Botswana Safari

Savute Under Canvas

Chobe National Park, Botswana

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View images of Savute Under Canvas: Savute Under Canvas Images

SAVUTE UNDER CANVAS RATES: Savute Under Canvas Rates

SAVUTE 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 as close as possible to the resident game, 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 in the Savute section of Chobe are used for this experience - see the Chobe map for HATAB camp locations. The camp is booked on a nightly basis.

Savute Under Canvas is owned and operated by andBeyond.

Unique Selling Points
• Diverse and unspoiled Botswana wilderness
• Close interaction with wildlife
• Savute’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 Savute Under Canvas, click Savute Under Canvas Images
Remote campsites in the pristine wilderness form a setting for five ensuite safari tents, combining the natural beauty of the breathtaking setting with comfort and personalised service. Night time noises filter through canvas walls and well-used animal trails take wildlife past the tents on their way to favourite watering holes. 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 Savute 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 Pan African meals, and 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.

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

Activities & Wildlife
Activities
At Savute 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 mopane forests and acacia savanna of Savute on early morning and late afternoon game drives in an open air safari vehicle accompanied by an armed guide. In the wet season, game drives traverse the open plains, where large herds of zebra and tsessebe can be spotted. Birdwatchers can marvel at the flocks of birds drawn to the pools of water that remain after heavy rains. In the drier season, game viewing is particularly good around watering holes, which attract large numbers of elephant.

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. Savute is known for its high concentration of lion and you may be lucky enough to spot a pride resting after its nightly hunt.

Evening Game Drive - Depart on an afternoon game drive as the heat of the day starts to break. You are likely to see game coming to drink at the nearby watering holes - perhaps elephant, zebra or tsessebe.

Wildlife
Savute is particularly well known for its high concentration of lion, as well as for its dramatic predator interactions. The Savute lions are famed for having adapted to hunting elephant, not generally considered common prey for they cats. A power struggle for the position of dominant predator has also been documented between the lions and the area's large clans of hyena. The African wild dog, one of the continent’s most endangered carnivores, also thrives in the area.

Like the remainder of the Chobe National Park, Savute has large numbers of elephant, which are attracted to the many artificial water sources. During the drier season, elephant bulls dominate the water holes, while breeding herds may move to areas where water is more readily found. Such 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.

The region is also rich in antelope, with common species such as impala and kudu encountered alongside giants such as the eland. Waterbuck may be spotted in areas with thicker vegetation, and guests may be lucky enough to catch sight of the aristocratic line of the roan and the sable.

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 Savute 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 Savute 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 Savute 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 Savute 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
Savute, a remote and wild corner of the Chobe National Park, is situated south of the Chobe River. This is an area of open savanna grassland through which a seasonal river used to spill out into a marsh. It last flowed in the 1980s. Today, the channel and marsh are usually dry except after heavy rains, but several artificial waterholes offer breathtaking wildlife viewing.The landscape of Savute, with its almost desert-like feeling, is strikingly different from the lush Chobe riverfront. Sizable numbers of elephant bulls are invariably present at Savute and close encounters with these great pachyderms are commonplace. In the wet season, large herds of zebra and tsessebe feed on the Savute plains.

During the summer rains, the pans of Savute fill with water, which sustains wildlife long into the dry season. Zebra and wildebeest congregate and it is not uncommon to catch sight of leopard, cheetah and African wild dog.Savute also supports the greatest concentration of the king of all beasts - the lion. Savute is also a famous battleground for lion and spotted hyena whose ongoing fight for dominance has been captured in the brilliant National Geographic documentary film Eternal Enemies filmed by Deryck and Beverly Joubert.

Unlike the lush riverine thickets that surround the Chobe River, the landscape around Savute is strikingly different, with an arid, almost desert-like feel. Mopane forest gives way to acacia savanna, with rocky outcrops dotted around the area. Large areas of marshland that extended from the Linyanti River have dried up along with the Savute River, but several artificial watering holes attract a high concentration of wildlife.

Large numbers of elephant can be seen in the area, while lion and spotted hyena vie for dominance in the region. In the wet season, large herds of zebra and tsessebe graze on the wide open plains. The drier season, from June to October, is a good time to see bull elephant gather around the watering holes, although other game may migrate to others areas of the Chobe. Eland, kudu, roan, sable, waterbuck, wildebeest, impala and many other antelope, as well as numerous predators, including leopard, cheetah, African wild dog, spotted hyena, black-backed jackal and bat-eared fox may also be encountered in the Savute area.

Birdwatching in the Savute area is best in the wet season, when flocks of birds are attracted to the small amounts of standing water that gather after heavy rains. Flocks of the beautiful little carmine bee-eaters mingle with gatherings of storks, while other species include rollers, kestrels, plovers and sand grouse. The kori bustard, notable for being the world’s heaviest flying bird, is commonly spotted in the area.

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 from September thru March.
• Getting there: As per National Park vehicle restrictions, it is not possible for guests to self-drive into the Savute Under Canvas camps. There are scheduled flights from Maun or Kasane airport to the Savute airstrip, 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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