Baines' Camp
BAINES' CAMP - OKAVANGO DELTA,
BOTSWANA
Located on the Boro River and set amongst the
shady trees and water of the Okavango Delta, on a private concession
neighbouring the Moremi Game
Reserve, Baines' Camp is an exclusive
oasis for those wishing to experience the true wilds of Botswana.
This private camp is located by
definition in the Okavango's seasonal delta. The flood waters arrive
in June, though there is often navigable water all year round due
to the presence of the Boro River. The beautifully-appointed tents
evoke an atmosphere of "classic
Africa,"
with hand-crafted beds, antique furniture and Thomas Baines paintings
combining to create the surroundings of colonial-era luxury. Baines'
Camp and it's sister property, Stanley's Camp,
are owned and operated by Sanctuary Lodges & Camps.
Accommodation 
For images of Baines' Camp, click Baines'
Images
The camp features five luxurious
suites set on elevated platforms along a tree line bordering on a perennial
floodplain. Wooden decks offer expansive views over the permanent water
of the Boro River and a lagoon teaming with life. The camp is named
after the famed nineteenth century explorer and artist, Thomas Baines.
The inspiration for Baines’ paintings
is evident when looking at the quintessential Okavango waterscape that
stretches from the camp.
The elevated suites feature a luxury bedroom, with softly draped fabrics
adding the romantic touch of a bygone era. The four-poster beds are fully
mobile, giving guests the choice of slumber under star laden skies. Avid
astronomers will delight in stargazing from the privacy of their own
deck.
Each room is equipped with a hairdryer,
ceiling fan, in-room safe and minibar. The camp also provides a torch
as well as complimentary mosquito repellant & toiletries.
Electricity, 240 volts, is supplied by a combination of silent packed
generator and battery system allowing 24-hour power supply.
The main area features an oversized deck for outdoor dining and views
over the permanent water of the lagoon, as well as a swimming pool for
refreshing sunbathing.
Activities
Game viewing: This area
is superb for viewing all animals and bird species. Guests may
explore by land and water, often into the night, to discover nocturnal
species.
Mokoro (dug–out canoe)
or Motorised boat safaris: The
permanent water of the camp will reveal a world of floating safaris,
atmospherically silent at the gentle pace of a poled mokoro, or faster
in a comfortable motorboat.
Walking Safaris: Sometimes
there is no better way to tune into the bush than on foot, and walking
safaris will be a speciality at Baines’, with skilled, armed
professional guides introducing the area’s natural wonders.
The choice of activities will not end
there. The unique and educational Elephant
interaction featured at Stanley's Camp , will be
available to guests at Baines’.
Elephant Activity
Stanley's Camp Elephant Activity (additional
cost):
As part of a unique learning adventure, visitors accompany our semi-habituated
herd on daily foraging treks. Immersed in elephant life, warm bonds of
kinship grow from a newly found appreciation of these gentle giants. Please
note that no riding is offered. The main objective is to initiate a relationship
between the guests and elephants.
The activity encompasses a leisurely paced walk with a trio of semi-habituated
elephants, becoming personally acquainted with them, observing and interacting
with them and a picnic lunch in their company.
Duration: 4 hours
in the morning culminating in a picnic lunch in the bush.
Maximum
number of guests: 10
on an activity.
Currently, Grey Matters, Doug and Sandi
Groves’ Botswana-based company, supports the elephant trio: Jabu, Thembi and Morula.
You are invited to discover the elephants,
from the bristled ends of their long tails to the tip of their powerful
yet sensitive trunks. Marvel
at their big ears, thoughtful eyes and enormous
padded feet. Trace the textures of their skin and the silken polish of
their ivory. Explore the astonishing bonds of kinship forged over more
than a decade between the elephants and their guardians in a wilderness
of mesmerizing beauty.
A delicate blink of Morula’s long
lashes reveals her sensitive yet powerful personality. Jabu takes you,
trunk in hand, with his bold and generous nature and together you slowly
uncover the age-old secrets of the African elephant and the mysteries
of the surrounding wilderness. Thembi, cute, boisterous and impossible
to ignore, infatuates you and transforms your understanding of elephants
to a deeper and more personal level.
“If I learned anything from my time among the elephants, it is
the extent to which we are kin. The warmth of their families makes
me feel warm. Their capacity for delight makes me feel joy. Their
ability to learn and understand things is a continuing revelation.”
It is this continuum between people and
elephant that Chadwick writes about so eloquently in his book “The
Fate of the Elephant”.
Background
Elephants can live for 50 years, so when
Doug and Sandi Groves adopted Jabu, Thembi and
later Morula, rescuing them from culling operations that had left them
orphans, they knew they were making a life-long commitment to the trio.
Jabu, short
for Jabulani, a Zulu name, means happiness and indeed Jabu’s
zest for life is inspiring. Jabu
is a proud and handsome bull, who enjoys his role as alpha elephant
of the small herd. He is kind, playful, generous, big-hearted and
dependable. Of the three elephants he is the most independent and
confident. Jabu loves interacting and building solid relationships
based on mutual trust and respect. He is predictable and unconditional
in his giving.
Thembi, is a common
Zulu name meaning trust. Thembi is the sweetheart of the herd and the
smallest in stature. Perfectly
formed, pretty and dainty, Thembi knows a few tricks for getting her
way. Smart and very social, she loves to be the centre of attention.
Morula, is named after
a beautiful African fruit tree. Her strongest personality trait is
one of great gentleness; she is mild-natured, sensitive and easily
bruised emotionally. She can be described
as a wallflower but she blossoms beautifully when love and attention
are focused directly on her. Morula weaves a powerful magic of
her own as in her quiet and subtle way she captures your heart with her
sincere, loyal and sweet nature.
LIVING WITH ELEPHANTS
Doug and Sandi Groves have strived to
find ways in which their adopted elephants can
act as ambassadors to their wild counterparts. In
1999 the Living With Elephants Foundation (LWE) was launched as an organization
that could help the Groves and their trio fulfil their elephant sized
dreams.
Living
With Elephants Foundation (LWE) is dedicated to relieving conflict
and competition between the African Elephant and human populations
in Botswana. You can learn more on this subject at: www.livingwithelephants.org
Wildlife
Stanley's Camp offers some of the best game viewing
in the Okavango, including Elephant, Buffalo, Giraffe, Hippo, Lion, Leopard,
Cheetah and the rare and elusive Wild Dog. The area houses one of the
largest buffalo populations in the Okavango Delta, which, in the dry season,
can concentrate into a herd in excess of 2000 head. A completely unique
Stanley's feature is an educational experience with a group of semi-habituated
African Elephants. Spend a day walking with the Elephants and observe
them up-close in their natural environment. The area also permits guests
the opportunity of viewing the rare Sitatunga antelope.
Top 
Return to Map of Okavango
Delta Camps
Water
/ Land Activity Table for Botswana camps: Water/Land
Botswana
Flying
Times between Botswana camps: Fly
Times Botswana
For further information about the Okavango Delta, click More
Okavango
For further information about Botswana, click More
Botswana
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