Where Duba Plains sits
Duba Plains Camp lies in the private Duba Concession in the heart of the Okavango Delta, a matrix of palm-dotted islands, floodplains and woodland in the far north of the system. Great Plains’ founders, the National Geographic filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert, chose this concession for many of their award-winning wildlife films and have lived here for close to twenty years.
The lions and buffalo of Duba
Duba is known above all for the relationship between its lions and its buffalo. The prides here hunt across water, swimming between islands to reach herds of buffalo and thousands of red lechwe. It is unusual behaviour, well documented on film, and it is the reason many guests come. Painted dogs and leopard also move through the concession during the year.
The suites
There are five bespoke private suites, each designed to sit into the landscape in a classical 1920s-inspired safari style. All are raised on decking built from recycled railway sleepers, and each has an indoor lounge area alongside the bedroom.
The main area
The main area holds a central dining room, a lounge, an interactive kitchen, a wine cellar and a library. An extended raised deck under giant ebony trees is used for outdoor dining and is the gathering point of the camp.
The wine cellar and interactive kitchen
The wine cellar and the open kitchen are both unusual at this remove. The kitchen is set up so that guests can watch and take part rather than being served from behind a closed door.
Relais and Chateaux
Duba Plains is a Relais and Chateaux member. Great Plains’ Reserve Collection camps are the only Relais and Chateaux members in Botswana, alongside Zarafa, Selinda Camp and Sitatunga Private Island.
Water and land in one concession
The Duba concession’s mix of permanent floodplain and dry island gives it both halves of the Delta. The floodplains hold the lechwe and buffalo that drive the predator activity; the woodland islands hold a quite different set of species within a short drive.
Combining with Selinda
Duba is frequently combined with Selinda, the operator’s Linyanti reserve, which offers very large elephant herds and a drier landscape. The two together cover the water and the dry country in one trip.
Photography
The camp is run with photography in mind, which follows from its founders’ work. The open floodplains give clean backgrounds and long sightlines, and the water hunts are among the most photographed predator sequences in Africa.
Who it suits
Travellers who want a very small camp in the Delta with exceptional predator viewing, and photographers in particular. There is also a separate Duba Plains Suite for parties wanting a private, self-contained unit on the same concession.
Check availability around Okavango Delta
Compare available stays around Okavango Delta through our accommodation partner. The results cover the wider area rather than this property alone, and BTG publishes no rate here.
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