Two safari islands
An island in the wilds ensures exclusive immersion in nature
LITTLE PAN CAMP
Okavango Delta, 15km from Maun, Botswana
Maun is no longer a sleepy frontier town but a sprawling safari hub, not exactly known for peaceful, starry nights (given the number of dogs that bark at night). Which is why we were so happy to discover Little Pan. Situated on an island in the Thamalakane river, en route to Moremi’s South Gate, this intimate tented camp immerses you in tranquil nature from the minute you arrive.
Three years of drought had all but dried up the river that makes it an island, but this mattered not a jot to the wildlife that trawls through the camp. Little Pan is the first to be awarded Botanical Garden status in the Okavango Delta, and the unspoilt terrain was a fragrant delight. Tags identify the flora, so we could stroll around camp learning more about the many species we’d seen in the bush.
Icy G&T in hand, we were shown to our ‘room’ – and what a room it was. The canvas walls of the spacious Meru-style tent were hooked back to let in the dappled afternoon light. The interiors were simply beautiful. Given the delights of our tent, it was hard to tear ourselves away for dinner at the mess tent. Delicious aromas and the approach of dusk won out eventually.
We relaxed around the fire over sundowners, where the antics of resident bushbabies leaping through the trees enchanted us. Dinner was a candlelit affair, with plate after delicious plate arriving to defeat our appetites. Staff set up a night camera beside the waterhole, and in the morning we viewed the ghostly images of nocturnal visitors, including bats, a genet and a gorgeous aardvark.
With a month of wild camping under our belts, we decided to relax and not take up the myriad activities on offer – from horseback safaris and mokoro trips to day safaris into Moremi. We did a guided bush walk but I have to tell the truth: once I became horizontal beside the swimming pool (which has a sloped bottom to allow hippos to walk out if they decide to gatecrash), I gave myself over to counting the birds in the nearby treetops, and considered my Botswana bush holiday complete.
– Sally Rutherford
BEST FEATURE Just four tents (two are family friendly) tucked among mature trees. I had the best night’s sleep, woke to a glorious dawn chorus in the surrounding foliage, and showered outdoors to the sound of elephants breaking branches nearby.
COST r6 000 pp including all meals, local drinks, transfers and a nature walk.
CONTACT 021-790-0972, perfecthideaways.co.za
TSOWA SAFARI ISLAND
40km from Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe
If you really think about it, it’s kind of incredible to stand here: on a 1,5-kilometre-long, 400-metre-wide strip of bushveld in the middle of the Zambezi, between Zimbabwe and Zambia.
There are several towering baobabs in the centre of the island, which can only be seen after a bundu-bashing walk through thicket and forest – signs that elephants had been here (big cakes of dung) could not be ignored. Amazingly, they do visit the island. I tried to imagine them swimming across the water from the park – what a sight it must be.
The peace of the island is only broken around twilight with the din of frogs, insects and birds, plus snorting hippos and shrieking baboons settling down for the night on the opposite shore. You know what’s out there, as the journey to get here had been a gameand bird-viewing drive through the Zambezi National Park, followed by a three-minute cruise across the river.
The off-grid camp is nestled within a forest of ebony, waterberry, jackalberry, monkey orange, African mangosteen (the ‘Bob Marley’ tree, due to its vines) and python creepers. It took nine months to build, with minimal flora removed or damaged. The craftsmanship is beautiful, with furnishings salvaged from old hotels in Bulawayo and Harare finding new purpose here. There is an area for lounging, drinking and dining, and just six spacious tents spread out along the elevated riverbank, reached via sandy paths that wind through the forest. After dark, a staff member accompanies you because this is a wild place.
You’re far from other humans and unplugged (no TV or Wi-Fi, and only intermittent signal). A typical day starts with an early outing (a guided walk in the park was a highlight). Then brunch back on the island, and a siesta or swim (two cocktailperfect pools overlook the river). Later, it’s time to putter upstream in the boat, past crocs and hippos and monitor lizards, to watch the most magnificent sunset imaginable.
You return in the dark to the beckoning light from the firepit boma and one of chef Elton’s delicious dinners – chicken roulade, green curry bream, crocodile-tail kebabs…
Then you fall asleep with the silhouettes of trees all around your tent – and, perhaps, as I did, the sight of a red moon rising around midnight over the river, visible from my pillow. You’ll awake to birdsong and a tent bathed in the colours of dawn, and another adventure. – Caroline Webb
BEST FEATURE I loved the daily short transfers from island to shore and back again. There’s just something deeply appealing about a safari that requires crossing water. Each time, it reminds you of how special this place is.
COST R5 630 pp, including all meals, local drinks, transfers, activities and a Vic Falls day trip.
CONTACT 035-474-1473, isibindi.co.za