Giltedge - Africa
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Baines’ Camp takes its name from the famous 19th century explorer and artist, Thomas Baines. This is an intimate and luxurious safari camp right in the heart of the Okavango. Baines’ Camp features just five luxurious suites set on elevated platforms in the tree line, with expansive wooden decks offering glorious views over the lagoon that teems with wildlife.
The main area at Baines’ Camp features an oversized deck for outdoor dining and views over the perennial lagoon and Boro River. Guests enjoy elegant gourmet cuisine which is complemented by a selection of vintage wines. Baines’ Camp is ideally situated for excellent game viewing, and there is prolfic bird and animal life in the immediate area.
Guests may explore the reserve by land or by water, and night-time safari activities allow a rare glimpse into the fascinating world of the nocturnal creatures that dwell in the African bush.
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The elevated suites at Baines’ Camp feature a luxury bedroom and en-suite facilities. The Camps four-poster beds are fully mobile, giving guests the option to slumber under the star-filled skies of the Okavango.
Each suite at Baines’ Camp is equipped with:
A hair-dryer
ceiling fan
in-room safe
mini-bar
The camp also provides complimentary toiletries and mosquito repellent. Baines’ Camp features a refreshing swimming pool and airy salas for sunbathing.
There are a host of safari activities available at Baines’ Camp. These include guided walking safaris, game drives, motorised boat and mokoro excursions (subject to water levels) as well as a special elephant interaction where guests walk with three semi-habituated elephants and experience them in their natural habitat.
Famed for its big cat and bird population the Okavango Delta boasts some of the most varied wildlife on Earth. Guests at Sanctury Baines Camp have the opportunity to see animals up close when expert guides accompany them on morning and evening game drives in open 4 x 4 vehicles. Night game drives are available and are the perfect way to see some of the nocturnal animals.
The wildlife is spectacular all year round and because Sanctuary Baines’ is set in a private concession guests can get very close in perfect safety with one of the guides. Highly trained English speakers, the guides show visitors all the signs of the bush on exciting walks along the animal paths that surround the camp. They can show travellers how to track and follow even the most elusive of animals in the Okavango or introduce guests to some of the 500 bird species that live at this confluence of habitats. Looking at the size of a rhino’s footprint, and tracking the animals nocturnal perambulations is informative, exciting and a little nerve wracking for first-timers. Walking is a levelling experience for many guests, who have only ever driven around in a safari vehicle and enjoyed sitting above lion, elephants and other animals. On foot, one cannot approach these animals, obviously, but learning about them, walking their walk and seeing the bush at their level is a wonderful and educational experience.
One of the best ways to see the wildlife around Sanctuary Baines’ Camp is in one of the locally made dugout canoes. These used to be carved from ebony but are now made from commercially grown wood and fibreglass to protect the fragile environment of the Okavango. In one of these traditional crafts it is possible to float around the waterways and lagoons that make up the delta, looking for hippos and crocodiles in the water, but also getting a remarkable view of the plains game from a new and exciting angle. This gentle and informative mode of safari is unique to the river bushmen, comprising three different tribes who made the Delta their home. This activity is subject to water levels. For the less intrepid, Sanctuary Baines’ also has motorised speedboats that can be used when the rivers are in flood.