Abu Camp

Abu Camp offers the unique opportunity to bond with elephants firsthand. Situated in a vast private reserve of 180 000 hectares, guests interact with the resident elephant herd, whether riding or walking with them through the bush. The ultimate elephant education safari!

Named after a very special bull elephant, Abu Camp was the original base camp when Africa's first elephant back safaris were pioneered in the Delta 17 years ago. Today it is located in a grove of magnificent hardwood trees on the edge of a large lagoon at the edge of the Okavango Delta with a resident school of hippo.

Well-lit pathways link the Abu Camp 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 the wildlife surrounding the camp, as well as throughout the Okavango Delta. 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.

An imaginative use of canvas and pole has created a unique style of tent with high ceilings, wide and airy spaces, blending in flawlessly with the natural surroundings. Each of the six en-suite accommodation units has its own distinctive furnishings and fittings, many of them antique, imparting an air of opulence amid the bush setting. Each tent has its own private elevated teak deck sculpted around one of the lofty sycomore figs or jackalberry trees with vistas the likes of which only the Okavango Delta can boast.

Abu Camp is unique in that it allows guests to interact with the resident elephant herd, meeting each individual and initiating a journey into the complex behavior of the largest land mammal on Earth. Guests at Abu Camp are invited to become part of the elephant herd during their stay, watching the evening feeding, sharing the simple joy of a frolicking youngster, and accompanying them on foot as they move through the bush.

These elephant encounters provide unforgettable magical moments. And viewing wildlife from atop an elephant allows a closer approach to other animals than can be achieved when simply walking as an obvious human figure.

Abu Camp 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 of the Okavango Delta, guests are invited to take to the waters in the mokoros, the traditional poled craft used in the Okavango Delta.