DUMA TAU CAMP
Linyanti, Botswana

Introduction

The Linyanti Reserve consists of 125,000 hectares of prime wildlife countryside in Northern Botswana. The reserve is bordered to the north by the Linyanti River and to the east by the Chobe National Park. Two thirds of the Savuti Channel is situated within this reserve. The region has all the habitat diversity to make it a haven for wildlife. There are excellent grasslands and waterholes along the Savuti Channel and along the Linyanti. Inland, there are acacia and mopane forests, which sustain large numbers of Elephants in the winter months. The Savuti area is famous for its Lions, which have been documented in National Geographic films. It is in this reserve that DumaTau is situated.

Camp Description

DumaTau is built under cool mangosteen trees overlooking an enormous lagoon. It is located just east of the source of the Savuti Channel. Accommodation is in nine luxurious, raised, tented rooms under thatch with en suite facilities with hot and cold running water, flush toilets and shower. Each room has an additional outdoor open~air shower, for those who prefer to be closer to nature. There is a dining room, pub, lounge, a plunge pool and a guest "loo" with a fantastic view.

Game Viewing

Elephants are one of the area's biggest attractions, especially in the dry winter months, along with the Red Lechwe, Zebra, Wildebeest, Impala, Waterbuck, Sable, Roan, Eland, Giraffe, Baboon, Monkey, Warthog, Crocodile and Buffalo. Then there are the predators ~ Lion, Leopard, Cheetah, Wild Dog and Hyena ~ and the nocturnal animals ~ Bushbabies, Spring Hare, Aardwolf, Serval, Genet, Pangolin ~ and the smaller predators. Birding is great here ~ from the Okavango "specials", such as Slaty Egret, Whiterumped Babblers and Wattled Cranes, to the bushveld species.

DumaTau offers day and night game drives along the Linyanti and Savuti as well as short nature walks. The camp's boat allows guests access to the waterways to observe the Hippos at close range (water levels permitting). There are a number of hides in the area which give guests the opportunity to observe and photograph animals close up in their natural environment without disturbance.

Conservation

The Linyanti Reserve is a multi-purpose reserve where photographic safaris are conducted and where hunting is technically allowed. We have decided not to hunt anywhere in this area and as a result forfeit well over US$300,000 in revenue per annum. We wish to ensure that animals can breed up to their maximum numbers and live lives that are not negatively impacted by ourselves.

Location

o Within the Linyanti concession which is bordered to the east by Chobe National Park.
o Northern Botswana
o Close to Linyanti Marsh & source of the Savuti o Near the Savuti/Linyanti confluence

Accomodation

Number of tents:
8 tents in total consisting of:
7 twin bedded tents
1 kingsize-bedded honeymoon tent
1 guides tent - regular tent as per guests, accommodating 2 guides
This camp can accommodate 16 guests plus tour leader(s)
Tent details:
o Canvas cottages, raised off-ground on poles, wooden doors, thatch roof -"landscape shaped tent"
o En-suite facilities with indoor glass shower & outside shower
o Single basin
o Each room has views over the floodplains & lagoon
o Fans in all guest tents
o Mosquito nets over beds
o Soaps, shampoos and insect repellents are supplied in each room

Activities

90% Game drives, 10 % Water activities.
Game Drives:
o Land game drives in open 4x4 Land Rovers - the camp has 4 x 10-seater Land Rovers, maximum 6 or 7 guests per vehicle.
o Night drives.
o Dinner available in the bush after cocktail cruise. (On request if exclusive use of camp).
o Can do cocktail reception between Kings Pool and DumaTau. (On request for larger groups who want to meet up)
Walking Safaris:
o Game walks and hides
Water Activities:
o Motor Boat, 1x6 seater
o Single decker pontoon boat, Sundowner Cruise.
o No mekoros.
o Pontoon to transfer vehicles across lagoon to utilise other side of concession

Laundry policy

Laundry is done on a daily basis and inclusive in the nightly tariff with the exception of 'smalls' ie underwear, which are not washed due to local customs.

Extras payment

Curios and or imported drinks will be billed to the guest and settled on check out. Payment can be effected by cash (US$), travellers' cheques or the following credit cards: Visa or MasterCard. If guests feel that they want to tip, our recommended tipping schedule is as follows:
Guides - US$5.00 per person per day
General Camp Staff - US$3.00 per person per day
Specialist Guides (if applicable) - US$10.00 per person per day
(This is the suggested gratuity schedule only and is subject to service standards)

Flying Times

to/from Maun 40 minutes
to/from Kasane 50 minutes
Kasane to Victoria Falls 20 minutes but allow additional time for customs and immigration

Air strip details

Chobe 1 Airstrip is located 35 minutes' drive from camp, 1000m long, compacted calcrete.
Max aircraft weight: 2300kg. Unlicensed for heavier aircraft such as King Airs and Islanders, however, these air craft can utilise Kings Pool air strip.
Driving time from Kings Pool to DumaTau is approximately. 55 minutes.
Chobe 1 Air strip co-ordinates: S18.31.99, E023.39.27

Electricity

o Camp has a 220v generator. Electricity is run in the kitchen and main areas when guests are not in camp. When guests return from daily activities, generators generally switched off (for peace in camp).
o 220v battery power (charged by the generator) is used for lighting and fans in each guest tent 24hrs a day. Hairdryers etc cannot work here.
o Video battery can be charged by the generator when guests on game drives. Hence bring spare battery and charging unit.
o Solar heated water for showers etc.

Guest Comments

4 rolls of film on cheetas!
4 rolls of film on lions!
4 rolls of film on elephants!
4 rolls of film on friends & smaller game-
- but a thousand pictures can never do it justice, they will remind us of time well spent and too short days! Thanks.
N.W. & P.W., USA

We have recently returned from a month's holiday in southern Africa including a week's safari with yourselves. Needless to say we had a spectacular time and I thought you might like to see an extract of a report we have been sending to our friends! "The week we spent in Botswana before Christmas was just amazing and I cannot recommend you highly enough. Although under canvas (sometimes thatch as well) and always raised off the ground on decking, there was no lacking in comfort - hot and cold running water and flush loos en suite, as well as an external shower totally private to each tent but overlooking the veldt which was absolutely brilliant! The tents were superbly comfortable and kitted out without being over the top. We were up at 5.00 each morning before a light breakfast at 5.30 and then off in the Land Rover (with tiered seating), motorboat or mokoro for a four-hour expedition. Then back for brunch at 11.00. You were then free to relax - swim, sunbathe, read, or take a siesta - until four when a light tea was served and it was off again for about four hours. During the morning excursion, elevenses was served en route and sundowners were served (our choice chilled white wine) with canapes just before sunset! And then back to camp for dinner with a whole range of very interesting fellow guests, many of whom at this time of the year turned out to be our children's sort of age group. The camp managers (usually white South Africans) and their staff (local Tswanas) were quite the most friendly and informative bunch you could imagine and the local Tswana guides were quite charming and incredibly knowledgeable. They could steer us through hundred yard stretches of water 4ft deep or safely over loose sand in the manner born, and at night could drive one-handed whilst shining the spotlight and picking out and commenting on the animals. We saw a phenomenal range of birds, large and small, even more than we might have expected as of course being summer all the migrants were there as well. But there were also lots of flowers and blossom and that meant butterflies, dragonflies, damsel flies, fireflies et al. Needless to say Harley was in his element! This was perhaps our main point of interest on this trip, having seen most big game during our years resident in Africa, but we were still delighted to encounter a huge variety of animals including my first ever sighting of a wild leopard - and a second sighting at a different camp! The only things we didn't see on this occasion were rhino, which are not to be found in the areas where we were, and cheetah which we just missed on a couple of occasions although fellow guests were luckier! Harley and I were often on our own on our drives although sometimes we would be joined by another couple or singleton, but they never put more than six guests on a vehicle at most. Altogether we spent seven nights away and stayed in three camps sited in very different terrain to give us maximum exposure and it worked very well." It is hard to single out a particular camp above the others but we did have a very special time at Duba Plains where we found Tanya, James and Lucy and their team so welcoming, but we must also mention Craig, Lisa and Pinky at Xigera and Debbie, Brandon, Kath and Ross at DumaTau. Please tell this latter team that we were asking after the baby squirrel, Atep! We definitely plan to travel with you again and hope to visit Namibia under your guidance in the not too distant future!
Sincerely, P.K & H.K

DumaTau has a great team and superior game viewing opportunities. I travel to Africa about twice a year on safari and have visited a wide range of camps in eight countries in east and southern Africa over the years. DumaTau I feel is among the very top safari camps anywhere in Africa.
Prof W., USA

Our guide Kenneth was superlative. Most of our time was spent with him and he therefore dominated our impressions. Everything else came a very good second after Kenneth.
M.S., Zimbabwe

Staff go out of their way to make your stay memorable and a wonderful one. Nothing is too much trouble. The guides are very knowledgeable and friendly.
J.N., London U.K.

Our second visit to the Savuti channel, always a memorable part of a trip to Botswana. The personal approach is very much appreciated and the camp teams' working together is very noticeable at DumaTau.
J.R. and L.R., U.K.

Everyone at DumaTau is so friendly and accommodating. All the small details of service make such a difference. We all agree that it was one of our most favorite places to stay.
H.B., USA

We had a wonderful time - of course you spoiled us for any other camp! All of you were gracious and friendly. All of it was fabulous, especially the "sun in" with the elephants.
J.P., Sedona, Australia.

We don't speak English very well, but we enjoyed it in this camp. It's friendly. Many thanks.
B.D., France

We loved all the care you put into presentation, in the rooms, with the meals. Everything was great and anything we wanted was put at our disposal.
K.A., NYC, USA

Whoever is responsible for selecting you as the in-country host deserves a pat on the back. The camps that we visited were excellent! The staff is wonderful, the camps clean, comfortable and in wonderful locations. Every camp somehow got better than the last. This is our first experience with a tour group and have to admit we really liked all of the assistance with ground transport. Particularly, Gordy in Joburg. He met us at the airport as well as took us back at the end of the trip and shepherded us through the entire maze at the Joburg airport. I intend to write a letter to Colin at WS to thank him for his effort and tell him of our wonderful experience. Many thanks for your assistance.
D.W. and D.W.

We are back home one week after our African trip and are pleased to report that on a scale of 1-10 this experience was a 20!!!!! You did an excellent job throughout our journey. The Grace Hotel in Joburg was the perfect start . Then off to Lesedi which we should have done as a day trip. We thoroughly enjoyed the activities there but the overnight stay a little rough for our tastes.We missed the Grace. Victoria Falls Safari Lodge was a better choice on your part than the Hotel. That provided a good introduction to the game viewing. The Falls were spectacular and we took a jetboat ride on the upper Zambesi River. Our small plane ride to DumaTau was exciting. The staff was very friendly and accomodating. We saw all the game including Wild Dogs but no Leopard . We had numerous Elephant encounters especially in camp . We had nightime visits and one of the local residents parked in front of our door blocking our return to the tent. Birds galore. The highlight of the trip was luxurious Mombo which exceeded our expectations. The staff and facilities were outstanding. The game viewing was the best. We saw 3 different Leopards on 3 different occasions. We didn't want to leave.
D.M. and D.M., USA

In a word, the Africa trip was fantastic!! A. and I both had the times of our lives. Everything worked out exactly as promised in terms of arrangements, being met and transfered around, etc. and the accomodations exceeded expectations. A. wants to go back and work for you - and I just want to go back and see more!
K.M., USA

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The Linyanti Channel & Swamp

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