SANCTUARY STANLEY’S CAMP – OKAGANGO DELTA

Sanctuary Stanley’s is a classic tented safari camp set amidst 260,000 acres of wilderness in a private concession in the Okavango Delta bordering the southern section of the Moremi Game Reserve.

There are just 10 canvas tents with ensuite facilities and the main area has a large tented lounge and dining area and a rim flow swimming pool with magnificent views over the floodplain in front of the camp where you can sit and watch the wildlife inbetween game drives.

This is one of the best places in the world for seeing buffalo in large numbers, with herds often exceeding 2,000. Sanctuary Stanley’s Camp is also home of the very unique elephant interaction activity in partnership with the Living with Elephants Foundation where you can walk in the bush with a pair of semi habituated elephants.

LOCATION

Sanctuary Stanley’s Camp is located in the Okavango Delta in northern Botswana. The camp is accessible by air which is around 15 minutes’ flight from Maun and has its own registered private airstrip located approximately 10 minutes game drive from the camp.

CAMP

Set among ebony and sausage trees Sanctuary Stanley’s Camp has just ten ensuite safari canvas tents each individually designed and furnished with African antiques. The tents have an indoor shower and are equipped with a hairdryer, ceiling fan, in-room safe and complementary WIFI. You can relax and watch wildlife from your large wooden outdoor deck and there is a compact gym, yoga bag and a well-stocked minibar and coffee station in your room.

The breezy central tent is the perfect place to relax on summer evenings – this is where you will find the Explorer Lounge with lots of information about the Okavango Delta – and an outdoor bar with wonderful views over the floodplains.

The camp has a rim flow swimming pool and a curio shop. The electricity supply is a combination of silent packed generator and battery system and the camp is built to the highest ecological standards so not to damage this highly sensitive area.

WILDLIFE AND ACTIVITIES

The game viewing around camp is thrilling. Water crossings are part of the adventure and because the camp is set in a private concession there is the opportunity to enjoy night game drives to see the nocturnal wildlife. Key wildlife include: lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo, cheetah, giraffe, impala, zebra, wild dog, hyena, and hippo.

Game drives – game drives in this region are unique as water crossings are part of the adventure and watching zebra standing belly-deep in water whilst grazing is a sight to see. Even giraffe will cross water up to their hocks. During higher water levels, game drives will be combined with motorised boating excursions and traditional dugout canoes called Mokoros. Sanctuary Stanley’s Camp is set in a private concession which means you can also venture out at night on game drives to see the many nocturnal animals that live here. The evening drive starts after sundowner cocktails, using a spotlight to identify nocturnal creatures including the ones that are easier to catch a glimpse of in the dark like hyena and leopard.

Walking Safaris – the camp’s professional guides will show you the bush on foot. This is a chance to see the Delta from a different perspective – one that is up close and personal with the surrounding environment. Walks allow you to identify wildlife tacks in the smooth sand of the road – lion, leopard, elephants, genets and even millipedes and snakes. A walking safari is about seeing the small five and the various flora in the area.

Mokoro Safaris – the Okavango Delta is flooded for much of the year and when it is you can experience the serene silence of a poled mokoro excursion along the narrow channels. Sit back and relax as you glide through lily ponds on local dugout canoes – a buffalo as it laps water from the river, see crocodiles sunbathe on the banks or cruise past a pod of hippos.

Living with Elephants Interaction – an extraordinary treat available at Sanctuary Stanley’s Camp is the opportunity to go walking in the bush with two semi-habituated elephants. Jabu and Morula are elephants that were orphaned nearby and adopted by Doug and Sandi Groves. The elephants ‘take’ guests on long walks foraging in the area in safety. They will show you how they look for food, strip leaves from branches with their trunks and take showers in the lagoons of the delta. This activity includes a leisurely paced walk with two semi-habituated elephants observing and interacting with them and a picnic lunch in their company.

Scenic Helicopter Flights – fly west towards the permanent delta to see areas which are unreachable by vehicle or boat to appreciate the sheer enormity of the Okavango Delta. There is the option of the doors being removed for unrestricted photographic opportunities. Choose between 30, 45 or 60 minute flights in a one turbine Bell Jetranger helicopter with 3 seats. This activity is offered on a year round basis. We recommend early morning and late afternoon as this time usually provides the best light for photography. Preferred flight times can be requested on booking.

SANCTUARY STANLEY’S CAMP IS OPEN ALL YEAR ROUND

THE CAMP WELCOMES FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN OF ALL AGES. THE GUIDES WILL BE ABLE TO OFFER DEDICATED CHILDREN’S ACTIVITIES WHICH INCLUDE TEACHING THE ART OF POLING A MOKORO, IDENTIFYING PLANTS IN THE BUSH AND LEARNING HOW TO MAKE ROPE OUT OF NATURAL MATERIALS.

CHILDREN AGED 15 YEARS AND YOUNGER ARE NOT ALLOWED ON WALKING SAFRIS AND A PRIVATE VEHICLE MUST BE BOOKED FOR CHILDREN AGED 5 YEARS AND YOUNGER. HOUSEKEEPERS ARE ABLE TO BABYSIT CHILDREN WHILST GUESTS ARE ON AN ACTIVITY AND CHILD MINDING IS CHARGED AT A NOMINAL FEE WHICH IS PAID DIRECTLY TO THE CHILD MINDER.