Botswana Safari

Chobe Under Canvas

Chobe National Park, Botswana

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View images of Chobe Under Canvas: Chobe Under Canvas Images

CHOBE UNDER CANVAS RATES: Chobe Under Canvas Rates

CHOBE UNDER CANVAS - CHOBE NATIONAL PARK, BOTSWANA
Live out the adventure of a lifetime as close to nature as you can get in the relaxing solitude of the African wilderness. Comfortable tents with ensuite bathrooms at secluded campsites in the game-rich wilderness of Chobe National Park offer up close and personal encounters with Botswana’s wildlife.

Carefully positioned at exclusive semi-permanent campsites on or near the Chobe River, enjoy the simplicity of the mobile tents at private campsites in one of the top wilderness areas in the world. Evidence of vast herds of wildlife wandering the African bush, well-used animal trails meander between the tents. The camp moves to a different site every five or six days, ensuring that game drives constantly explore fresh areas. Various HATAB sites on the Chobe riverfront are used for this experience - see the Chobe map for HATAB camp locations. The camp is booked on a nightly basis.

Chobe Under Canvas is owned and operated by andBeyond.

Unique Selling Points
• Diverse and unspoiled Botswana wilderness
• Close interaction with wildlife
• Chobe’s best private wilderness campsites
• Accommodation available on a nightly basis
• Spacious, well-appointed ensuite tents
• Fully serviced wilderness camping
• Delicious Pan African meals
• 6 guests per vehicle
• Specially modified 4x4 safari vehicles
• Accompanied throughout by an expert andBeyond guide

Accommodation            For images of Chobe Under Canvas, click Chobe Under Canvas Images
Set in secluded campsites in the game-rich wilderness of the Chobe National Park, five ensuite safari tents form an intimate cluster of warmth and comfort. The tents each have twin or double bed, ensuite bathroom, separate w.c., and al fresco bucket shower (hot water delivered upon request).

Tucked in the shade of a dense forest deep in the pristine African bush, a maximum of ten guests revel in the total isolation of these private wilderness sites. Night time noises filter through canvas walls and well-used animal trails bring unexpected visitors to thrill and delight.

Green shadows on the walls of your tent, faint birdsong filtering through the trees and the sweet fragrance of morning dew on bush vegetation welcome each new day at Chobe Under Canvas. Steaming hot water in your ensuite bathroom’s bucket shower refreshes and revitalises for the day ahead. Shady veranda areas offer a vantage point to enjoy the smaller details of bush life. Crisp linens and a spacious double bed welcome weary bodies after a long day filled with discovery.

Tented guest areas create shady spaces to relax in the heat of the day or share a drink with friends in the evening hours, as dishes full of flavour find their way to dining tables. Sated, draw your chair closer to the fire as talk and laughter merge into the starry night, swapping stories meant to last a lifetime.

Included
• Accommodation
• Three meals daily
• Soft drinks, house wines, local brand spirits and beers
• Teas and coffees
• Refreshments on game drives
• Scheduled safari activities
• Emergency medical evacuation insurance
• Laundry

The guest areas comprise comfortable tents for dining, meeting for a pre-dinner drink, or just for whiling the time away between safaris with a good book and frosted beer or glass of Sauvignon Blanc. Complete with welcoming camp staff, delicious traditional bush dinners served under the stars.

Cuisine
Breakfast: After a morning spent tracking down wildlife, return to the camp for a hearty bush breakfast. Feast on platters laden with toast, jams and marmalades, homemade muesli, fresh fruits and assorted cheeses. Hot breakfasts are prepared on the open fire, with eggs, omelettes, frittatas and freshly cooked pot breads.
Lunch: After breakfast indulge in a steaming hot bucket shower or maybe a quick nap before lunch. Inviting lunch platters are served in the cool shade of the dining tent.
Afternoon Tea: While away the afternoon hours with a good book and a chilled glass of wine in the guest tent or simply watch the wonders of the bush directly from your tent's veranda. Afternoon tea, with a selection of light snacks, will be served in the late afternoon.
Dinner: As you arrive back at the camp, cocktails are served around a blazing fire. Dine under the stars on a delicious bush meal cooked on the open flames. After dinner, indulge in decadent desserts, served with tea, coffee or cognac. Stories from an adventurous day are shared around a glowing campfire. You will then be escorted back to your tent, where you will drift off to sleep amidst the sounds of the African bush.

Chobe Under Canvas is regrettably not suitable for children younger than 12 years.

Activities & Wildlife
Activities
At Chobe Under Canvas, it is the staff's passion to share their knowledge and understanding of the bush and its inhabitants with their guests. The highly trained guides and trackers will do their very utmost to delight their guests with a choice of the following activities:

Twice daily game drives - explore the lush banks of the Chobe River and beyond in an open 4x4 safari vehicle accompanied by an armed guide and tracker. Game drives are conducted in the early morning and late afternoon/evening to avoid the heat of the day. The tracker will constantly search for any sign of animals, while the guide will share his vast knowledge of Botswana's landscape and wildlife.

Morning Game Drive - As dawn breaks over the bush, the deep voice of your butler delivers a wake-up call at your tent. A tray of tea, coffee and homemade biscuits will be waiting outside your tent. Climb into an open 4x4 safari vehicle with your guide and tracker, and set off through the waking bush. You may be lucky enough to spot predators feasting on their kill from the night before or herds of buffalo grazing before the heat of the day.

Afternoon Game Drive - Depart on an afternoon game drive as the heat of the day starts to break or try something a little different on a river cruise. Glide among hundreds of elephant, which come down to drink or just cavort in the cooling waters. Hippo can be spotted both in and out of the water, and herds of beautiful sable wander the water's edge. Snacks and sundowners are served on board as the sun sinks beneath the horizon.

Boat cruises - a leisurely cruise along the Chobe River at sunset gives guests the opportunity to spot wildlife coming down to the water to drink. Large herds of elephant drinking and bathing in the river are joined by groups of buffalo, while red lechwe, puku, zebra, sable and roan antelope can be spotted grazing on the floodplains. Prolific birdlife can be encountered along the river’s edge, where carmine bee-eaters build massive colonies in the exposed sandban.

Wildlife
Renowned as one of the top wilderness reserves in the world, Chobe National Park is home to the largest concentration of elephant on the African continent. The vast elephant population has had a significant impact on the park, thinning out the dense riverine thickets on the banks of the Chobe River. The huge bulk of these majestic animals requires almost 150 kg of fodder each day, with grass, leaves or even tree branches making up their diet. Elephant herds rely upon their matriarch to lead them to the best feeding and water sites, with individuals seldom straying from each other and ready to come to the aid of a family member who is in trouble.

Chobe also boasts two antelopes rarely encountered elsewhere in Botswana - the puku and the Chobe bushbuck. The puku, with their shaggy orange-brown coats and V-shaped horns, can be spotted grazing the floodplains. Always on the lookout for predators, a repetitive whistle is used to warn fellow herd members. In contrast, the Chobe bushbuck is nocturnal and rarely forms groups of more than one pair. Rarely seen, this shy antelope, with its short, spiral horns relies on a sharp bark as an alarm call when threatened. Both the puku and the bushbuck have a number of predators to contend with, from lion, hyena and leopard, to African wild dog, civet and caracal.

With an incredible wealth of species, Chobe is a haven for birding enthusiasts. Striking colonies of carmine bee-eaters build their nests in the exposed sandy banks of the river. Water birds, including many species of duck and the rare red-billed pratincole can be spotted in their thousands, and guinea fowl and francolin dart through the grasses on the river’s edge. A quintessential African sound, the haunting call of the fish eagle can often be heard echoing over the Chobe River. With their striking chestnut and white colours, these intensely territorial birds challenge competitors to regular calling duets.

Guides
andBeyond is renowned for having some of the most highly trained, professional, passionate and knowledgeable guides and trackers on the continent. They have a shared passion for guest delight and for the staff members at Chobe Under Canvas, there is no better way to spend the day than in making our guests' safari dreams come true. Our chefs, butlers, housekeepers, security and workshop staff are trained with the same dedication as our field staff, but their pleasure in sharing your special moments is something that cannot be taught. They are the magic ingredient at Chobe Under Canvas and their commitment to creating moments that take our guests' breath away is genuine.

andBeyond are renowned for having some of the most highly trained, professional, passionate and knowledgeable guides and trackers on the continent. They have a passion for people and wildlife, ensuring unbeatable interpretive safari experiences. The guides at Chobe Under Canvas impart an incomparable wealth of knowledge, personally researched and experienced, about the habitats, ecology, birds, trees, plants, small animals and insects of Chobe. Many of our guides and trackers belong to the surrounding communities and can also share cultural information with their guests.

andBeyond runs two full-time ranger training schools headed by professional ranger trainers in Africa - at Phinda in South Africa and Klein's Camp in Tanzania. Each guide at Chobe Under Canvas undergoes a rigorous eight-week training course at one of these schools before joining their team. They then receive further on-site training and benefit immensely from their colleagues' ongoing mentorship. It is through their passion for what they do, and their desire to develop and learn that &Beyond's guides are among the finest in the world.

Environment
Declared a National Park in 1967, Chobe was the first National Park in Botswana. It is home to one of the largest concentrations of elephant on the African continent. Surrounded by wildlife management areas and reserves that allow game to roam freely, the 11,700 km² (4,500 square mile) reserve is located in the far north of Botswana, bordering on the Chobe River. Home to the entire Big Five, Chobe is particularly well known for its large herds of elephant and buffalo, as well as the two antelope that cannot be encountered anywhere else in Botswana, the puku and the Chobe bushbuck.

Chobe offers both dry savanna and permanent swamp, in addition to the vast floodplains along the river. Dense teak woodland provides thick cover in the northeast parts of the reserve.The burgeoning elephant population has been responsible for removing the riverine forest that formerly fringed the Chobe, opening up this habitat for other herbivores and the carnivores that prey on them. Watching the elephant families drink and bathe in the river is an unforgettable sight, all the more impressive when herds of buffalo, rafts of hippo and gigantic Nile crocodiles are part of the scene. Lion and spotted hyena are frequently seen on the floodplains, where red lechwe, puku, zebra, sable and roan come out to graze.

The perennial Chobe River encourages the growth of a dense forest of tall trees, which are forced upward in the race for sunlight, ending in typically small crowns. Little grass survives among the shrubs and creepers in their deep shade. The region's steadily growing elephant population has had an effect on this dense riverine growth, with many trees being uprooted during the pachyderms’ continual quest for food. As the forest has become less dense, it has formed a suitable habitat for many other herbivores and the carnivores that prey on them.

Located in the far northwestern corner of Chobe is the Linyanti marsh, an area of permanent swamplands often referred to as the miniature Okavango. Semi-aquatic antelope such as the red lechwe and sitatunga, as well as bird species such as the slaty egret, lesser jackana and Pel’s fishing owl occur in this watery wilderness. Large numbers of elephant concentrate around the waterways and marshlands in the dry season. Crocodile and hippo can be found in the larger channels and open water areas of the Linyanti. Lion and hyena, as well as smaller predators such as the African wild cat or caracal, can be encountered in the area.

A hot and dry corridor extends throughout portions of the park, where vegetation becomes sparse and water more difficult to find. The elusive oribi antelope can be seen in this difficult terrain, as can gemsbok, eland, ostrich and steenbok. Other species wandering through this area include giraffe, roan, sable and elephant. Bird enthusiasts can enjoy the sight of white-faced duck, knob-billed duck and red-winged pratincole in their thousands. Carmine bee-eaters build massive colonies in exposed sandbanks, while guinea fowl and francolin roam the riverside.

Other Considerations
• Weather: Botswana has hot, wet summers (October to April). Temperatures can rise to over 40ºC/104ºF and usually drop to 25ºC/77ºF at night. Winters (May to September) are dry and cool, and the nights can be chilly.
• Rainfall: October/November – March
• Best time to travel: All year round.
• Malaria: Camps are situated in malaria areas and necessary precautions should be taken: tents are fully netted and insect proof.
• Ratio of guests to staff: 10 to 8
• Camp closure: Closed in January and February.
• Getting there: Per National Park vehicle restrictions, it is not possible for guests to self-drive into the Chobe Under Canvas camps. There are scheduled flights to Kasane airport, where a guide will collect guests and transfer them to camp (1 hour with game viewing en route).

Top           Return to Map of Chobe 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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