Camp
Selinda, Botswana & the Okavango
Zarafa Camp
An under-canvas camp on the Zibadianja Lagoon in Botswana's Selinda Reserve, noted for leopard and painted dog sightings.
Price on request
Camp · , Botswana
Sitatunga Private Island
An island camp at the head of Botswana's Okavango Delta Panhandle, with only two suites and regular sightings of the rare sitatunga antelope.
Overview
Sitatunga Private Island occupies an isolated island where the Panhandle of Botswana's Okavango Delta begins, reachable only by boat or light aircraft. The camp takes its name from the sitatunga, a shaggy, elongated-hoofed antelope adapted to walking through swamp, which can be seen from camp and on the water. Founder Dereck Joubert describes spotting a dozen of the animals here with his friend Lance Dixon while scouting the site, and the name stuck.
The camp was designed by Dereck Joubert, with interiors by Beverly Joubert, co-founder of Great Plains Conservation. The look is deliberately Robinson Crusoe: salvage-inspired structures, giant basket shapes referencing Bayei and other local Okavango fishing traditions, and thick pole woodwork recalling masts salvaged from a shipwreck. Bamboo, chosen for its renewability and carbon sequestration, forms part of the main area structure, under thick thatch over canvas roofs and walls. Surrounded entirely by water, the interiors run to a blue theme: vintage Persian carpets, blue trade bead curtains, and silk and linen curtaining that catches the breeze. Sitatunga Private Island is a Great Plains Conservation Réserve-Collection camp and Botswana's newest Relais & Châteaux member.
There are only two suites, raised into the established ebony tree canopy for shade and a vantage point over the lagoon. Boating is the main activity, supplemented by guided walking and, when water levels allow, poling by mokoro through the smaller channels. Crocodiles, hippos and elephants are regular visitors to the island, and the Delta setting makes for notable birding. Tag-and-release fishing runs from March to December.
- Rooms
- 2
- Minimum stay
- 1 night
- Check in
- 15:00
- Check out
- 12:00
Why we like it
- Only two suites, raised into the island's ebony tree canopy
- Entirely surrounded by water at the head of the Okavango Delta's Panhandle
- One of few places to see sitatunga antelope, from camp and by boat
- Designed by Dereck Joubert with interiors by Beverly Joubert
- Botswana's newest Relais & Châteaux member
- Tag-and-release fishing available March to December
Gallery
Rooms & suites
Categories shown for orientation. Your travel advisor will confirm which are available for your dates and recommend the one that suits the trip.
Safari Suite
One of only two suites, raised into the ebony tree canopy above the lagoon. Each has a private indoor lounge, a double vanity bathroom with porcelain baths and indoor showers, air conditioning over the bed area, and an outdoor sala with a private plunge pool. A camera and lens set, plus binoculars, are provided, and treatments can be arranged in suite or on the pool deck.
Up to 2 guestsLagoon and Okavango Delta view
Amenities
- Plunge pool
- Boat safaris
- Guided walking safaris
- Mokoro excursions
- Tag-and-release fishing
- In-suite spa treatments
- Complimentary camera and lens set
- Binoculars
- Air conditioning
- Double vanity bathroom
- Indoor and outdoor showers
- Outdoor sala
Reserving through us
Included when your travel advisor confirms this stay
- Daily breakfast for two
- Room upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
- Property credit or equivalent where the house offers one
- Early check in and late check out on request
- Welcome amenity and your travel agent known to the general manager
Eligible preferred amenities are applied wherever available, subject to the property at the time of stay, and are confirmed in your proposal.
Location
, Botswana
Water camps in the delta, high game density and very few vehicles.
Questions
- How many suites does Sitatunga Private Island have?
- The camp has only two suites, each raised into the established ebony tree canopy for shade and views over the lagoon.
- What is a sitatunga and can I see one here?
- The sitatunga is a shaggy antelope with elongated hoofs adapted to walking in swamp. Sitatunga Private Island is named after it and is one of the few places where the animal can be seen from camp and by boat.
- What activities are available at the camp?
- Boating is the main activity, alongside guided walking and, when water levels allow, poling by mokoro. Tag-and-release fishing runs from March to December.
- Who designed the camp?
- The camp was designed by Dereck Joubert, CEO of Great Plains Conservation, with interiors by co-founder Beverly Joubert.
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