Duba Plains Camp

September is a great month to spend time with the giants of Africa, elephants, as the water is drying up from most water holes making them follow the main streams. It is a warm month and to enjoy the cool breeze of the night that is complemented by the soothing smell of the wild sage one has to keep the tent flaps up. There is nothing that brings you closer to nature like getting a night surprise visit of an elephant coming to eat next to your tent in the full glow of the moon outside.

Winter still lingers on. It seems like this year we’ve had a long winter as it’s unusual in the month of August to have freezing mornings, cool afternoons and chilly nights. Hot water bottles (bush babies) were handy in the night as one surprise everyone appreciated; ponchos also are put to work in the morning game drives making your safari comfortable as could be. Duba fire keeps blazing under the clear sky, making star gazing enjoyable at all times!!

The month of June means our beanies are out and the elephants are in! As winter settles on Duba Plains the bush dries up and the water levels rise to the maximum, both these changes making for fantastic game viewing. Game drives have been extra exciting as our “Puddle Jumper” Toyota Land Cruisers become amphibious to get around the concession.

Two things come to mind at Duba at the start of the floods. The thrill of seeing water in huge amounts as well as the logistical challenges that comes with the floods. At the end of the day the answer is just simple; these are not the first floods we’ve been through and not the highest we’ve seen, therefore pre-planning plays a big part. May is a month of many activities, Elephants migrating to areas where there’s water, floods rising and delta islands get smaller, roads coming underwater.

It has been a great leopard month. The camp main area is built around tall jackal-berry trees which are home to a troop of baboons. One evening while were sitting by the fire place we started hearing an alarm call from the baboons and we wondered what could be scaring them in the dark. The guide explained that there could be a lion, leopard or hyena walking through camp.

Duba game drives still continued to amaze us during the peak summer rain season.

We’ve seen new water  channels fill up presenting the classic Okavango Delta feel to the region, surrounding the dry island of the plains.

The weather, although unpredictable, has provided some stunning vistas of emerald grasslands and for the landscape photographer an opportunity to capture the moody skies punctuated by lightning.

Lions

Duba Plains went all out on Monday the 3rd March by celebrating the first ever World Wildlife Day with their guests. A global event to mark the need to focus and conserve our natural history.

Pierre van Zyl has been the executive chef at Duba since August 2012.  Born and bred in Johannesburg, South Africa, Pierre went to one of the best cooking school in the country. The Institute of Culinary Arts is based in Stellenbosch, the very heart and soul of the good food and wine country. A man of many talents, Pierre is also a keen photographer and has a love for wildlife. Pierre has bought his passion for great food up to Botswana where he can enjoy the nature and share his skills with guests from all over the world.

It came over the radio to much disappointment to the team.

“play has been suspended due to irrevocable interference on the field”.

We were on a game drive vehicle over spilling with Selinda Reserve’s 1^st 12, well only 12, finest footballers.  Some had football boots, some one boot one shoe, one with one boot no shoes and the proud goalie Dollar in his no shoes.  It would be the game of champions, sponsored by the local contractors and to feature in the Ngami times that weekend (Northern Botswana’s local rag).

DECEMBER NEWS and a wonderful gallery

December month has created a great opportunity of photography, especially the beautiful clouds before and after the rain with the sun rays sticking out behind a rain cloud. The paradise of Duba was flourishing with newly born red lechwes and the faint colored young tsessebes. The plains of Duba looked stunning green and for many giving them that imagination of “the last remains of the Biblical Eden” as described by one of our guests.