April 2024…// Great Plains, the iconic African eco-tourism organization founded by National Geographic filmmaker-explorers Dereck and Beverly Joubert, is delighted to share its most incredible experiences for a celebratory safari escape. From milestone birthdays with all the family to romantic honeymoon and anniversary escapes à deux, there’s nothing quite like a Great Plains adventure to mark a special occasion.
These bucket-list-in-the-bush experiences, which range from helicopter safaris to horseback adventures at dawn followed by breakfast in the bush, are available at Great Plains’ most iconic luxury camps in Botswana, Kenya and Zimbabwe.
The Experiences
In-Suite Spa Treatments Surrounded by Wildlife at Duba Plains Camp, Botswana
After an exhilarating morning safari drive in Botswana’s northern Okavango Delta on a 33,000-hectare private reserve boasting fantastic pristine wildlife area, guests at Duba Plains Camp can enjoy an indulging Earth Soul treatment à deux. Guests can choose to enjoy pampering together or solo in the privacy of their verandah under a shaded salah or in their own suite, surrounded by breathtaking views across the sprawling plains.
The Earth Soul is a new enriching spa treatment at Duba Plains. Designed to deep clean and rejuvenate, the treatment starts with a mineralizing lavender and neroli Himalayan salt crystal footbath followed by a marula-infused full body exfoliation. A lifting face and scalp massage using energizing rose quartz crystals leaves guests feeling revitalized and relaxed. Couples can unwind while enjoying this renewing spa treatment as local wildlife such as elephants, baboons and giraffes wander by outside.
Nightly rates at Duba Plains Camp start from $2,460 per person per night.
Helicopter Safari Arrivals at Sitatunga Private Island, Botswana
The most spectacular way to begin a safari is with a helicopter arrival, available at Sitatunga Private Island, where guests will enjoy a birds-eye view of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, before arriving at the latest water-based Réserve-Collection Safari Camp. Guided aerial helicopter tours are a unique way to explore deep into the Delta, where guests can discover permanent waterways, palm islands and lagoons, sweeping views of floodplains and incredible wildlife sightings. Or simply stop en route for a celebratory and special glass of Champagne in the middle of nowhere, with only the onlooking wildlife around to hear that pop of the champagne cork! Fasten your seatbelts as helicopter doors can be removed for unrestricted views and great photographic opportunities. Great Plains guests are provided with headsets for direct communication with the very knowledgeable bush pilots, ensuring a guided and informed experience.
Constructed almost entirely of recycled materials, the new Sitatunga Private Island offers discerning explorers a ‘slow safari’ experience that is as sustainable as it is luxurious. Built on a raised, wrap-around railway sleeper private deck, Sitatunga Private Island can accommodate a maximum of eight guests in two separate stunning private suites along with the spacious two-bedroom suite. Arriving in style and seeing the stunning area from a bird’s-eye-view is a very special way to commence a stay at Great Plains’ latest camp in Botswana.
Nightly rates at Sitatunga Private Island start from $1,965 per night on an all-inclusive basis.
Mokoro Experience at Duba Explorers Camp, Botswana
Guests staying at Duba Explorers Camp can drift along the channels of the Okavango Delta in a mokoro, a traditional Botswana canoe. Guests can sit back and let their expert safari guide inform them about what species they are seeing, such as jacana birds delicately walking over the lily pads or the exotic insects and colorful dragonflies resting on water lilies. The highly trained Great Plains safari guides gracefully paddle using oars or punt the mokoro using a long wooden pole so guests can relax and truly immerse themselves in Botswana’s natural beauty. From the mokoro, guests can witness the occasional hippo or crocodile swimming in the distance and try to identify the amazing Botswana birdlife, such as the carmine bee-eater. An exciting option is stopping and exploring a remote, deserted island and seeing wildlife and birdlife on foot. Many of these islands will never have had a human set foot there before. Guides can then arrange a well-deserved sundowner next to a campfire, the perfect way to reflect on an incredible day.
Nightly rates at Great Plains Duba Explorers Camp from $1,565 per person per night.
Dining on the Banks of the Zambezi at Tembo Plains Camp, Zimbabwe
Enjoying a majestic setting on the banks of Zimbabwe’s Zambezi river, Great Plains’ Tembo Plains Camp is surrounded by some of the country’s most pristine landscapes. Guests of Tembo Plains camp can now extend their bush adventure with a waterside dinner overlooking the Zambezi, whose power is culturally embedded in the country’s history. As guests are mesmerized by the peacefully flowing water before them, an expert team of chefs will create a mouth-watering array of dishes for them to enjoy by candlelight while reliving the adventures of the preceding day.
Nightly rates at Tembo Plains Camp start from $1,145 per person per night/the Zanji Suite starts from $11,810 per night.
The Interactive Singing Kitchen Experience at Mara Expedition Camp, Kenya
On private land adjoining the Olare Motogrogi Conservancy and the Maasai Mara Game Reserve lies Mara Expedition Camp. Here, guests can enjoy one of the most unique swimming pools in the world – on the back of a WWII truck – and experience a wonderful evening at the interactive singing kitchen with the talented and entertaining chefs.
One of the most often-asked questions post-suppertime is ‘how do we make this at home?’. Thanks to the new ‘interactive kitchen’ experience, guests need wonder no more! From the specially built interactive kitchen at the heart of the camp, guests can sit back, watch and learn as the talented singing chefs whip up gourmet lunch and dinners. Combining international dishes with local touches, the team will talk through the process of creating each delicious dish, tailoring recipes to the individual’s liking as they enjoy traditional Maasai songs and dancing.
Nightly rates at Great Plains Mara Expedition Camp start from $835 per person per night based on 2 guests sharing.
Bush Breakfast on Horseback and Sleeping on a ‘Star Bed’ Under the African Sky at ol Donyo Lodge, Kenya
Serenely located in the Chyulu Hills, in the shadow of Mount Kilimanjaro, privacy is guaranteed at ol Donyo Lodge in Kenya. Home to an impressive stable of 21 horses, the lodge offers the unique opportunity to swap the rumble of the engine for the sound of hooves on the grassy plains.
The most exhilarating way to start the day at ol Donyo is with a breakfast in the bush by horseback! Here, guests will ride through the bush – spotting giraffe and cheetah as they go – before arriving to a delicious breakfast set up, accompanied by birdsong, under the shade of an acacia tree. This breakfast may be far from camp but the team don’t leave anything behind, with freshly baked goods, hot breakfast and fresh fruit-a-plenty making for a morning to remember!
A new addition for ol Donyo Lodge is the camp’s own helicopter, which is available for guests to enjoy on scenic flights through the incredible Chyulu Hills, Kilimanjaro and Amboseli area. The new Bell 505 helicopter will be available for destination breakfasts with stunning views along with conservation and air transfers to Nairobi.
Adventurers can also opt to spend the night sleeping under the stars in their very own ‘Star Bed’ at ol Donyo. Guests will return to their room to discover a lantern-lit walkway to their private star bed set up on the terrace of their suite. Made up with luxurious linen and draped mosquito net upon their bed, dreamers can sleep under the endless African sky to the sounds of the bush, only to be woken up naturally by the birds and the rising sun. A night under the stars in Africa is a memory to treasure for a lifetime…
Nightly rates at ol Donyo Lodge from $1,210 per person per night.
“Here at Great Plains we love nothing more than when a special occasion request comes to camp and we relish in pulling out all the stops to give our guests a memorable and magical experience,” commented Great Plains CEO Dereck Joubert. “There’s nowhere better to celebrate life’s most important occasions than Africa, where memories of a lifetime are waiting to be made. Of course, our guests often find their ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ escapes are too good to experience just once, meaning they like to come back over and over again!”
