Abu Camp

Six luxury twin bed tented accommodations comprise the total lodging at Abu Camp. Each of the six en-suite tents boasts distinctive furnishings and fittings, providing an air of luxury in the bush, featuring an indoor and outdoor shower, an outdoor copper bath and a private plunge pool sunk into the elevated teak deck.

Amenities Include:

• En-suite bathroom
• Indoor and outdoor shower facilities
• Bathtub
• Veranda
• Plunge pool
• Electrical outlets
• Mini-bar
• Fan
• Safe
• Hairdryer
• A kettle with tea and coffee provided

Abu Camp’s assortment of talented and dedicated catering staff will ensure the ultimate dining experience throughout the duration of your stay. Three set meals are served throughout the day, as well as a host of lite bites and snacks to enjoy around the clock, ensuring guaranteed appetite satisfaction. Should you have any specific dietary requirements, inform the catering staff and they will be happy to accommodate any specifications you request. All foods and drink come as all-inclusive as standard, allowing you to indulge at your own leisure.

Set forth for winding delta channels on a riveting marine safari adventure of a lifetime. Traverse open waters in hard bottom aluminium boats as seasoned guides take you on a journey through the deeper channels of the Okavango Delta. Ensuring a truly remarkable maritime safari experience. Boats are equipped with comfortable seats, a foldaway canvas roof and life jackets.

Embark from Abu Camp and explore the neighbouring villages situated close by with your private guide for a taste of the authentic Botswanan day to day life. Upon arriving at the village, you receive the opportunity to speak with local elders and village children. Take in the sights of the surrounding areas while visiting market stalls, bakeries, churches, and other hallmarks of authentic village life, creating lasting memories every step of the way on this culturally enlightening voyage of a lifetime.

Embark on foot across immersive delta lands in the company of your own private and experienced guide. Lace-up for an adventure like no other and be sure to bring a camera, as you don’t want to miss the opportunity to photograph the expanse of exotic, meandering animals synonymous with authentic African Style safari game viewing. An area is chosen at the guide’s discretion, in keeping with safe distances from large herds of elephant and buffalo. The distance and area for each walk may differ seasonally at the discretion of your guide.

What better way to unwind after the excitement of a day’s adventure than with a relaxing massage administered by one of Abu Camp’s fully trained, in-camp physicians? Feel the tension leave your body with a session of luxurious pampering as you reflect on the day’s activities and bush encounters.

The Okavango Delta is host to quantities of avid birders who flock forth year-round to view the spectacular scores of avian life these indigenous environments have to offer. Experienced and knowledgeable guides will point out different species of bird as you traverse the riverbanks and waterholes frequented by the hundreds of species of avian life. Binoculars are a must as you peer out amongst flocks of African jacana and malachite kingfisher, with potential to spot some of the rarer species such as black chested snake eagle, wattled crane and rosy throated long claw. Optimum time for birdwatching is during the wet season, from November to April, when summer migrants swoop to the delta to mate.

Take to the skies with an aerial tour of the Okavango Delta in a guided helicopter excursion across the vastness of the Botswanan wilderness. Witness the delta flats and wetlands like never before with a birds-eye view across the vast stretches of bush, and experience exclusive vistas unattainable through conventional land-based safari. Watch in awe as herds of elephant and other large mammals pass beneath you, soaking in the spectacular geography and unique layout of the land. Scenic Helicopter flights are accessible via transit from Abu Camp to a nearby, external location and comes at additional costs.

Set sail for the Okavango for a marine excursion of a lifetime as you set forth into winding delta waters in a traditional style African dug-out canoe – colloquially known as mokoro. Personal guides, experienced in the art of Mokoro excursions will row you steadily through the winding channels of the Okavango in search of aquatic and land-based game, such as the many hippopotamus and Nile crocodiles that traverse the delta waters, or the elephants and buffalo that rear-in-close to drink from the riverbanks.

Adventure awaits you as you embark for the stretching, undisturbed natural landscapes of the Okavango Delta with experienced guides in open 4×4 specially modified safari vehicles. The spectacles that await you are truly astonishing, so don’t forget to bring a camera! As you leisurely cruise your way through the stretching plains of the Okavango, you may witness prowling lion prides, meandering elephant herds, frolicking zebra, endangered wild dog and a plethora of other staple safari favourites.

Wilderness Safaris and Abu Camp take the welfare of elephant herds and those who care for them with the utmost seriousness and resolve. It is considered a great honour to care for these majestic creatures and to work in the presence of them. All safari activities and elephant related experiences are meticulously planned with a heightened consciousness of the needs, requirements and boundaries inherent of such an undertaking.

Elephant herd members hold extensive knowledge with regards to elephant welfare and wellbeing, routinely observing the herds for signs of stress and illness, in which case the appropriate measures are put into place with immediate effect to rectify whatever issue may arise. The wellbeing of elephants sits at the heart of all operations at Abu Camp and serves as the foundation on which all efforts have been undertaken.

Elephant conservation is the foundation on which Abu is based. Elephants serve as a keystone species that have a large effect on both the environment and eco system in which they live. There exists a disparity in elephant populations throughout Southern Africa, whereas some countries fear ever dwindling populations, others are faced with the contrasting issue of untamed, ever growing numbers of elephants that, in uncontrolled quantities, can cause detrimental effects to the environment.

In the case of Botswana, the latter holds true. Through the hard work and dedication of Abu Herd members – ambassadors of elephant conservation, a total of seven elephants have been successfully reintroduced into the wild, providing valuable data to local researchers and conservationists. Several elephants have remained in the Abu concession, and cause much delight all round when their wanderings bring them close to camp.

Wilderness Safaris employs an ensemble of local workers and tradespeople for use in the construction of its facilities and maintenance, as well as the sourcing and training of national citizens to serve the role of guides and in-camp staff. It is essential to impart a positive effect on not only the environment, but on the people and communities that without whom, sustainable tourism would be but an empty proposition.

There are few people more qualified to provide the ultimate safari experience than the locals themselves, and as such, Wilderness Safaris recognises the importance of providing local people with opportunities and employment, stressing careers as opposed to jobs – giving back to the communities who have given so much.

Wilderness Safaris created their own Trust in 2003, this is an independent entity that fund-raises for money to be put into various conservation projects. This engages with projects which can be beyond the scope of the areas in which Wilderness Safaris operate, ensuring that “conservation is a driving force in reaching more people, wildlife and places.” The Jao Concession and the University of Botswana have created a committee hoping to “encourage better engagement between local communities and the Jao Concession, specifically regarding curbing poaching and overfishing.”

A total of 25 different projects are funded by the Trust annually, the past 10 years has seen the Trust finance more than 100 different projects throughout 8 different countries in Africa. Whilst Wilderness Safaris contributes to these projects logistically, the Trust “is involved financially in the projects, supporting research, habitat management and community upliftment.”

This is an educational programme created by Wilderness Safaris which aims to educate and inspire the next generation of environmental leaders by teaching them life skills and environmental issues. This programme aims to “create a network of learning sanctuaries that uplifts and cares for our children and conserves the planet.” Great numbers of children are involved in these programmes – 2,500 children attend rural, school-based clubs per year; more than 300 children per year are granted a scholarship which pays for their education and Wilderness Safaris and their partner destination host annual camps, which more than 500 children attend.

Wilderness Safaris partner properties all work under the sustainability ethos of conservation, culture, commerce and community. Pack for a Purpose is one of the community projects that Wilderness Safaris has partnered with, it is “a non-profit organisation that provides travellers with up-to-date information about required supplies for community-based projects.” With no one inhabiting these rural areas of Africa accurate recordings of species could not be undertaken.

Wilderness Safaris are present throughout the whole year which allows them to provide not just financial support but also logistical support to anti-poaching initiatives. Due to their presence wildlife numbers have increased dramatically with elephant, lechwe and puku growing markedly. The emphasis on ecotourism is changing lives “camps and lodges bring employment and training, opportunities for growth and travel, and exposure to another world.”

Wilderness Safaris aim is that if the camps ever needed to be moved they could do so without leaving an imprint on the land. All Wilderness Safari camps are built in the most eco-friendly way possible. To reduce their carbon footprint and to help them become carbon neutral in their operations, they invest in new technologies to reduce their dependence on fossil fuels.

Abu Camp is constructed from primarily recyclable and locally sourced materials where applicable, negating the need to haul lumber and other construction materials long distances from neighbouring towns and villages. Initiatives such as this greatly offsets potential carbon emissions and negates disruption to the surrounding environments and habitats. Accommodations and camp facilities are constructed from degradable and natural materials, as to ecologically fit with the surrounding environment rather than impose upon it.

Abu Camp, as with many Wilderness Safaris retreats operates on entirely 100% sustainable solar powered energy. By utilising the abundance of sun inherent to Northern Botswana, Abu Camp can supply a consistent source of energy that is used to power the camps many facilities, offsetting the need for diesel powered generators that are detrimental to the surrounding wilderness and environment. Through ecologically friendly initiatives such as this, Abu Camp serves as a shining example of how to successfully operate within the sustainable tourism industry for all to see and take note.