From the wee bit of research I have done it seems like there are 3 levels of Safari camps in the African Bush - truly luxurious, the essentials +, and very basic. We were in the middle group - the essentials +. Now "essentials plus" is up for interpretation - what is essential to me may not be essential to you. Remember, I love staying in Housekeeping at Yosemite so I thought our camps were beyond wonderful but you have to decide if they would meet your needs. Let me try to be neutral in describing them:
The Main Lodge
Each of our 4 camps (we stayed in each for 3 days) had a Main Lodge where we met for discussions and meals. It included an area with couches and chairs where we could sit and talk, a bar, an eating area with a long table that sat 20 and a small shop.
All had wood roofs with open sides to let in the breeze during the heat of the afternoons. The first camp looked over the Chobe River in Botswana.
The second lodge was in the Okavanga Delta, also in Botswana. This lodge was on stilts and the walkways were elevated and looked out over scrub savanna.
The third camp looked over the Lufupa River in Zambia. It was gorgeous.
Guest Cabins
Each camp had 8-10 cabins (plus separate staff quarters). I was impressed that each had its own bath (remember, at Housekeeping in Yosemite you share communal bathrooms and showers) until I realized they HAD to have bathrooms because you can't leave the cabins once it gets dark - too many animals around. The cabins were large and 20 - 75 feet apart. Minimally each cabin had a wood roof with canvas walls over wood support beams, two beds, a storage area for clothes, a shower and toilet and an outside seating area - a balcony or a deck. Some cabins included a table and two chairs and the cabin in Zimbabwe had an additional outdoor shower. You had to be good friends with your cabin mate (and most were husband and wife pairs) because the bathroom wall was insignificant. You heard everything! But this was better than using the "green door" - going to the bathroom out in the Bush as we did during our animal viewing trips.
Camp Routine
Each morning, usually at 6 a.m., a camp staff member came to our cabin door to wake us up - sometimes he hit a drum, other times, he just called out. We then had 30 minutes to get up and dressed. By 6:30 it was light enough to walk by ourselves to the Main Lodge for breakfast. If we encountered an animal on the way we were to walk back to our cabin and wait. If we didn't show up, a staff member would eventually come get us and guide us by the animal (by the way - this never happened among our group at camp). Breakfast was oatmeal, yogurt, fruit, toast, eggs, juice, and (this was really hard) instant coffee (come on, coffee is grown in Africa!).
At 7 a.m. we set off on our first animal viewing of the day. Now, remember it was winter in Southern Africa and it was COLD in the mornings. We wore long silk underwear, pants, tops, fleece, jackets, scarves, hats, gloves and then added a warm blanket over our laps in the open Land Rovers. The Land Rovers had 3 benches that rose up behind the driver's seat. It wasn't til close to the end of the trip that I realized that the best seat was "riding shotgun" - you experienced far less bounce when sitting in the front. Around 9 a.m. we would stop for tea and cookies somewhere on the savanna. If any of you have read The #1 Ladies Detective Agency series, we drank the same bush tea that Mma Ramotswe drinks. It was delicious. I brought some home with me.
We'd be back by 11:00 for "brunch" - meat, veggies, curries, casseroles - I called it "African Light" - delicious foods that were African-based but easily acceptable to non-African palates. I never had a bad meal while in Africa and I appreciate the planning it takes to develop meals that work for a wide range of guests. What I found interesting is that, because most groups stay 3 days, the camps have a 3-day plan of meals and just rotate them through the 3 days. I asked how they felt about the repetition and those I asked all smiled gamely.
We then had a siesta until 4 - people slept, walked around the camp (again, always on the look out for animals - we were only supposed to walk on the clearly marked paths), shopped at the camp's gift shop (staff members supplied the offerings - not necessarily made by them but collected by them), took showers, washed hair, etc.
At 4 we had our second animal drive of the day. We stopped in the evening for our "Sundowner" - drinks on the savanna while the gorgeous bright orange sun slipped down below the horizon. It was a favorite part of the day for me - watching animals (often at a watering hole) while sipping a gin and tonic, saluting the sun. In fact, it is a memory that will stay with me forever - the serenity, the beauty, the majesty of the animals gathered at day's end.
Back for dinner by 6:30 or 7:00 which was similar to lunch but also included dessert. Over dinner we talked and talked and talked - the day's adventures, plans for tomorrow, celebrations of what we had seen. By 8:30 or so, we were ready for bed. By that time it was pitch black so we had to have staff accompany us to our cabins. I was glad for their help when we walked back one night in Zambia (on the bank of the Lufupa River) - 2 hippos were resting in front of our cabin. They were big and, as you may know, more people are killed by hippos than any other animal in Africa. I was impressed by our guide. He calmly walked toward them, clapping his hands and telling them, softly, that they needed to move - which they did. He was good, that one.
Sleep - remember, it was winter in Southern Africa. Although the afternoons could get quite warm it was COLD at night. The walls of our cabins were canvas with screen windows that let the breeze in. Usually they were closed, but the wind still made its way through. The camp beds had either thick duvets or up to 6 blankets - that's how cold it was. There was one additional surprise, a treat. During dinner a staff member tucked a hot water bottle wrapped in a little quilt, inside each of our beds. This was heaven. It made the sheets warm and I could tuck my toes underneath it. The small quilt kept it warm until morning. Truly delicious.
So, to me, this was Essentials +. Certainly far above my level of camping at Yosemite. But what do you think? Would you enjoy it or prefer more pampering?
The Main Lodge
Each of our 4 camps (we stayed in each for 3 days) had a Main Lodge where we met for discussions and meals. It included an area with couches and chairs where we could sit and talk, a bar, an eating area with a long table that sat 20 and a small shop.
All had wood roofs with open sides to let in the breeze during the heat of the afternoons. The first camp looked over the Chobe River in Botswana.
This is taken from the Chobe lodge. Note the baobab tree on the left edge.
Why didn't I move the camera a bit to the left????
The second lodge was in the Okavanga Delta, also in Botswana. This lodge was on stilts and the walkways were elevated and looked out over scrub savanna.
This is the Delta (although not the view from our Lodge)
This is the elevated walkway going to one of the tents.
You are looking at the deck off the dining area. Our lodge was right on the river's bank.
Hippos came up from the river to our camp site.
Hippos came up from the river to our camp site.
The final camp was at Lingwasha in Zimbabwe (in Hwange Park). It looked out at this watering hole where animals gathered in the evening. It was spectacular.
This is the dining area in our last camp in Zimbabwe.
You can see the bar's roof out back, beyond the table.
Guest Cabins
Each camp had 8-10 cabins (plus separate staff quarters). I was impressed that each had its own bath (remember, at Housekeeping in Yosemite you share communal bathrooms and showers) until I realized they HAD to have bathrooms because you can't leave the cabins once it gets dark - too many animals around. The cabins were large and 20 - 75 feet apart. Minimally each cabin had a wood roof with canvas walls over wood support beams, two beds, a storage area for clothes, a shower and toilet and an outside seating area - a balcony or a deck. Some cabins included a table and two chairs and the cabin in Zimbabwe had an additional outdoor shower. You had to be good friends with your cabin mate (and most were husband and wife pairs) because the bathroom wall was insignificant. You heard everything! But this was better than using the "green door" - going to the bathroom out in the Bush as we did during our animal viewing trips.
The outside of our tent in Zimbabwe.
Inside
Camp Routine
Each morning, usually at 6 a.m., a camp staff member came to our cabin door to wake us up - sometimes he hit a drum, other times, he just called out. We then had 30 minutes to get up and dressed. By 6:30 it was light enough to walk by ourselves to the Main Lodge for breakfast. If we encountered an animal on the way we were to walk back to our cabin and wait. If we didn't show up, a staff member would eventually come get us and guide us by the animal (by the way - this never happened among our group at camp). Breakfast was oatmeal, yogurt, fruit, toast, eggs, juice, and (this was really hard) instant coffee (come on, coffee is grown in Africa!).
At 7 a.m. we set off on our first animal viewing of the day. Now, remember it was winter in Southern Africa and it was COLD in the mornings. We wore long silk underwear, pants, tops, fleece, jackets, scarves, hats, gloves and then added a warm blanket over our laps in the open Land Rovers. The Land Rovers had 3 benches that rose up behind the driver's seat. It wasn't til close to the end of the trip that I realized that the best seat was "riding shotgun" - you experienced far less bounce when sitting in the front. Around 9 a.m. we would stop for tea and cookies somewhere on the savanna. If any of you have read The #1 Ladies Detective Agency series, we drank the same bush tea that Mma Ramotswe drinks. It was delicious. I brought some home with me.
This is in Chobe, our first camp. We asked to have the canvas roofs removed from the Land Rovers because we could see better without them - especially if you were in the seat farthest back.
Here it is with the canvas roof off.
Here it is with the canvas roof off.
We'd be back by 11:00 for "brunch" - meat, veggies, curries, casseroles - I called it "African Light" - delicious foods that were African-based but easily acceptable to non-African palates. I never had a bad meal while in Africa and I appreciate the planning it takes to develop meals that work for a wide range of guests. What I found interesting is that, because most groups stay 3 days, the camps have a 3-day plan of meals and just rotate them through the 3 days. I asked how they felt about the repetition and those I asked all smiled gamely.
We then had a siesta until 4 - people slept, walked around the camp (again, always on the look out for animals - we were only supposed to walk on the clearly marked paths), shopped at the camp's gift shop (staff members supplied the offerings - not necessarily made by them but collected by them), took showers, washed hair, etc.
At 4 we had our second animal drive of the day. We stopped in the evening for our "Sundowner" - drinks on the savanna while the gorgeous bright orange sun slipped down below the horizon. It was a favorite part of the day for me - watching animals (often at a watering hole) while sipping a gin and tonic, saluting the sun. In fact, it is a memory that will stay with me forever - the serenity, the beauty, the majesty of the animals gathered at day's end.
Back for dinner by 6:30 or 7:00 which was similar to lunch but also included dessert. Over dinner we talked and talked and talked - the day's adventures, plans for tomorrow, celebrations of what we had seen. By 8:30 or so, we were ready for bed. By that time it was pitch black so we had to have staff accompany us to our cabins. I was glad for their help when we walked back one night in Zambia (on the bank of the Lufupa River) - 2 hippos were resting in front of our cabin. They were big and, as you may know, more people are killed by hippos than any other animal in Africa. I was impressed by our guide. He calmly walked toward them, clapping his hands and telling them, softly, that they needed to move - which they did. He was good, that one.
Sleep - remember, it was winter in Southern Africa. Although the afternoons could get quite warm it was COLD at night. The walls of our cabins were canvas with screen windows that let the breeze in. Usually they were closed, but the wind still made its way through. The camp beds had either thick duvets or up to 6 blankets - that's how cold it was. There was one additional surprise, a treat. During dinner a staff member tucked a hot water bottle wrapped in a little quilt, inside each of our beds. This was heaven. It made the sheets warm and I could tuck my toes underneath it. The small quilt kept it warm until morning. Truly delicious.
So, to me, this was Essentials +. Certainly far above my level of camping at Yosemite. But what do you think? Would you enjoy it or prefer more pampering?
That sounds just about perfect to me!
ReplyDeleteAh, Lauren - how wonderful to hear from you. Hope all is well with you.
DeleteMuch love from me.