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Why Duba Plains Botswana defines the modern luxury safari
Duba Plains Botswana sits in a remote corner of the northern Okavango Delta, where floodplains, channels, and islands create a cinematic stage for wildlife. This private 33 000 hectare reserve is managed by Great Plains Conservation, whose ethos blends high end comfort with rigorous conservation and community partnerships. For travellers seeking a luxury safari that feels both intimate and purposeful, Duba Plains offers a rare balance of seclusion and substance.
The heart of the experience is Duba Plains Camp, a small collection of tented suites raised above the plains and wetlands, each suite designed to frame the surrounding wildlife rather than overshadow it. With only five tented rooms and one additional plains suite, the camp feels more like a refined bush residence than a conventional lodge, and service is tailored to individual preferences rather than rigid schedules. Access by light aircraft from Maun or Kasane, followed by a five minute drive from the airstrip, keeps the duba concession wonderfully quiet and crowd free.
Founders Dereck and Beverly Joubert, renowned National Geographic filmmakers, shaped Duba Plains Botswana around close wildlife encounters and storytelling. Their work underpins the philosophy of Great Plains, Great Plains Conservation, and sister properties such as Zarafa Camp, Selinda Camp, Mara Plains, and the more adventurous Explorers Camp and Expedition Camp. When you book a stay at any of these safari camps, you are entering a network of reserves, from the Okavango Delta to the Selinda Reserve and the Mara, that share a unified commitment to wildlife protection.
Inside Duba Plains Camp and its neighbouring luxury camps
Duba Plains Camp is deliberately small, with just a handful of suites positioned to overlook the floodplains where lions, buffalo, elephants, and wattled cranes move through the grass. Each plains suite combines canvas, timber, and copper with ceiling fans, private decks, and plunge pools, creating a luxury retreat that still feels rooted in the bush. The camp’s design allows you to watch wildlife from your bed or veranda, turning quiet moments between activities into part of the safari experience.
Dining at Duba Plains Botswana is a highlight, with menus that change according to seasonal produce and guest preferences. Multi course dinners are often served under the stars, and the culinary approach mirrors that of other Great Plains properties that elevate gourmet dining in Africa’s wildest settings, as explored in this guide to gourmet safari lodge cuisine. Wine cellars feature carefully curated South African and international labels, and private dinners can be arranged in your suite or on the deck overlooking the plains.
Beyond Duba Plains Camp, the wider Great Plains portfolio in Botswana and Kenya offers complementary experiences. Zarafa Camp and its neighbouring Explorers Camp sit on the Zibadianja Lagoon, while Selinda Camp anchors the Selinda Reserve, and Mara Plains lies in the Olare Motorogi Conservancy bordering the Maasai Mara. Together with the more adventurous Expedition Camp and Okavango Explorers style camps, these properties create a network of safari camps and camp Botswana options that allow you to combine different ecosystems, from the Okavango Delta to the Mara, within a single extended journey.
Wildlife, activities, and the character of the Duba concession
The Duba concession is renowned for intense predator and prey interactions, especially between lions and buffalo on the open plains. Game drives from Duba Plains Camp typically begin at first light, when predators are still active and the air is cool, and guides use open 4x4 vehicles to navigate the floodplains, islands, and woodland. Guests can observe lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, and various bird species, including wattled cranes and slaty egrets.
As the day warms, the focus often shifts from the plains to the channels and the broader Okavango Delta environment. Mokoro excursions in traditional dugout canoes glide silently past reed beds, while walking safaris and night drives reveal smaller wildlife and nocturnal behaviour that vehicles might miss. These varied activities ensure that your Botswana safari never feels repetitive, and each outing from camp Duba or neighbouring camps reveals a different layer of the ecosystem.
Because Duba Plains Botswana lies within a private reserve, guides can follow wildlife at respectful distances without the congestion sometimes seen in busier areas. This sense of privacy extends across other Great Plains properties, from Mara Plains in Kenya to Zarafa Camp and Selinda Camp in northern Botswana. When you plan your travel, consider combining Duba Plains with a stay at a more adventurous Explorers Camp or Expedition Camp, or adding time in the Selinda Reserve or Okavango Explorers style camps to deepen your overall safari experience.
Conservation, community, and the ethics of a luxury safari
Choosing Duba Plains Botswana is not only about comfort ; it is also a statement about the kind of tourism you wish to support. Great Plains Conservation channels a portion of revenue from Duba Plains, Zarafa, Selinda, Mara Plains, and other safari camps into habitat protection, anti poaching initiatives, and community projects. This model of plains conservation helps secure corridors for wildlife across the Okavango Delta, Selinda Reserve, and Mara ecosystems.
The camp’s low density design, with only a few suites across a vast reserve, reduces environmental impact while enhancing the feeling of exclusivity. Solar power, careful water management, and locally sourced materials are integrated wherever feasible, and the team works closely with neighbouring communities to create employment and training opportunities. This approach ensures that each luxury safari stay at Duba Plains Camp or a related camp Botswana property contributes to long term regional stability.
For travellers comparing different safari camps, it is worth noting how Great Plains and Great Plains Conservation position their properties. Duba Plains, Mara Plains, Zarafa Camp, Selinda Camp, and the more rustic Explorers Camp and Expedition Camp are all designed to fund conservation first, with luxury layered on as a means to that end. When planning a Botswana safari that includes the Okavango Delta, the duba concession, and possibly an Okavango Explorers style itinerary, you are effectively investing in the future of these landscapes and their wildlife.
How to choose and book the right plains camp and suite
One of the deeper challenges in the luxury and premium booking space for safari lodges is the lack of nuanced categories for travellers who want both exclusivity and clarity. Many booking platforms group very different safari camps together, making it hard to compare a small plains camp like Duba Plains with a larger camp Botswana property elsewhere in the Okavango Delta. For someone planning a Botswana safari, this can obscure crucial differences in privacy, guiding quality, and conservation impact.
When evaluating Duba Plains Botswana against alternatives such as Zarafa Camp, Selinda Camp, Mara Plains, or an Explorers Camp or Expedition Camp, focus on a few key metrics. Look at the number of suites relative to the size of the reserve, the range of activities offered, and whether the camp sits in a private concession like the duba concession or a busier public area. Pay attention to how each property describes its safari experience, from game drives and mokoro outings to walking safaris and night drives, and ask specifically about guide qualifications.
Specialist agencies and curated platforms that focus on luxury safari and family friendly itineraries can help decode these nuances. For example, resources such as this guide to exceptional family safari lodges can highlight which plains camps and suites work best for multi generational travel. By combining Duba Plains with time at Mara Plains, Zarafa, or a more adventurous Okavango Explorers or Expedition Camp, you can tailor a journey that matches your expectations for privacy, wildlife intensity, and comfort.
Designing a multi camp journey across Botswana and beyond
A stay at Duba Plains Botswana often works best as the centrepiece of a broader itinerary that links several Great Plains properties. You might begin with an Okavango Delta focused safari at Duba Plains Camp, where the emphasis is on floodplains, channels, and the unique character of the duba concession. From there, a short light aircraft hop can take you to Zarafa Camp or its Explorers Camp counterpart, where the lagoon setting and different wildlife dynamics complement the open plains.
Adding Selinda Camp in the Selinda Reserve introduces yet another ecosystem, with riverine woodland and wide channels that attract elephants, wild dogs, and an impressive variety of birds. Further afield, Mara Plains in Kenya offers a contrasting take on the plains, with the Maasai Mara’s rolling grasslands and seasonal migrations providing a dramatic finale. Throughout such a journey, you remain within the Great Plains and Great Plains Conservation family, benefiting from consistent guiding standards and a shared commitment to plains conservation.
For travellers with more time, an Expedition Camp or Okavango Explorers style camp can add a lighter footprint, more adventurous element. These safari camps typically offer simpler suites and a more expeditionary feel, ideal for guests who want to balance the indulgence of a luxury safari at Duba Plains with nights that feel closer to the ground. By thoughtfully sequencing plains camps, camp Botswana properties, and even island based or delta focused stays, you can create a safari experience that feels both coherent and richly varied.
Key statistics for Duba Plains Botswana and its reserve
- The private reserve surrounding Duba Plains Camp covers approximately 33 000 hectares of Okavango Delta wilderness.
- Duba Plains Camp offers five tented rooms and one additional suite, ensuring a very low guest to land ratio.
- Access is via light aircraft, with typical flight times of about 40 minutes from Maun and 1 hour 20 minutes from Kasane.
Essential questions about Duba Plains Botswana
What wildlife can guests expect to see at Duba Plains Botswana ?
Guests at Duba Plains Camp can encounter lions, leopards, elephants, buffalo, and a rich variety of antelope on the surrounding plains. The wetlands and channels of the Okavango Delta also support notable birdlife, including wattled cranes and slaty egrets. Sightings vary with water levels and seasons, but the duba concession is known for consistently rewarding game viewing.
What activities are included in the safari experience at Duba Plains ?
The safari experience at Duba Plains Botswana typically includes guided game drives in open 4x4 vehicles, mokoro excursions when water levels permit, walking safaris, and night drives. These activities are led by experienced guides who tailor each outing to current wildlife movements and guest interests. The combination of land and water based excursions showcases both the plains and the intricate waterways of the Okavango Delta.
How do travellers reach Duba Plains Camp within Botswana ?
Most travellers fly into Maun or Kasane, then connect to Duba Plains Camp by light aircraft arranged through their tour operator or camp reservations team. Flight times are usually around 40 minutes from Maun and about 1 hour 20 minutes from Kasane, followed by a short five minute drive from the airstrip to camp. Private air charter options are also available for guests seeking a fully private travel arrangement into the duba concession.
References :
• https://www.botswanatourism.co.bw/stay/duba-plains-camp
• https://www.greatplainsconservation.com
• https://www.nationalgeographic.com
