Zarafa Camp

Set on the edge of Zibadianja Lagoon, the source of the Savute Channel, Zarafa Camp holds just four tented suites within the private Selinda Reserve in northern Botswana. The reserve links the Okavango Delta to the Chobe and Savute corridors, and the lagoon draws buffalo and elephant in the hundreds through the dry months. Each suite runs to 305 square metres of raised deck and canvas, set apart from its neighbours at the forest's edge, furnished with pieces built from recycled hardwood. A separate two-suite villa, the Dhow Suite, operates independently with its own lounge and staff. Construction favoured reclaimed timber and canvas throughout; camp power comes from a solar plant, and biogas units turn kitchen waste into cooking gas. It is a quiet operation, run on its own terms. Game drives carry no more than eight guests and range freely across morning and afternoon light, with picnic brunches delivered to the vehicle on request. A pontoon boat, the HES Zib, carries guests onto the lagoon for sundowners among hippo and elephant when water levels allow. Each suite comes fitted with a camera kit, binoculars, and a telescope on its private deck for reading the night sky. Wild dog regularly den nearby each dry season. Check-in runs from 2pm, checkout by 11am.