Duba Plains Camp
Okavango Delta, Botswana
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DUBA PLAINS CAMP - OKAVANGO
DELTA, BOTSWANA
Duba Plains is one of the Okavango Delta's most remote
camps and is located in the furthermost reaches in a very private reserve
of 30,000 hectares, north of the Moremi Wildlife Reserve. The camp is
built on an island shaded by large ebony, fig and mangosteen trees and
surrounded by expansive plains which are seasonally flooded - usually
from about May to early October each year, depending on the rains. Since
Duba has access to large islands, floodplains and marshes, the camp offers
a diversity of experiences. Duba's real treat is its exclusivity and it
is particularly suited to those who want to be in a truly remote reserve.
The camp's dining room and pub are raised on decking under large riverine
trees. There is a small swimming pool too. The camp is operated by Wilderness
Safaris.
Accommodation 
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Map
Accommodation is made up of six roomy tents with an en-suite bathroom, an outside shower, and a veranda overlooking the floodplain. The thatch-roofed lounge, dining room and bar areas are raised on platforms along with a swimming pool, all providing a beautiful view. Guests
here receive a highly personalized experience. Complimentary laundry services are provided.
Activities
Duba Plains is known for the titanic clashes between buffalo and lion, so a classic game drive is one that tracks down the truly enormous buffalo herd to see if any lion are also headed in that direction. Aside from this interaction the age-old conflict between lion and spotted hyaena is also a point of interest. Birdlife is abundant and impressive, with many Okavango Delta specials such as Rosy-throated Longclaw, Slaty Egret and Wattled Crane being found in the area.
A variety of activities include day and night game drives, often tracking the buffalo herd or various lion prides around the concession and leisurely nature walks. Mokoro trips are also possible in times of good floods - usually only between May and September.
Wildlife
Do you want to see lions? Would you
enjoy seeing lots of lions? Duba is probably one of the best places in
all of Africa to see these cats. The lion concentrations here (along with
the Ngorongoro crater in Tanzania) are probably the highest in the world.
As the vast open grasslands are often isolated from the mainland by deep
waterways, the variety of animals is not as high as in other areas within
the Okavango. However, Duba Plains more than makes up for this as it is
a high impact game viewing area. We highly recommend this camp for anyone
interested in viewing lions and their behavior.
Thousands of buffalo take advantage
of Duba's rich grasslands and they alone support the concentrations of
Lions and Hyenas which prey upon them. These huge buffalo herds (some
numbering several thousand animals) are hunted almost daily by up to four
different prides of lions which live in and around Duba. Quite often the
hunting is during the day - so one gets fantastic photo opportunities.
The Lion-Hyena interactions are also worth the visit as both species compete
for the same prey and most kills eventually result in the presence of
both these super-predators.
Lechwe, Buffalo, Elephant, Tsessebe and
Warthog dot the savannah and Hippo concentrate in the deeper channels.
Duba often has productive Hyena dens in the area that offer great Hyena
cub viewing. Leopard are also found here on the many forested islands.
More rarely, Cheetah and Wild Dog have been seen again lately at Duba
after some years of absence. Most of the Okavango Delta's birdlife is
found in the area and birding "specials" like Wattled Crane
(endangered elsewhere in Africa but fairly common in the Delta) and the
rare Slaty Egret are often seen.
NG23 - Duba Plains Concession
Duba Plains is situated in the extreme north of the Okavango, on a private 30 000-hectare private concession in what is known locally as the Kwedi Reserve. Around the edges of the Okavango are a number of low sandy islands and dry land on which animals flourish; Duba Plains is situated within such an area. Here the vegetation ranges from the vast open floodplains and grasslands - often isolated from the mainland by deep waterways - to dense mopane bushveld and savannah that offers spectacular game viewing and birding opportunities all year round.
The productivity of this rich Okavango system is as a result of year-round water availability, diversity of habitat and plentiful fertile grasses that are stimulated by the dual effect of the summer rains and the winter floods. This supports an abundance of wildlife in an assemblage that is unique to the area and which exists against a pristine and scenic backdrop of the iconic Okavango.
The wildlife at Duba Plains has traditionally been fascinating - and not just the thousands of buffalo that are hunted frequently by two different prides of lions, or even the interactions that take place between the two groups of predators. If the lions hunt during the day, our guests are usually provided with wonderful photo opportunities. Aardwolf sightings are one of the specialities of Duba Plains, and occasionally caracal are glimpsed. Red lechwe, elephant, tsessebe and warthog share this savannah landscape and hippo concentrate in the deeper channels. The area often has productive spotted hyaena dens in the area that offer great hyaena pup viewing whilst leopards are found on the forested islands.
Most of the Okavango Delta's renowned birdlife is found in the area including Swamp Boubou, Hartlaub's Babbler and Swamp Nightjar. At certain times of the year, the abundance of waterbirds along the flooded areas and water pans is simply astounding - a multitude of herons, egrets, lapwings and jacanas.
Community
Duba Plains is part of a community participation plan that brings the benefits of ecotourism to the communities that live around the Okavango Delta.
Duba Plains is situated in a Wildlife Management Area adjoining and north of the Moremi Game Reserve. It is a community area, and the five villages on the northern perimeter of the Okavango Delta combined to form a Trust to manage the affairs of the community and to ensure that any rewards are fairly distributed. The Trust, called the Okavango Community Trust (OCT), has developed a partnership with Wilderness Safaris, where Wilderness leases the land from the community, markets, sells and manages the camps in the area, and in return undertakes to employ, train and wherever possible, uplift the living standards and skills of the community people.
Relentless Enemies: Lions & Buffalo
 Dereck and Beverly Joubert, the world renowned husband and wife wildlife documentary team, recently spent two years amongst the prides of lions and a large buffalo herds at Duba Camp. For this National Geographic book and film project, titled Relentless Enemies: Lions and Buffalo, the Jouberts documented the deadly interplay between Duba’s lions and buffalo. The resultant film and book, both completed in 2006, tell the story of their work in Duba, sharing remarkable images from a struggle that has been playing out for eons in the Okavango Delta in Botswana.
For more information and to order a DVD or book, visit their website here: http://www.wildlifeconservationfilms.com/. |
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