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SAVUTE ELEPHANT CAMP
CHOBE NATIONAL PARK
BOTSWANA
An
Orient Express Property
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Personal Impression:
On arrival you are greeted by the sight of elephants right in front
of the swimming pool and lodge area. An incredible sight! A watering
hole is in this area and the elephants frequent it almost all day.
The day before we
were there a pride of lions approached the watering hole and
the elephants vacated very quickly. A beautiful lodge, with a
true feeling of being in the bush. There is a fountain in the middle
of camp where they rake the sand each evening. In the morning the
excitement is to see what tracks have been left during the night.
Location of the camp and game viewing:
Savute is located in
the heart of the Chobe National Park in Botswana. This is a dry and
arid country with the ground being mostly sandy. You are in a
National Park and you cannot go off road for game viewing - so this is
something you do need to know. Game viewing varies here tremendously
as the camp is in the path of a migration that takes place each
year. As it gets drier in the winter months of April - August a lot of game moves to the river areas of Botswana and then
returns again when the rains come in late November. This is an
area densely populated by elephants, where lions have evolved
and specialize now in killing elephants. Large prides are required to
bring down an elephant. It is not uncommon to see prides of 40 lions
at Savute.
Accommodations:
The tents feel more like a standard permanent structure, with nicely
polished wood floors and a large outdoor deck.
They also feature air conditioning. The rooms are
a nice size and the bathrooms have double sinks, large shower
only and no bathtubs. The tents are all raised above
the ground. Many of the
rooms have a good view of the elephant watering hole. There is a large swimming pool on the grounds
right outside the main lodge area and raised above the elephants
watering hole.
Internet Access:
You are out of touch with the world. Internet is supposed to
be coming, but it may be a while before it becomes a reality.
Dining and Wines:
The open air lodge is the scene for wonderful meals as you watch the
elephants in play at the watering hole right in front of you.
Talk about live entertainment. It is fascinating as they lumber in
one by one and as you watch the hierarchy of the group. The
elephants are primarily bull elephants as the females and babies are
ever aware of the danger from lions and stay hidden most of the
time. A starter, choice of
meat or vegetarian dish, dessert and cheeses is offered each
evening along with a fully stocked bar. After dinner, sitting around
the fireplace is the traditional activity.
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The fountain where
animals
visit during the night |
Elephant at the
watering hole |
The main lodge area |
Spa:
All type of spa treatments are
available.
Summary:
This is a very unique
camp which offers luxurious air
conditioned tents with a feeling of being deep in the bush in Chobe
National Park. If you like elephants - you have found the
perfect safari destination.
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