Natural Selection
Natural Selection Travel is an exceptional company with an amazing conservation ethic. They commit 1.5% of every safari sold to one of a number of important conservation initiatives. With First Light Safaris contributing an additional 1%, know that more of your investment is going towards a future for wildlife and the communities that benefit from eco-tourism.
Natural Selection Travel has a number of amazing camps and lodges in Botswana that offers you the opportunity for a complete and diverse safari experience. Their properties have a lot of character and intangibles that many other companies just can’t duplicate. Our favorite camp? Little Sable in the exclusive Khwai Private reserve.
Little Sable
Okavango Delta, Botswana
This classic and charming 8 tented camp sits in a prime spot to catch all the action of the bush. You’ll feel as if you stepped back in time. This is our favorite camp in the Khwai Private Reserve which consists of 200,000 acres of the best wildlife viewing in Botswana. Plus, Natural Selection is the only company that operates in this reserve located along the lower reaches of the Okavango Delta.
We just love this camp. Everything you need and everything you don’t.
Activities here include game drives and mokoro (traditional, dug-out canoes) excursions and boat cruises along some of the Delta’s waterways.
Nightly rate starts at $595 per person
Hyena Pan
Okavango Delta, Botswana
Do you like elephants playing in the water just meters from where you sleep? Then this little gem is for you. Another classic and unpretentious camp of 8 tented chalets, Hyena Pan sits along a lagoon that is a magnet for wildlife. It is situated in an area between Chobe National Park and the Moremi Game Reserve; taking advantage of the movements of wildlife. Hyena Pan is located in the Khwai Private Reserve where Natural Selection has exclusive use; no other companies to crowd you on a wildlife sighting.
If you love elephants, then this camp is a MUST as part of your Botswana safari!!!
Activities include game drives, walking safaris, and trips to a hide at the edge of a very active waterhole where you can get a ground level view of amazing animals as they come down to drink.
Nightly rate starts at $675 per person
Skybeds
Okavango Delta, Botswana
A must for any Botswana itinerary. Skybeds accommodates only 6 guests in three chalets that rises three stories and overlooks a beautiful landscape and waterhole where all sorts of creatures big and small frequent. As the picture below highlights, the top of this clever and unique property is your bedroom under a Botswana, starlit sky. This camp is only open during the dry season, April to October, so you don’t need to worry about getting rained on (or unwanted visitors if you’re concerned about that).
Activities include walking safaris and a visit to a hide next to a waterhole to get a unique perspective of Africa’s mega-fauna. We recommend staying 2 nights as part of your Botswana itinerary.
Nightly rate starts at $675 per person
Sable Alley
Okavango Delta, Botswana
The big sister to Little Sable, Sable Alley offers a bit more in the way of “luxury” for those wanting a few more frills to add to the safari thrills. Located in the exclusive Khwai Private Reserve along the lower reaches of the Okavango Delta and the Moremi Game Reserve, Sable Alley is a little bigger, but still only consists of 12 chalets overlooking a lagoon teeming with life. Sable Alley is a good choice for families.
Activities include game drives, walking safaris, and mokoro (traditional dug-out canoes) and boat excursions of the Delta’s secret waterways.
Nightly rate starts at $830 per person
Tuludi
Okavango Delta, Botswana
Tuludi is Natural Selection’s version of a ultra-luxurious safari experience in the Okavango Delta. Located in a secluded area of Natural Selection’s very exclusive Khwai Private Reserve, Tuludi is for those who need just a little more bling while seeking out the lion king. Natural Selection has done a fantastic job of combining just the right amount of luxurious elements while maintaining the natural integrity of the camp and how it melts into the natural surroundings. There are only 7 suites, plus, a charming Sky Suite for guests on a romantic getaway or for those who just need a little break away from the main camp.
Activities include game drives, walking safaris, and mokoro (traditional dug-out canoes) and boat excursions.
Nightly rate starts at $1190 per person
Duke’s Camp
Okavango Delta, Botswana
“Duke’s Camp offers nine canvas safari suites, each carefully positioned to offer unforgettable views of the Okavango Delta. The tents are on raised wooden decks and sit elegantly amongst leadwood and ebony trees. Each tent offers a spacious en-suite bathroom, bedecked with brass fittings and bespoke amenities, as well as a private viewing deck.”
“This landmark new camp is named in honor of Sarefo ‘Duke’ Sarefo, the custodian of this bountiful piece of wilderness. Duke was born 80 years ago on the very island that the camp now occupies, and his ancestral roots run deep into these sandy soils.”
This area is located in the remote northern region of the delta where massive lions, large herds of elephant, and solitude await the safari traveler looking for that “something” other safari areas lack.
Activities include game drives, mokoro (traditional dug-out canoes) excursions of the Delta’s secret waterways, and tiger fishing. Activities offered at an extra cost are fly camping and a tour to the Tsodilo Hills (home to over 4,000 ancient cave paintings).
Nightly rate starts at $830 per person
Jack’s Camp
Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana
What Tuludi is to the Okavango Delta, Jack’s Camp is to the Makgadikgadi Pans. Natural Selection does it again with an ultra-luxurious offering that offers a very unique and inspiring property while not overpowering the beauty of the surrounding area. Jack’s Camp’s 9 gorgeous chalets are for those who place more emphasis on the luxury and finer details of a safari property while still feeling a part of the natural world. Jack’s Camp is one of only three camp located in this 1 million acre preserve of classic Kalahari landscape.
Activities include day and night game drives, hanging with the local colonies of meerkats, bushwalks with Zu/’hoasi Bushmen, horseback safaris, and quad bike trips out on the salt pans.
Nightly rate starts at $1,700 per person
San Camp
Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana
San Camp is a 7 bedroom camp for those who enjoy some of the finer safari things in life. The atmosphere is that of a small desert oasis with a romantically classic Africa vibe and the sunsets; oh the sunsets. Some of the most beautiful in all the world. San Camp even has a yoga pavilion for those wanting to start their day with a morning practice as the world comes alive around you. San Camp is one of 3 camps (all Natural Selection properties) in this massive 1 million acre expanse of desert beauty.
Activities include day and night game drives, hanging with the local colonies of meerkats, bushwalks with Zu/’hoasi Bushmen, horseback safaris, and quad bike trips out on the salt pans.
Nightly rates start at $1,750 per person
Camp Kalahari
Makgadikgadi Pans, Botswana
Camp Kalahari is a wonderful bush camp with a laid back atmosphere. It is situated under canopies of palm and acacia trees with quite the diversity of avian life fluttering around the camp. The 12 rooms are the quintessential safari-style Meru tents that are our favorite to spend nights out in the bush. There is a common theme among the camps our clients seem to gravitate towards; less is more. If booking this property, request the tents that are built up on raised platforms to give you a better view of the vast landscape. This is also a great camp for families.
Activities include day and night game drives, hanging with the local colonies of meerkats, bushwalks with Zu/’hoasi Bushmen, and horseback safaris (extra cost).
Nightly rate starts at $685 per person
Meno a Kwena
Boteti River, Botswana
Another classic Natural Selection’s camp where the focus is on the safari experience. Meno a Kwena consists of 10 charming tented chalets situated on a ridge overlooking the Boteti River and the vastness of Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. During the dry season when water is scarce, you can watch scores of animals come down to the river to drink; all from the comfort and shade of your tent’s veranda.
Activities include game drives, bush walks with San Bushmen, boat cruises, sleep out under the stars, view wildlife at water level at the camp’s nearby floating hide, and day trips into Makgadikgadi National Park.
Nightly rate starts at $550 per person
