Wilderness

In the foothills of the mist-shrouded Virunga Massif nestles beautiful Sabyinyo. Here, the true spirit of conservation and rehabilitation can be felt everywhere: In our community-inspired luxurious lodge, our bountiful organic gardens, upliftment projects, abundant wildlife and, of course, the star attraction: Volcanoes National Park’s beloved mountain gorillas, and curious golden monkeys, among many others.

Looking for a truly authentic Rwandan experience? At Wilderness Sabyinyo you can get up close to the stories of the land, the wilderness, the wildlife and people. Just by staying here, you contribute to wildlife conservation and community empowerment initiatives. You will feel the power of resilience all around you.

Accommodation at Sabyinyo comprises six charming stone cottages, two luxurious suites with king-size four-poster beds and one spacious family unit with two separate bedrooms. Each elegant cottage features large sitting areas, fireplaces, stylish en-suite bathrooms and a sheltered veranda with cinematic views over the volcanoes.

A delightful water-based camp where you can enjoy an intimate and authentic Okavango Delta safari.

Embark on a discovery of the aquatic wonderland that is the Okavango. On an island in the Jao Reserve, surrounded by seasonally inundated floodplains and papyrus swamps, Botswanas Wilderness Jacana  takes its name from the birds that flourish here. Delta specials abound, while the semi-permanent water delivers unique encounters with an array of fascinating creatures.

In the heart of the Okavango, on a remote island, Jao invites you to discover one of the richest experiences of the Delta.

Where Earth meets river meets wetland, lies Jao. Surrounded by riverine forests and vast floodplains, Jao is the archetypal Okavango Delta camp, and a lush haven for wildlife. Boat in when the waters rise or travel by game drive vehicle when summer warms the land. At Jao, the endlessly dynamic waters provide a continuous element of surprise and all manner of experiences to explore this Botswana paradise.

Unearth all the Okavango has to offer on an authentic adventure at this intimate safari camp.

With direct access to the Delta’s waters and the open floodplains, Wilderness Kwetsani promises adventure and discovery. Explore the wetlands by boat or traditional mokoro. Here hippos and crocs dwell, and red lechwe and rare sitatunga leap across the channels. Keep a keen eye out for plains game such as giraffes, wildebeest, zebras and impalas, plus, of course, their predators.

Wilderness Little Tubu is an enchanting wildlife sanctuary on game-rich Hunda Island in the Okavango Delta  - only a few have the privilege to visit.

Deeply personal and life changing, Little Tubu offers a safari experience like few others. Three eco-chic, luxury tents are perched on raised platforms overlooking a spectacle of untamed Okavango wilderness.

Little Vumbura in Botswana epitomises the classic Okavango Delta safari experience.

Wilderness Little Vumbura is set on a compact island with endless views of the floodplains. Bring your family and friends and take over all six tented suites. With few boundaries from the bush, wildlife seems almost within arm’s reach.  

One of Earth’s ultimate untamed places. Wilderness Tubu Tree is tucked deep in the Hunda Island of the Okavango Delta.

Tubu Tree is the ultimate setting for exhilarating wildlife encounters. Elevated tents on raised platforms offer breathtaking views and easy access to a vast wilderness teeming with iconic African wildlife.   

Under the tree canopy, on the edge of picture-perfect floodplains bristling with water-loving wildlife, discover an Okavango island beyond imagination. Here every minute in nature whispers of adventure and discovery. Possibilities of encountering resident leopards and wild dogs, perhaps even the elusive Pel’s fishing-owl.

Wilderness Tubu Tree is picture perfect, from arguably Africa’s finest little bar, overlooking the grassy floodplains, to its elegant tents and family unit built into the trees. The spacious tents are connected to the lounge areas by elevated wooden walkways. An intimate space with eight suites, including a family unit, ideal for a safari with close friends and families.

Our guests’ food experience is a journey in itself, and we want you to feel truly indulged as you discover local ingredients and learn about Tubu Tree’s spectacular area. We believe that the more food is locally grown, the more we can manage it from Earth to plate – to reduce our foodprint, strengthen our ties with the community and create a healthier, more harmonious environment for all of us.

Wilderness Vumbura Plains epitomises the ultimate Okavango Delta luxury safari, offering both land and water experiences.

Vumbura Plains is as lavish and lush as its beautiful surroundings. Dreamy Delta waterways, green island woodlands and golden grasses, teeming with an ongoing wildlife parade - ever-changing with the seasons and always awe-inspiring.  

Discover Wilderness Chitabe and its prolific wildlife, for an out-of-this-world safari experience.

Renowned as a predator hotspot, Botswana’s Chitabe is ideally located on private conservation land, bordered on the north by the famed Moremi Game Reserve. Here a mosaic of habitats supports outstanding wildlife numbers and biodiversity, and some of the most thrilling predator-prey sightings on Earth.

Please note Chitabe is about to undergo a complete rebuild of its rooms, and will re-open in April 2025.  Below is the description of the changes being made:

Wilderness Chitabe, set within private conservation land bordering Botswana’s renowned Moremi Game Reserve in the Okavango Delta, has announced an exciting upgrade to its guest rooms. Following a comprehensive refurbishment focused on these accommodations, Chitabe will reopen in April 2025, offering enhanced comfort and sustainability in one of Africa’s top wildlife regions.

The camp will close in January 2025 for the complete rebuild of its tented suites, with Chitabe Lediba remaining open to guests during this period. The new-look rooms combine luxurious comfort with a sustainable design that aligns with Wilderness light footprint ethos. These enhancements further solidify Chitabe’s reputation as a premier destination for thrilling and eco-conscious safari experiences, offering guests both indulgence and a deep connection to the natural world.

"We’ve conceptualised the new room design at Wilderness Chitabe with every guest comfort in mind. Each tented suite offers a serene sanctuary, styled with a neutral palette and featuring expansive beds adorned with luxurious linens. Thoughtfully designed spaces include an indoor lounge, an outdoor viewing deck with panoramic wildlife vistas, a Nespresso coffee machine, and a minibar for added convenience. With our new state-of-the-art cooling system, guests can unwind in perfect comfort, enjoying a luxurious hideaway in the heart of the Delta that enhances the authentic safari experience Chitabe is so well known for”, said Helene Hamman, co-owner of Wilderness Chitabe.

The newly expanded rooms have essentially doubled in size, featuring insulated walls, ceilings, and floors, while the camp is also set to debut an innovative evaporative cooling system, perfectly blending ancient wisdom with modern technology. Using an energy-efficient process first discovered in Egypt and Persia thousands of years ago, the advanced system allows cool air to circulate across the entire room through a series of ducts and vents, ensuring that the lounge and bathroom areas are also kept comfortable. “The fresh-air cooling, especially suited to the warm, dry climate of the Delta, will help to reduce our energy consumption, while enhancing guest comfort – especially during Botswana’s warmest weeks”, added Helene.

Renowned for its exceptional wildlife encounters, Wilderness Chitabe offers guests a front-row seat to one of Africa’s most biodiverse regions. The camp’s unique location, with its varied soils, vegetation, and ecotones, creates an environment that supports one of the highest predator concentrations in all of Africa and an array of prey species year-round, providing thrilling sightings and remarkable game viewing in every season.

Small and intimate, Chitabe Lediba promises extraordinary wildlife sightings and quality time with loved ones.

Gather your tribe for a wild time in Botswana’s Okavango Delta. Whether watching the daily wildlife parade across the floodplains from your Meru-style tented suite at Chitabe Lediba or out on a game drive or safari walk, you and your clan will never be without excitement at this family-friendly camp.  Enjoy a personalised experience that will have you reconnecting with nature, and each other.

Brace yourself for some serious safari action. At Chitabe Lediba in Botswana’s Okavango Delta large prey densities attract all manner of predators including African wild dogs, lions, leopards, and cheetahs, promising thrilling game-viewing year round.

Chitabe Lediba is just far enough away from big sister camp Chitabe to provide an intimate escape for small groups or families. Five tented rooms sit on raised decks, with outdoor showers offering endless views of the Okavango Delta.  Here, at this Botswana safari camp, around every corner is a new opportunity for watching the daily parade of wildlife.

More intimate than sister camp Chitabe, Chitabe Lediba offers a similarly awe-inspiring safari. By day, gather at the lounge, dining area, or pool overlooking the small ‘lediba’ – a lagoon within a Delta channel – that lures large volumes of wildlife. By night, retire to the boma or firepit for a memorable end to the evening under a sensational starry sky.  

Exclusive and intimate. Little Mombo in Botswana’s Okavango Delta beckons. Bring your loved ones for a memorable safari.  

A celebration of our conservation purpose, Little Mombo in Botswana is a smaller version of sister camp, Mombo, and is ideal for exclusive-use groups.

In its prime position in the heart of the Okavango Delta, Little Mombo makes the most of its private traversing rights in the legendary Moremi Game Reserve. Here you can witness lions, leopards, and wild dogs wagging ongoing battles between predators and prey.

Experience Botswana’s ultimate luxury safari at Wilderness Mombo - one of the finest wildlife destinations in Africa.

Revel in Mombo’s chic sustainability. The Okavango Delta has some of the best game viewing on Earth, and this luxury safari camp is in a prime position - where the main Okavango River splits into its primary channels. Discover what some say is the best year-round game-viewing destination in Botswana, with thrilling predator-prey interaction dominated by big cats.

Wake up to an elephant silently ambling by your deck. Thrill to a lion hunt on the floodplain. Spot a rare Pel’s fishing-owl or an endangered wattled crane. With over 45,000 hectares of exclusive private wilderness to explore, each day at Wilderness Mombo surprises and delights.

Steeped in history, Mombo maintains the traditions of the legendary original safari camp. In a thicket of giant mangosteen and fig trees, the spacious wood and canvas suites entice with sweeping views over an Okavango Delta floodplain teeming with wildlife. With a spacious family suite, bring the family and create lasting memories.

Meals at Mombo are designed with conservation in mind, with healthy, delicious recipes that tread lightly on the Earth. Here, at this authentically African safari camp, we celebrate indigenous heritage ingredients and heirloom produce. Chief among these is the iconic baobab, whose natural superfood powder provides an array of health benefits.

Connect with Mombo staff and feel Africa’s heartbeat in a traditional African boma evening of song and dance. Take to the skies in a helicopter high above the Okavango Delta for an astounding aerial safari.  Sink into your day bed, couch, or plunge pool on your private wrap-around veranda and watch the wonders of Mombo unfold. 

Tucked onto an island in the heart of the Okavango Delta, Wilderness Pelo is the perfect setting for a water-based safari.

Remote, pristine and utterly charming. Pelo means heart in Setswana – a fitting name for this light-footprint camp, which sits on a heart-shaped island in the deepest part of the Okavango Delta. A birder’s paradise, explore the myriad channels on a traditional mokoro, spotting a Pel’s fishing-owl, African jacanas and ‘umbrella fishing’ black herons - with elephants and other African wildlife seen feeding in the distance on the floodplains. 

Home to Africa’s highest density of elephants, DumaTau offers exceptional encounters with herds of these majestic animals.

Exclusive excursions. Up-close encounters. An exceptional wilderness awaits at DumaTau. Its name means ‘roar of the lion’ in Setswana, but to us it’s also home of the elephants. While lions and other predators like wild dogs thrive here, it’s the elephants that steal the show.  Watch great herds criss-cross ancient wildlife corridors, spraying one another playfully in the Linyanti’s waters and munching on waterlilies.

Revel in regal delight at Botswana’s King’s Pool Camp in the wild, remote Linyanti Wildlife Reserve.

Delight in a luxury safari at King’s Pool, in the wild Linyanti Wildlife Reserve in northern Botswana. This is Africa up-close. Come nose-to-trunk with an elephant in the underground hide, so close you could count their toes as they splash in the water. With an abundance of wildlife all around King’s Pool, you can expect the royal treatment, as the wildlife comes to you in this regal safari camp.

Marvel at the mysterious Savuti Channel on the safari of a lifetime.Marvel at the mysterious Savuti Channel on the safari of a lifetime.

Savuti means ‘mystery,’ and the fascination with this wild, unpredictable channel has attracted travellers and explorers for years. Depending on imperceptible shifts in plate tectonics, the waters of the Savuti either flow strongly – attracting thirsty wildlife – or ebb, revealing grassy plains where antelope gather, attracting predators. For now, the channel flows right past Wilderness Savuti, which is perfectly positioned for an exceptional safari experience with incredible opportunities for land and water-based game viewing.

Toka Leya offers front row seats to a daily wilderness spectacle on the banks of the Zambezi River.

Elegant Toka Leya Camp, on the banks of the mighty Zambezi River, is the ideal luxury base from which to enjoy Mosi-oa-Tunya thrilling wildlife and adrenaline activities. Just a short drive from one of the seven Natural Wonders of the World - the majestic Victoria Falls - this sublime camp is a beacon of conservation tourism in Zambia.

Enchanting Wilderness Busanga Bush Camp in Zambia’s Kafue is one of the most remote and intimate safari camps in Africa. 

Wilderness Busanga Bush Camp epitomises an authentic and intimate, luxury safari in remotest South-Central Africa: Kafue National Park’s Busanga Plains. Tucked under sycamore fig trees on an island in the heart of the Busanga Plains, this exclusive four-tent camp is the ideal base for watching an unparalleled wildlife extravaganza unfold.   

Wilderness Shumba Camp invites you to an intimate and exclusive bush experience in wildlife-rich Busanga Plains in Zambia.  

Shumba opens for just five months each year, making this seasonal camp one of the most exclusive safari destinations in Africa. Expect front-row seats to dramatic and thrilling wildlife encounters.

An authentic safari camp in a classic African setting: Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park.

Come for the abundant wildlife, stay for the incredible sense of belonging.  Wilderness Davison’s in Hwange National Park captures the true spirit of an African safari, where crisp mornings, warm afternoons, breath-taking sunsets and fireside chats set the day’s tempo. Experience exceptional game-viewing across all seasons in a wildly beautiful environment.

Experience exceptional game viewing at Linkwasha, on the edge of Hwange’s famed Ngamo Plains.

Linkwasha is positioned on the edge of Hwange National Park’s productive Ngamo Plains, an area renowned for some of the best year-round game viewing on Earth. During summer, the plains teem with wildlife, and in winter they gather in abundance at the many Wilderness-supported waterholes throughout the park.

A safari camp with a strong legacy, Little Makalolo promises a magnificent experience in a diverse and wild corner of Hwange.

Up-close animal encounters. Thrilling sightings. Exclusive access. Little Makalolo offers an unrivalled safari experience in Hwange National Park, where the wonderful, wild scenery is matched by unforgettable wildlife sightings in this remote, exclusive region of Zimbabwe.

An exclusive Zimbabwe safari adventure awaits at Ruckomechi, on the banks of the mighty Zambezi River.

Enjoy access to one of Zimbabwe’s most productive game-viewing regions, the riverine belt of iconic Mana Pools. Find adventure in the floodplains on a game drive in search of wildlife, or canoeing or tigerfishing on the Zambezi River. Or on foot, taking in the pristine beauty of this wild, wonderful place.

Journey to Namibia’s Serra Cafema, the home of the Himba, and explore one of the most remote, untouched places on Earth.

Retreat to Namibia’s extraordinary desert and discover an astonishing landscape in one of Earth’s most secluded safari destinations. Against the backdrop of the vast Hartmanns Valley and its spectacular geology, redefine your concept of natural beauty. Gaze upon the lush Kunene riverine vegetation and look out for a multitude of wildlife, from desert-adapted oryx, to tiny desert chameleons.

Explore the ancient desert of Sossusvlei at Kulala Desert Lodge. Discover fascinating desert-adapted creatures.

An exclusive-use gate gives you early access to Sossusvlei, one of the most remarkable and photogenic landscapes on Earth. Hike along the 30-metre deep Sesriem Canyon, where water has carved through the rock over millennia. Take a leisurely stroll near camp on the Tsauchab River Trail. Perhaps even more unforgettable: take it all in from above, hot-air ballooning over this fantastical landscape.

The Experience

Climb the 300-metre red dunes at Sossusvlei and gaze upon oceans of sand. Hike through a canyon carved by water over the millennia. Float above the world’s oldest desert in a hot air balloon, and see it come alive on nature walks, drives, e-bikes, or low-impact quad bikes. Spot desert-adapted wildlife such as ostriches, springbok, gemsbok, brown hyaenas, black-backed jackals, bat-eared foxes, perhaps an aardwolf, or the endemic dune lark. At dusk hear the call of barking geckos; at night go with a guide on a scorpion safari. Stargaze in one of the darkest places on Earth, and sleep out under the stars, contemplating space.

The Place

Little Kulala’s home is the 27 000-hectare Kulala Wilderness Reserve, a pristine wilderness sited in Namibia’s Namib, nicknamed ‘The Living Desert’. A welcome oasis, the camp lies along the dry Auab riverbed. You can’t get much closer to the renowned dunes of Sossusvlei and the haunting panoramas of Dead Vlei, accessible through an exclusive-use gate.

The Camp

Recently refurbished, Little Kulala entices with its adventures, its landscapes, its peace. Totally solar-powered, the new camp has cleaner, more modern lines than its predecessor, opening out more to the desert. Its 11 climate-controlled suites – each with its own plunge pool – honour the local geology, reflecting the surrounding grey and pink limestone in colour and texture. Each suite’s rooftop invites private sundowners and suppers, and a roll-out bed on a shaded sala is perfect for an afternoon siesta or starry sleep-out.

Discover rugged Damaraland. A true frontier with mountainous landscapes, cultural riches and rare desert-adapted wildlife.

Come for the desert adapted elephants, but stay for the rich community interactions at Damaraland Camp. The harshly beautiful land will surprise with all the life it supports, revealing dramatic scenery, fascinating wildlife, unusual flora, ancient rock art, and awe-inspiring geology. Authentic and enriching cultural experiences, some dating back 6 000 years, will impress the intrepid traveller.

Desert Rhino Camp is a starkly beautiful, rocky wilderness. A desert dreamland where rhinos are the stars.

Follow free-ranging populations of Critically Endangered desert-adapted black rhino across the Damaraland plains, finding a myriad of other wildlife along the way. Wilderness Desert Rhino Camp offers a rare and exclusive opportunity to track these extraordinary pachyderms, and learn about their unique survival skills in this harshly beautiful, boulder-strewn environment.

Experience a true cultural immersion in Namibia at Doro Nawas, amid dramatic scenery and amazing desert animals.

Feast your eyes on otherworldly panoramas, populated by intriguing desert-adapted wildlife and unusual flora.  Engage with the local Doro Nawas community. Discover the fascinating ancient history and incredible geological phenomena of Damaraland. Glimpse black rhinos, desert-adapted elephants and more. Discover a diversity you never knew existed in the desertscape of Namibia at Doro Nawas.

Visit Wilderness Hoanib for an intrepid adventure in a life-filled private wilderness area near the legendary Skeleton Coast.

Remote Wilderness Hoanib Camp rests in Namibia’s famed, ancient Kaokoveld. Search the rust-coloured crags and arid plains for desert-adapted wildlife. Take a thrilling drive to the wild, windswept Skeleton Coast.  Hike rocky outcrops, scramble down enormous sand dunes, marvel at desert oases, and dine under impossibly starry night skies

Wilderness Bisate is a sustainably luxurious rainforest-based lodge offering Africas most thrilling wild primate experience.

Like giant birds’ nests tucked into the trees, the six Forest Villas that make up Wilderness Bisate at Volcanoes National Park are simply breath-taking. And arguably the finest base in Africa from which to trek to see the famous mountain gorillas of the Virungas. 

Wilderness Bisate is a celebration of life in Rwanda. It embraces a nourishing Earth-to-plate food journey, visionary reforestation programme, community initiatives, and rich wildlife, with a fierce passion to conserve and protect the beauty of this land, and all who call it home.

Rare wildlife awaits at Wilderness Magashi, overlooking vast savannah, and the shimmering waters of Lake Rwanyakazinga.

Witness the abundance of Akagera National Park from Wilderness Magashi.  Home once more to an abundance of apex predators and their prey. Marvel at lion, white and black rhino, buffalo and elephant roaming its hills and vast savannah. This is the quintessential East African safari adventure and the perfect complement to your gorilla trekking experience in Rwanda.

Spectacularly positioned, Qorokwe Camp blends seamlessly into this vast, wildlife-rich corner of the Delta.

Qorokwe’s private wilderness area borders the renowned Moremi Game Reserve, famous for intense predator-prey encounters. Prepare for thrilling game drives tracking leopards in the wild. Spot a lioness hunting alone, closely watched by a pack of skulking hyenas, as the air vibrates with birdsong. 

Home to Africa’s highest density of elephants, Little DumaTau offers exceptional encounters with herds of these majestic animals.

An exceptional wilderness awaits at Little DumaTau. This special corner of the Botswana wilderness is favoured by the continent’s largest population of elephants, and is also home to predators including lions and wild dogs. Enjoy the privilege of encountering these iconic animals in their most pristine natural habitat.

A truly off-the-beaten-track safari in Botswana’s pristine Linyanti Wildlife Reserve.

Experience the spirit of a true African safari in northern Botswana’s remote Linyanti Wildlife Reserve. Revel in this untouched tract of wilderness with exceptional game viewing and tented accommodation styled to evoke the original spirit of safari, but amped up on comfort.
 

An exclusive adventure awaits at intimate Wilderness Little Ruckomech in Zimbabwe, on the banks of the mighty Zambezi River.

Enjoy access to one of Zimbabwe’s most productive wildlife-viewing regions, the riverine belt of iconic Mana Pools. Find adventure in the floodplains on a game drive, or canoeing or tigerfishing on the Zambezi River. Or on foot, taking in the pristine beauty of this wild, wonderful place.

A dynamic Zimbabwean safari experience along the pulsing riverine belt of the iconic Mana Pools.  

At the confluence of the Sapi and Zambezi Rivers, sublime tranquillity meets exceptional wilderness at Chikwenya. This private conservation area on Mana Pools’ eastern boundary is wild, exclusive, and bristling with iconic African wildlife with an air of untamed adventure. Come explore.

Wilderness Mokete has just 9 rooms and is located between the Okavango Delta and Chobe National Park, offers exceptional game viewing, including mega herds and predator-prey interactions. This 50,000-hectare private wilderness area features diverse habitats like grassland plains and marshes, fed by the Mababe River, which attracts abundant wildlife. Guests can enjoy unique safari experiences, from extended game drives to village visits and scenic helicopter flights. The solar-powered, minimalist camp ensures a low ecological footprint while providing comfort, offering immersive encounters with nature in Botswana's stunning wilderness.