Tucked into a grove of towering hardwood trees, Abu Camp is an exclusive luxury lodge with six wonderfully spacious tents set along the edge of a lagoon in a private Okavango Delta concession. The surrounding grasslands, secluded islands and waterways are home to an abundance of big game, but the real stars of the show are Abu’s resident herd of African elephants.
Children
Abu Camp does not have a family room
Children between the ages of 6 and 16 years can be accommodated as a triple share in a standard twin room with an extra bed
The range of activities is limited as a result of the minimum age requirement of 13 years of age
Children between the ages of 6 and 16 years may participate in a sleep out on the outdoor star-deck as well as on an elephant ride, provided they are accompanied by an adult,
Please Note:
Abu Camp: Note that a maximum of 10 guests can be accommodated on the elephant activity at any one time. This number is comprised of 4 guests maximum riding the elephants (2 guests on each of two elephants) and 6 guests maximum walking alongside the elephants. If one of the elephants is pregnant or nursing a young one, this number may reduce for a period, however, the overall elephant experience will be managed on the ground by the camp.
Shortly after arriving at camp you’ll be introduced to the Abu herd, and throughout your stay there are plenty of opportunities to interact with these incredible creatures. Enjoy the gentle thrill of an elephant-back safari, walk with the herd as they amble through the bush, and watch them swim in a nearby lagoon. We also highly recommend a night in the Star Bed where you can lie cocooned in your comfortable bed, listening to the low rumbling and snores of the elephants in their enclosure.
Along with these unique experiences, Abu offers all the activities you’d expect from a luxury camp in the Okavango Delta: morning and afternoon game drives, scenic flights, and peaceful mokoro safaris along papyrus-fringed channels. The camp itself balances extreme luxury and a welcoming atmosphere and has plenty of places to relax and unwind such as the open-air lounge, various decks looking out over the lagoon, a secluded swimming pool and even an outdoor gym.
Other highlights of a stay at Abu Camp include sundowners served in magnificent locations, surprise lantern-lit dinners out in the delta and, as the sky fills with stars, nightly chats around the campfire reliving your days’ adventures while swapping safari stories with the other guests.
Abu Camp has six spacious tents, each leading onto a private teak deck with sun loungers offering up great views over the lagoon and the floodplains beyond. The tented suites are individually decorated although each has a king-size bed, a lounge area with comfortable chairs, a writing desk, and lovely details such as carved wooden sculptures, steamer trunks and striking black-and-white photographs.
The en-suite bathrooms have both an indoor and outdoor shower, as well as a copper bathtub secreted away round the side of the deck. End your day’s game viewing soaking in this outdoor tub, a glass of wine close at hand as you listen to the twittering of birds in the surrounding fig and jackal-berry trees.
For the more adventurous there’s a Star Bed just a 10-minute walk from the main camp. The Star Bed overlooks the elephant boma and has a lower deck with an enclosed bathroom and an upper deck where you can lie in bed gazing up at a star-filled sky. Raised high off the ground you’ll be perfectly safe, as you’re lulled to sleep by the comforting sounds of the elephants in the boma below.
The focus at Abu is on the Elephant Experience. The herd currently comprises six elephants: Cathy, Shireni, Lorato, Paseka, Warona and Naledi.
Activites incluce: Walking with the elephants (13 years and older), Observing activities such as mud bathing experiencing the bush through the eyes of the elephants, Discussions on elephant conservation at a local, national and continent-wide level, Day and night game drives to view the amazing diversity of wildlife in the Abu Concession, in the game-rich Okavango Delta UNESCO World Heritage Site, Birding, Boating, Mokoro excursions (13 years and older) (accompanied by the Abu herd), Fishing on a catch and release basis year round except January and February when fishing is barred by law for breeding. The camp supplies all fishing equipment.
Star Bed Experience
There is a Star-Bed platform that sleeps 2 guests situated at the elephant enclosure. The double-storey Star-Bed has its own bathroom with shower, toilet and basin on the lower deck and the bed upstairs under a large mosquito net with a viewing deck over the elephant enclosure. The ultimate immersion experience into the sensory world of the elephant can be experienced by sleeping out under the stars overlooking the elephant boma. Be lulled to sleep by the contented rumbling and low snores of the elephants below.
Abu Camp is best known for its rescued elephants and during your stay you’ll get to know their personalities and quirks from the playful and inquisitive youngsters to the wise matriarch, Cathy. The elephant handlers have clearly formed strong bonds with the animals and are only too happy to answer any questions you may have or tell the stories of how each elephant came to be a member of the Abu herd.
There’s plenty of other wildlife in the Abu Concession too including wild elephant, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, large herds of buffalo, and several species of antelope. As for the predators, Abu Camp game drives offer up a good chance of seeing spotted hyena and leopard, lion often move through the area, and some lucky guests are treated to the sighting of a pack of wild dogs.
The Abu Concession’s diverse range of habitats (from grasslands and woodlands to lagoons and waterways) is a sanctuary for around 380 bird species. Avid birders are sure to add a few ticks to their lists with special sightings including the Lesser Jacana, Pygmy Goose, Wattled Crane, Coppery-tailed Coucal and Rosy-throated Longclaw amongst others.
Rate includes accommodation, all meals, twice daily scheduled camp activities, park fees, laundry and all local drinks - excludes premium imported brands and champagne.
Mar 8, 2023
Superb short Safari
We were referred to Safari.com through a UK safari holiday company. We were dubious at first about dealing with a company in South Africa but we found Safari.com and in particular Mr Keagan Davids, very easy to comunicate with. He was very communicative and made all the necessary arrangements. Unfortunately, the safari lodge we'd booked got flooded out so Keagan found an alternative lodge Called Kapama River Lodge. It was great. Very nice accommodation. Great efficient and friendly staff etc. We were not disappointed. All of the arrangements went like clockwork so we'd highly recommend Safari.com
Mar 6, 2023
Incredible service
Incredible service! Safari.com made our trip easy and simple! Even with our changes. Would highly recommend
Feb 28, 2023
Booking for Addo Elephant Park…
I made a booking for Addo Elephant Park through Safari.com. The instructions were clearly conveyed to me regarding the payment of a deposit to secure the booking. The service received from the lady I dealt with was very professional. For example, upon requesting a change in accommodation type, the request was promptly attended to and I was informed accordingly which I noticed was outside office hours. Proof of secured accommodation was sent promptly and reminder for payment of balance was send well in advance of final date. Finally, once payment was cleared, I received the booking voucher as well as forms to be filled in by all passengers upon entrance as well as the conservation fees to be paid. All in all it was a pleasure to deal with Safari.com and we are looking forward to our stay in ADDO ELEPHANT PARK. Thank you.
Feb 28, 2023
Excellent service from Heleen
Excellent service from Heleen. She was very helpful and friendly. Everthing you need to know or should, she will guide you.
Feb 22, 2023
Chantal Young is awesome to plan with!!!
Chantal Young was so nice and accommodating. We were between safari lodges and she really sold us on Dulini with her chill and approachable attitude. She gave us more than enough information while letting us feel like the decision was ours and was flexible to providing multiple options. Can't reccommend her enough!
Feb 16, 2023
Tanya Lomas is an amazing
Tanya Lomas is an amazing, kind, competant professional agent. Always willing to assist. Our 2nd holiday booking to Kruger through Tanya. Thank you.
Feb 8, 2023
Spending 40 years in the travel…
Spending 40 years in the travel industry and taking several Safari to Kenya, my wife and I reached out to Dolan at Safari.com to help plan our S. African Safari to Kruger. Dolan handled all aspects of the planning including transfers to and from airport, plane reservations and lodging at the 5-star Leopard Hills lodge. With just a couple of emails he made the planning seamless. every aspect was on-time, and all responses were very timely. We can't wait to go back and would highly recommend Dolan at Safari.com
Feb 7, 2023
We had a lovely holiday!
Hi Chantal The Summit place guest house was First class , the warmest welcome Robyn was a first class host , the day drips to the wine region and Cape of Good hope etc where really good also. Limoni apartments where lovely, we were looked after by the maids and the property was fantastic . Amakhala service was fantastic, really first class couldn’t fault it. No issues with the cars or anything everything went well, thank you for organising it for us we would recommend you and your company!
Feb 3, 2023
Delt with Heleen
Delt with Heleen, who was super responsive and patient with us along the way! Will definitely make use of safari.com and Heleen when planning our trips in the future.
Feb 2, 2023
Reserving a bungalow at BERG-EN-DAL REST CAMP
The staff at safari.com promptly responded to my questions and helped me when I had trouble completing an online payment.
Feb 1, 2023
The person helping me was great
The person who was helping me with the booking, Carien, was exceptionally helpful and she made it very easy to get information and to get my booking sorted. The website was very easy to navigate and receive good information about which spots offer which amenities
Jan 27, 2023
I cant say much but safari is the best…
I cant say much but safari is the best when it comes to book coz they know client are always right and they help me very quicky.God bless u
Jan 11, 2023
Unorgettable trip in South Africa
We have spent 12 days as a family in South Africa with my 3 children and my wife who is in a wheelchair. Thanks to Pascal, Safari.com consultant, we were able to spend an unforgettable moment with a great program while being well accompanied despite our constraints. I recommand particularly the "Monwana game lodge" for a safari in Hoedspruit. It's an amazing place with very nice people and a real family atmosphere. Thank you to the entire Safari.com team for this unforgettable trip.
Nov 26, 2022
We had an amazing first safari…
We had an amazing first safari experience with Safari.com! 💯Thanks to Dolan for the well planning and ensure our itinerary goes smoothly and safely!
Nov 18, 2022
Cape Town miracle
I was in Cape Town, South Africa recently for an athletic competition and had allowed myself a week of personal time to relax and properly conclude the trip, but had not bothered to plan a safari to occupy the time. I was skeptical of the cost and whether I would enjoy the experience, however a couple days into that final week it occurred to me, in a bit of a panic attack, what a waste it would be not to take advantage of this opportunity. I hopped online and started looking at flights to Johannesburg (almost all the safaris in SA start there with an early morning pick up), but it was basically impossible to get a flight early enough and/or to coordinate with the multiple safaris operating in or just outside of Kruger. With no apparent options available to turn my remaining 4 1/2 days into even a 3 day safari I stumbled on the most obvious website one could imagine, Safari.com. I'd completely given up negotiating all the variables on my own but here was a safari travel agent that might be able to help me .. and they were based right out of Cape Town, literally a stones throw from my lodgings. Serendipity, or so i hoped. I immediately sent out an email and crossed my fingers .. for roughly an hour and a half, at which point Dolan from Safari.com responded to me requesting I give him a call so that we could expedite potential arrangements. My in country phone plan wasn't able to make calls, but we arranged for him to call me and not 3 hours after being in the grip of despair Dolan got through to me and far from notifying me of how absurd it was to hold out hope for a literally, last minute safari adventure with barely 4 days available to me, he had already worked out all the details I'd sent and created a preliminary safari trip that would bypass Johannesburg airport for a flight the next morning to a closer, much, much smaller airport where I would be picked up taken, not to a 3 day safari, but a full 4 day safari, then back to the tiny, tiny airport for a return flight to Cape Town with 2 hours to spare for my return leg all the way home. It almost feels like an afterthought, after the minor miracle Dolan was able to conjure up, but the safari itself at Simbavati Lodge was just an absolutely stunning experience. The single "tent" he booked me was as luxurious as any 4 star hotel I've stayed in, the game drives, one every morning, one every evening were more amazing than I could have ever imagined, and the food, 3 meals a day with snacks and an open bar was sublime. I could go on about the wonderful staff, or the wonderful other safari goers you can meet and grab a drink with, or the different animals walking through the open lodge facilities daily .. but I've gone on long enough. I'll simply conclude by saying .. safari, absolutely, yes, do it, it is amazing. And when you do decide, Safari.com will do you right and if you have the pleasure of working with Dolan, do give him my thanks .. the entire experience was the best part of my trip :)
Nov 12, 2022
A great company
What to say! We planned a South African Safari for 2020 with Safari.com. We researched companies and took a chance on one we had never heard of before. Henry Franklin was our agent, we gave him our budget and wish list. He came up with a wonderful looking trip and we made our choices! Then came Covid, preventing us from going. We couldn’t have been in better hands. Henry rebooked everything for the next year. He kept us updated on how things looked there. When in 2021, we decided it still looked iffy, he rebooked us a second time for 2022. We couldn’t have been happier with the service we had in a rough time for all. We had a wonderful experience on our trip when we finally got to go!! Henry had everything so well organized and gave us a detailed list of what transfer companies would be meeting us and when. When Airlink bumped us and put us on standby returning from Victoria Falls, we called the concierge number Henry had given us and Catherine worked hard on this and got us back on our flight. The Safari.com team had our back and we have no regrets. Would definitely use them again. Our lodging was wonderful, saw the big 5 within first 2 drives. Henry definitely knew the territory and did a great job matching what we wanted with where he suggested we go and stay. Thanks Safari.com, Henry and Catherine!
Oct 21, 2022
Superior service, knowledgeable, transparent, amazing can-do attitude
These guys get 10/10. I have booked with them a few times. To Kruger National Park, including both public and private(concession) camps, flights and car hire. Their senior agent, Dolan is exceptional. Nothing is too much trouble. Attention to detail, transparency, and 'can-do' attitude are out of the ordinary. I recently came into contact with Tanya at safari.com as well. It looks like all their agents are similarly well trained. Thank you. I cannot recommend Dolan and his team highly enough.
Sep 5, 2022
For a second time I booked a safari in…
For a second time I booked a safari in South Africa by Safari.com and had the great pleasure to be assisted and followed by Dolan Sequera. I have to say I really appreciate his way to communicate with me by phone and/or WhatsApp/mail, I always got a very quick answer to my questions with solutions and or suggestions which solved the doubts/problems I had. A really very very knowledged and professional person I will surely suggest to friends of my or who ever is plannig to visit South Africa! Thank you very much Dolan
Sep 5, 2022
Trip of a life time
Well where to starter, África always been my number one dream vacation, I found safari.com didn’t know anything about, but pascal made me feel very confident.pascal put my whole trip together (everything I wanted) a trip of a life time. Had the best time in Africa, was everything that I except and a little more. Pascal is the best and I will go back to Africa and will go through safari.com that I recommend and is 💯 legit.thank you for everything pascal, you rock!!!
Aug 31, 2022
I've recently interacted with Dolan and…
I've recently interacted with Dolan and hands down he's been the best travel agent that I've every worked with. He was a wealth of experience and knowledge which shows volumes. He took into consideration my budget and my individual needs to tailor make a package with recommendations for my preference,he knows Kruger and Greater Kruger like the back of his hands and I will wholeheartedly recommended his services. He is truly an asset to his institution.
Apr 21, 2022
The best company
I have booked several trips with Safari.com and they are the best. They are personal and professional and always pay attention to the details to make your trip special. Casper is the best agent I have worked with. We are looking forward to booking another trip!!
Mar 8, 2019
Nelia Nyamhanza
Nelia Nyamhanza, was extremely helpful, knowledgeable and friendly in designing our trip every step of the way. She listened to our request of places we wanted to visit and advised us on what best to do. This made the whole experience wonderful. Every guide from Ilios was eager to share their culture with us and are kind people, as well as, the guide/driver from Elephant Camp, Victoria Falls. We will recommend others to you so that they can be part of your amazing country.
Jan 8, 2018
Excellent service by the agent Jayson…
Excellent service by the agent Jayson Scheffers (Africa Safari Expert). We had little idea of the place and things to do. He made it at all soo easy and planned it so well that it all went smooth. We had a baby with us so we were not sure about the things but he advised us well. All the hotels, pickups etc were well informed about our situation and we did not face any issues. He was always there to answer any questions 24/7. Very personalized service. Highly recommended.