Abu Camp

PLAN MY TRIP

Within a pristine pocket of riverine forest, Abu Camp is situated in a vast private reserve of 400,000 acres in the heart of the Okavango Delta.

Accommodations at the camp consist of six luxury, Afro-Bedouin tents with high, wide and airy sides that blend in well with the natural surroundings. These en suite rooms feature the added comfort of an outdoor copper bathtub. Each tent has its own private elevated teak deck sculpted around one of the lofty sycamore figs or jackalberry trees.

Named after a very special bull elephant, Abu was the original base camp from where Africa’s first elephant back safaris were pioneered in the delta seventeen years ago. Known as “the jewel of the Kalahari” the Okavango’s lagoons, lakes, and deep channels form an oasis amid the arid Kalahari Desert. The delta is an important natural habitat with 2,500 species of plants, 65 fish species, 20 large herbivores and their attendant predators, and more than 450 species of birds. Today the camp is located in a grove of magnificent hardwood trees on the edge of a large lagoon with a resident pod of hippo.

Abu is unique in that it allows guests to interact with the resident elephant herd, meeting each individual and beginning to understand the complex behavior of the largest land mammal on Earth. Guests are invited to become part of the herd during their stay and may watch them being fed in the evenings, enjoy the frolics of the babies, and accompanying them on foot as they move through the bush. Abu also offers morning and afternoon game drives, night drives and nature walks to view the abundance of fauna and flora in the area. During the seasonal floods, guests are invited to take to the waters in the mokoros, the traditional poled craft used in the Delta.

Well-lit pathways link the tents with the main lounge and dining area. The lounge is replete with comfortable antique furnishings and boasts an absorbing library of field guides and illustrated volumes on wildlife. A well-stocked bar provides drinks and cocktails for post-safari sundowners around a camp fire while most of the meals are taken al fresco on the deck. Nearby, a secluded plunge pool enables guests to cool off and relax. With its shady trees and views overlooking the tranquil lagoon, Abu Camp is a haven of peace and seclusion.