Ultimate Luxury Botswana Safari

While at Selinda Camp there is no set routine, the wildlife knows the most forgiving times of day, and we take its lead. Early morning, late afternoon and evenings are the prime wildlife viewing times - it's when the colors are vibrant, the sun is low and spirits are up. Setting out at dawn, when predators are active, our guides are as keen as the guests to discover the riches of each day in Selinda Reserve. Usually, once the sun is high and strong, we retreat with the herds to our midday resting post, Selinda Camp. Then, as the sun begins to wane again, we head out for the late afternoon to evening, searching for nocturnal wildlife and the action that comes with sunset. Our Toyota Land Cruisers have been specially designed. The thoughtful engineering provides all-round visibility with removable canvas roofs and comfortable bucket seats. These rugged, 4X4 vehicles provide access to all of the Selinda Reserve's diverse ecosystems, and do so with ease. Please remember that the cars are open and it can be quite chilly in the early mornings and evenings, so take very warm clothing with you on your drives.

Another huge benefit of staying within the conservancies is that here guests are allowed to appreciate the stunning landscape on foot, peacefully, without the noise of engines. We highly recommend this unforgettable experience. Talk to the managers to arrange a good time and location for a walk. 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 coloured clothing so as not to alarm the wildlife, and take binoculars. Your guide will have water for you.

Selinda is primarily a land-based camp; however, depending on seasonal water levels boating is possible on the Spillway in the camp powerboat. Zipping through the Okavango’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.

This is a great activity during mid-day siesta or in place of a safari drive. During January and February there is a moratorium on fishing. All fishing is catch-and-release.

This is 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.

Each of Selinda's guest suites comes with a pair of high-quality binoculars for guest use as well as a professional camera set, including a camera body and lenses. Photos will be downloaded to a memory stick on guest’s departure. Photographic tuition through the Great Plains Wild Studio can be arranged for guests (at an additional cost and booked in advance). Tuition can be either on company cameras or own guest’s personal cameras.

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Camera set and binoculars for guests' use Credit: Selinda Camp guest suite

The Spa at Selinda is a relaxing and inviting space, located privately above the wine cellar. Spa treatments are at an additional cost.

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The Selinda Spa Credit: Great Plains Conservation

Enjoy an aerial viewing experience with great scenery across the Linyanti/Savuti and Selinda Spillway. Add a 15-minute champagne stop on palm island en route. Must be booked in advance and is subject to extra cost and availability.

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Helicopter scenic flights Credit: Great Plains Conservation

Safari drives (day & night) take place in some of Botswana’s best adapted vehicles. Duba Plain’s Toyota Land Cruisers are uniquely designed to traverse the floodplains. These are, of course, open-sided, canopied and customised for photographers (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 suite has a professional 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.

Our 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.

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Another huge benefit of staying within the conservancies is the ability to appreciate the stunning landscape on foot, peacefully, without the noise of engines. 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 coloured 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.

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).

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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.

Duba Plains Camp offers a full syllabus of bush craft skills for our 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.

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Young Explorers Programme Credit: Great Plains Conservation

Each Duba Plains guest suite comes with a pair of high-quality binoculars for guest use as well as a professional camera set, including a camera body and lenses. Photos will be downloaded to a memory stick on guest’s departure. Photographic tuition through the Great Plains Wild Studio can be arranged for guests (at an additional cost and booked in advance). Tuition can be either on company cameras or own guest’s personal cameras.

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Enjoy an aerial viewing experience with great scenery across the northern part of the Okavango Delta. Add a 15-minute champagne stop on palm island en route. Must be booked in advance and is subject to extra cost and availability.

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Explore the Okavango Delta's permanent water channels by mokoro (when water levels allow). This is truly a refreshing yet peaceful experience allowing for wildlife and bird viewing from a unique perspective.

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Move through the Delta’s living landscapes on dawn, dusk, or guest-desired game drives. Follow dusty paths across floodplains and woodlands, where elephants wade through channels, lion prides rest in golden light, and the elusive leopard moves like shadow through the trees. With Xigera’s expert guides, each drive becomes a deeper encounter, with wildlife, with land, and the stories they hold.

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Xigera Safari Lodge Credit: Xigera Safari Lodge

Xigera Safari Lodge Credit: Xigera Safari Lodge

Xigera Safari Lodge Credit: Xigera Safari Lodge

Tread with nature on guided bush walks, attuning to every sound, scent, and track under the experienced care of our guides. Walking slowly unwraps the linked pace of the wild, where wisdom is written into every track and leaf.

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Credit: Xigera Safari Lodge

Drift through the Delta’s waterways on traditional mokoros, guided by the steady hand of your poler, each push moving you silently, deeper into the bountiful landscape. Our polers grew up navigating these waters and are expert at spotting and identifying aquatic birds, fish and wildlife along the channels.

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Credit: Xigera Safari Lodge

Explore winding papyrus-fringed channels aboard our double-decker motorboats, where the water’s surface mirrors the sky. These excursions also allow for exploration of the deeper rivers and lagoons that are home to crocodile and large pods of hippo. Please note that boating is seasonal, water levels permitting.

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Credit: Xigera Safari Lodge

From the Coppery-tailed Coucal to the Western-banded Snake Eagle, Wattled Crane to Lesser Jacana, walking safaris are an ideal opportunity for enthusiastic bird-watchers to admire the over 500 species recorded in the Okavango Delta. Xigera’s exceptional location on the fringes of the Moremi Game Reserve delivers some of the best birding Botswana has to offer - including the much sought-after Pel's Fishing Owl.

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Xigera Safari Lodge Credit: Xigera Safari Lodge

Catch-and-release fishing offers a serene but exciting encounter with the Delta’s waters. Tigerfish, African Pike, and Bream await, but sustainably, mindfully and unforgettable. Please note that catch-and-release fishing is season-dependent.

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Xigera Safari Lodge Credit: Xigera Safari Lodge

Meticulously designed to frame breathtaking views of the seasonal flood plains and lush riverine forests, Xigera's spa is a sanctuary of calm. Treatments blend Tata Harper’s award-winning organic skincare with the healing power of indigenous botanicals. Signature massages, facials, and body rituals reveal the mystical healings of the Delta, restoring balance to body and spirit.

The lodge showcases a modern fitness centre – with state-of-the-art equipment from Technogym – alongside a swimming pool and relaxation deck gazing over the river.

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Xigera Safari Lodge Credit: Xigera Safari Lodge

Spend an unforgettable night 10 metres above the floodplains in our exclusive sculptural Baobab Treehouse, offering panoramic views from each of its three levels. Open to the stars, surrounded by the sounds of the Delta, it is Africa’s most extraordinary sleepout experience. Situated one kilometre away from the lodge, with a guide stationed close by, the striking steel structure is built in the evocative shape of a Baobab tree.

Inside the tree’s ‘trunk’, a winding staircase climbs nearly four metres above ground, delivering guests to the spacious bathroom on the first level. The bedroom is located on the second level, beautifully appointed with carved timber furniture. Both spaces have canvas walls that can open up to the outside environment, or be zipped closed to allow for privacy and protection from the elements.

Ascend to the top and the drama unfolds, with an open-air deck for lounging, reading and watching wildlife pass undisturbed below. A serene, hidden eyrie from which to witness the magic of the Delta at dusk or ¬– if you choose to spend the night in the open-air king-size bed – to marvel at the stars.

Please note the Baobab Treehouse is at a surcharge and cannot be pre-booked.

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Credit: Xigera Safari Lodge

Take to the skies for an aerial perspective of the Delta’s immeasurable wonder. Choose door-off flights for unmatched photographic opportunities, or pair with champagne landings on hidden palm islands.

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Credit: Xigera Safari Lodge