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Just Pitch – Luxury Tented Camps

LUXURY TENTED CAMPS

- Text: Bernie Hellberg Jr Images: Teagan Cunniffe/Wilderness Safaris, andBeyond, Rukiya Safari Camp, Shamwari & SANParks

Tented camps are located in some of the world’s most striking landscapes. If you are going to spend your day exploring, you’ll want somewhere comfortabl­e to rest your head at night. That’s why we’ve gathered our pick of luxury tented camps that will make exploring the desert, or the bush, an enchanting experience.

Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp Palmwag Concession, Namibia

Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp may be one of the most exclusive desert camps on our list. It’s located in the northern part of Namibia’s Palmwag Concession, surrounded by gravel plains, mountains, and large, yellow sand dunes, and is accessible only by light aircraft.

You’ll enjoy unique experience­s at Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp. Seek out rare desert-adapted elephant, giraffe, lion, and Hartmann’s mountain zebra who somehow find a way to thrive in the stark environmen­t. Explore the jagged wind-swept beaches, cape fur seal colonies, and shipwrecks along the coast in a full-day flight excursion along the Skeleton Coast. In the evening you’ll return to eight chic tents with floor-toceiling windows, and private shaded outdoor decks, that are so well insulated you might forget you’re in the desert.

Please visit wilderness-safaris.com for more informatio­n.

Rukiya Safari Camp Wild Rivers Private Nature Reserve

At Rukiya Safari Camp effortless luxury meets sustainabi­lity in a low-impact tented camp. Rukiya’s outstandin­g value for money in a nature reserve with frequent leopard sightings really sealed the deal for us. Built under trees in the middle of the Wild Rivers Private Nature Reserve in Limpopo, Rukiya Safari Camp is a short drive from Hoedspruit (which is also the closest airport to the camp), with an additional 10 km drive on good-quality gravel roads to the camp.

Besides having leopards, Wild Rivers is not a Big Five reserve, but a variety of other animals and predators – including cheetah and hyena – as well as abundant birdlife are to be experience­d on the property itself. This doesn’t mean that visitors to Rukiya will not experience the Big Five. Guests will be taken to the nearby Balule Nature Reserve (about a 30 minute drive from Rukiya) to experience several other animal species as well as some breath-taking scenery.

For more informatio­n, please visit www.rukiyacamp.com.

Jack’s Camp Makgadikga­di Salt Pans, Botswana

Jack’s Camp has a setting unlike any other: on the edge of the Makgadikga­di Salt Pans, surrounded by the Kalahari Desert. Its roots date back to the 1960s when Jack Bousfield, a character in his own right and for whom the camp is named, came upon a place so incredible it captivated him for the rest of his life.

The camp’s 10 classic tents are comfortabl­e and elegant, and furnished with colonial furniture, Persian rugs, and cool cotton linens. The shaded swimming pool is a lovely reprieve on hot days. The activities are just as exciting. Guests can interact with the famous Makgadikga­di meerkat family, meet indigenous San people whose ancestors have lived in the area for centuries, and quad bike across the pans during the dry season.

For more informatio­n, please visit www.andbeyond.com.

Sindile Luxury Tented Camp Shamwari

Sindile, Shamwari’s new luxury tented camp, is a secluded getaway set deep in the African bush. Named for the famed leopard of Shamwari, the camp mimics a solitary leopard’s sanctuary, blending with the surroundin­g bush while providing excellent views over the Bushman’s River and surroundin­g plains.

Sindile is Xhosa for “survivor”, testament to the celebrated leopardess that survived numerous lion attacks to raise five litters of cubs.

The nine luxury freestandi­ng tents that make up Sindile are elevated above the surroundin­g bush, allowing uninhibite­d views, unsullied by any other manmade structures or light pollution. The harmonious, intimate design minimises the camp’s environmen­tal footprint.

The dining area and bar are situated to make the most of the views over the reserve, with focal points including a large harvest table and fire pit. Shamwari offers an array of experience­s you can enjoy, such as game drives, birding, walking safaris, photograph­ic safaris and more.

Please visit www.shamwari.com for more informatio­n.

Skilpad Camp Namaqua National Park

Bushveld isn’t all that Southern Africa has to offer for those seeking an escape from the city. Once a year, right on the coastline of the Namaqua National Park, a luxury tented camp sprouts up just in time to join the region’s wildflower­s as they come out of hiding to absorb the spring sea breeze.

In August and September, 12 fully serviced, spacious dome tents – with their own private hot shower and ultracomfo­rtable beds – are set up inside the national park. Mornings start with tea, coffee and rusks served to your tent, before you can choose to spend the day hiking among the gorgeous blooms (highly recommende­d for photograph­ers), mountain biking, or picnicking (prepacked baskets are available for purchase).

You won’t get closer to the spring flowers anywhere else in the country, and waking up to the smell of the sea air drifting between the colourful fynbos is something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.

For more informatio­n, please visit www.sanparks.org.

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Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp
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Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp
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Jack’s Camp
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Rukiya Safari Camp
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Sindile Luxury Tented Camp
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Sindile Luxury Tented Camp
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Skilpad Camp

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