Stanley's Camp
Okavango Delta, Botswana
Return to Map of Okavango
Delta Camps
View images of Stanley's Camp: Stanley's
Images
STANLEY'S CAMP RATES: Stanley's Camp
Rates
STANLEY'S CAMP - OKAVANGO DELTA,
BOTSWANA
Set in an amphitheatre of Ebony and Sausage Trees
on the southern tip of Chief's Island, in 260,000 acres of untamed African
bush, Stanley's Camp accommodates only 16 visitors. Bordering the southern
section of the famous Moremi Game Reserve
this private concession is located by definition in seasonal delta. The
flood waters arrive in June, though there is often navigable water all
year round due to the presence of the Mboro River. The beautifully-appointed
tents evoke an atmosphere of "classic Africa,"
with hand-crafted beds, antique furniture and oriental carpets combining
to create surroundings of colonial-era luxury. Stanley's Camp
and it's sister property, Baines' Camp,
are owned and operated by Sanctuary Lodges & Camps.
This intimate camp is gathered around a large sitting and dining area which affords magnificent views over the floodplains of the Okavango Delta. From the swimming pool, watch giraffe and other plains game march across the savannah. You might even catch a glimpse of rare wild dogs stalking the plains. This is one of the best places in the world for seeing buffalo in large numbers, with herds often exceeding 2,000.
Accommodation 
For images of Stanley's, click Stanley's
Images
Stanley’s is a small
luxury camp consisting of 8 classic styled safari tents raised on wooden
decking. The delicately appointed tents exude
classic Africa; handcrafted beds dressed with the finest linen, antique
furniture individually selected and oriental carpets that transport
you to early 19th century Africa.
Each unit offers en-suite facilities,
a private balcony and is equipped with a hairdryer, ceiling fan, and
in-room safe. The camp also provides a torch as well as complimentary
mosquito repellant & toiletries. Hammocks and Morris chairs
on the decks are perfect for relaxation in the African sunshine.
The main building is raised on decking and offers extensive views over the surrounding floodplains. Stanley's is carefully blended into the existing tree line, its main support being a large sausage tree.
Electricity is supplied by a combination
of silent packed generator and battery system allowing 24-hour power
supply.
Activities
The adjacent bush around
camp is rich with excitement: on game walks, day and nighttime drives,
and mokoro excursions, guests can track a wide variety of big-game
species, from Giraffe and Elephant to Lion and Leopard.
Game-drives
Enjoy thrilling guided game drives in customised open-sided 4X4 vehicles. As Sanctuary Stanley’s Camp is situated on a private concession, night drives are offered and are usually combined with the afternoon activity. The accompanying professional
guides are among the best in Botswana.
Walking
Explore the area on foot with skilled, armed professional guides and experience the bush from a different perspective. The walks are highly educational
and offer a completely different perspective of the Botswanan bush.
Mokoro
Explore the Delta in a traditional dug-out canoe or mokoro (water levels permitting). Glide through reeds and lily ponds to get up close and personal with wildlife.
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
|
