthily from behind before launching an attack that forces the warthog to flee its shelter. It’s now that the dogs pounce, eating the warthog alive from the bottom up, in a feral interpretation of nose-to-tail dining. It turns out she’s pregnant, her unborn piglets scoffed one by one. This is the first time I’ve witnessed a kill and I need a stiff drink.
Back in Duke’s embrace, I take stock of my adventure and raise a glass to Sarefo ‘Duke’ Sarefo, this camp’s namesake and custodian of this bountiful place. Born some 80 years ago on the very island that the camp now occupies, his ancestral roots run deep into this soil – little wonder the land reverberates with an energy that sings of love and care.
Need to know: Okavango Delta, Botswana
Getting there: The nearest airport is at Muan; fly from London to Johannesburg and then take a two-hour connecting flight. From here, you’ll need to take a bush plane to your first camp.
Getting around: Tour operators like cazenove+loyd will provide transfers to and from camps.
Where to eat: All meals are provided at the camps and feature excellent cuisine more sophisticated than the bush setting might suggest. Expect plenty of local ingredients and flavours, as well as international favourites.
Where to stay: Savute Elephant Lodge and Eagle Island Lodge, offer the finest luxury accommodation.
Further information: cazenove+loyd can tailor your itinerary to include all three camps.
More reading: Flooded with life – Discover the contrasting landscapes of northern Botswana, from the lush, life-filled Okavango Delta to the stark emptiness of Ntwetwe Pan.
