Botswana

Experience it All: Abu’s Many Offerings

Our Collective

Melissa Siebert

11/1/2022

You’ll be spoiled for choice at Wilderness Abu Camp, one of our most stunning, activity-rich camps in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, specifically the 180 000-hectare Abu Private Reserve. Adventures await on both land and water, as well as the skies – with thrilling helicopter excursions over the Delta’s vast mosaic of watery blue channels, perhaps en route to the ancient Tsodilo Hills, sacred to Bushman culture. Wildlife around Abu is prolific, given its varied settings of woodlands, grassy floodplains, waterways, and palm-studded islands. Elephants abound, as does a variety of plains game and big cats. It’s a birding hotspot. In-camp and bush ‘wow’ experiences keep coming. And coming.

Here’s what’s in store…

ON LAND

Game Drives – by day, set out in search of a host of creatures such as lion, leopard, hyena, possibly African wild dog, and plains game including buffalo, wildebeest, giraffe, zebra, and a multitude of antelope. Night drives might yield an adorable bush baby or two, or an aardvark scouring for termites.

Guided Nature Walks (seasonal) – discover the smaller fauna and flora, learning how the local ecosystems thrive and how they’ve supported animal and human over the centuries. Marvel at the elegant silver terminalia trees, find edible berries, fashion a toothbrush from a blue bush, see where wildlife have left their mark.

 

Birding – in this IBA, internationally recognised Important Bird and Biodiversity Area – keep your eyes peeled for Pel’s fishing owls, wattled cranes, and water birds like jacanas, egrets, numerous geese, and more.

 

Special Half-Day Trips (at extra cost) – travel with a guide to the Tsodilo Hills, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to learn more about Botswana and the history of the San, reflected in their rock art. Or opt to visit to the local village Eretsha, and discover how communities and wildlife, particularly elephants, co-exist.

 

In-Camp Activities – are almost too many to count: work out in the gym; relax at the hands of a masseuse; make pizza with your kids; watch a wildlife documentary; gather round the camp fire to watch staff perform traditional dances or sit under the stars for movie night or stargazing. You can also up your photography game with access to Olympus camera equipment and staff guidance.

ON THE WATER 

Mokoro Rides (seasonal) – gliding along in a traditional dugout canoe, through the reeds and over clear, pure water laced with water lilies, is definitely one of the highlights of an Okavango visit. Your professional poler – standing at the stern like a gondolier – navigates gently through the channels, sharing all he knows of the creatures calling the water home. Tiny reed frogs, otters, various birds, fish, and others may appear all around you – as well as larger game coming to the water to drink or bathe.

 

Boating – pick up the pace in a Delta boat, humming through the channels past spectacular landscapes and various game: hippos or crocs in the water, perhaps, red lechwe leaping across it, elephants and others on shore. End the day with sundowners on the water… a true Delta experience!

 

Fishing (seasonal) – if you want a bit more action on the water, Abu offers fly fishing (on a catch-and-release basis, and prohibited during January and February, which are breeding months).

IN THE SKIES

Scenic Helicopter Flights (at extra cost) – the best way to appreciate the Okavango’s size and design. From the air the Delta looks like an abstract painting with swirls of blue on green. Flights last 30, 45, or 60 minutes, with a minimum of two guests and maximum of five or six, depending on the helicopter.

 

Every day at Abu, invites something new to explore …

Let’s plan your next journey

Ready?

When we say we’re there every step of the way, we mean it, literally. From planning the perfect circuit, to private inter-camp transfers on Wilderness Air, and easing you through Customs. We’re with you on the ground, at your side, 24-7, from start to finish. Ready to take the road less travelled? Contact our Travel Designers to plan an unforgettable journey.