Zarafa Camp

Under an eye-catching canopy of red ivory and African ebony trees, you will find Zarafa Camp, one of our best luxury safari lodges in Botswana, where remarkable wildlife sightings dominate.

We think it’s one of the most remarkable safari camps in the whole of Botswana because Zarafa Camp features just four stylish tents for a one-of-a-kind experience in the private Selinda Reserve. Add to that simply great service standards and amenities – this eco-camp pushes the boundaries in providing memorable experiences to all who visit. 

Discover a level of intimacy not found in many Botswana safari camps and this one is in a unique destination too, in northern Botswana near where the Linyanti and Savute river systems meet and flow south to the magic of the Okavango Delta, and the Chobe/Savute corridors. 

It’s claim to fame is that Zarafa Camp is one of only three Relais & Chateaux properties in Botswana, part of the Great Plains Conservation collection. Wherever you sit or sleep in this camp, you will be overwhelmed by the view, right over the source of the well-known Savute Channel, the crystal waters of Zibadianja Lagoon. 

We love the fact that Zarafa is so environmentally sensitive in this wilderness paradise where nature comes first – all electricity comes from the solar farm and bio gas plants recycle solid waste into usable cooking gas in the eco kitchen. The woods are all recycled hardwoods and canvas takes the edge off the use of material construction. 

Tented chalets are raised to lessen their impacts on the vegetation and to gain better views while all floors are unique polished woods. All interiors are decorated with only the best leather and natural materials in red and brown hues for that African bushveld feeling. Huge decks, private plunge pools, outside showers, unique copper bath tubs, fancy beds and lounges.  

Visitors to Zarafa are there for the seclusion in a rich wildlife area where everything you see is special – from the big 5 and the enormous herds of antelope to the unique water adapted species, birds and reptiles, apes and other tiny critters. The trees and other wetland plants are unbelievable to see and witness on film!

Leopard, lion, elephant, buffalo, Red lechwe, zebra and giraffe, African wild dog, cheetah, roan and sable. And birders will go mad to see the African skimmer colony, Black egrets and more. Hippos mutter all night as they graze and the African sounds seem to be the only therapy left in this world that really works! Book that special Okavango safari package today.

Zarafa Camp, located in the 320,000-acre Selinda Reserve, is synonymous with exclusive Botswana accommodation because it embodies luxurious simplicity and authenticity in its beautiful design, ‘green’ construction and spectacular location. 

Find the unconventional Zarafa Camp floating on an island in the floodplains of the southern shores of the Zibadianja Lagoon, which is also the source of the Savute Channel. Positioned on the extreme eastern side of the Selinda Reserve, its location is in prime wildlife territory and is known to be a vital water source for the rest of the Okavango Delta, Chobe River and beyond.

Each of the camp’s four immense tented suites is raised up on wooden decking and shaded by a canopy of African ebony and Red ivory trees, and each regal bush chalet features uninterrupted views of the breath-taking watery landscape. These wooden and canvas suites are positioned on the forest’s edge, rimming the shores of the floodplains and far from any neighbour.

Picture vast ‘marquis style’ canvas tents created to be open-air without exposing guests to the elements. Each of the three “rooms” of the tent is decorated with custom-made furniture, handcrafted from recycled ancient hardwoods. The raised decks, constructed of recycled African railroad sleepers, form the tent’s foundation.

Each tent comes with its own Canon professional camera including a Canon 40D body and 35-135 mm and 100-400mm zoom lenses for use during a stay. Photos are then burned to a DVD as a souvenir at the end of your stay.

There are few places in northern Botswana as dynamic as the Selinda Reserve, which is centred on the famous Selinda Spillway, which weaves its way east, linking the far reaches of the Okavango Delta in the south with the Linyanti water systems in the east. We love this camp and its incredible swimming pool, bar and lounge plus game viewing deck and fire pit for all those divine African meals you share.  Children from 8 years are welcome and will enjoy the attention from game rangers on drives and walks, in the boats and birding too! 

One of the most remarkable luxury safari lodges in all of Botswana, Zarafa Camp offers just four stylish tents for a one of a kind experience in the private Selinda Reserve. Opulence in an eco-friendly approach is a win-win vacation for all. Chat to us about our all-inclusive packages to this wonderland in the north of the Botswana Okavango Delta Linyanti-Savute river systems.