Chitabe Lediba Camp in the Okavango Delta
Chitabe Lediba Camp in the Chitabe Concession neighbours the Moremi Game Reserve in the south-east of the Okavango Delta, Botswana. The Chitabe Concession consists of 28 000 hectares of the widest range habitats known to the Okavango Delta. From savannah to tree-filled islands and floodplains, a luxury African safari makes for the most amazing wildlife sightings.
Chitabe Lediba Camp is smaller than its sister, Chitabe, and offers a much more intimate experience – ideal for small groups or families. Its two family units have adjoining bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms. All five spacious Meru-style tents are built on raised decks. En-suite bathrooms have outdoor showers with panoramic views of the Okavango Delta. The Camp has a dining area, lounge and pool have a glorious vantage over the small lediba (remnant lagoon that has become a waterhole) after which the camp is named. Guests can view the multitude of wildlife which comes to drink by day from the comfort of the camp itself.
The Camp has both morning and afternoon game drives to explore the breathtaking variety of landscapes, habitats and wildlife which border the Chitabe Concession. Afternoon drives usually return after dark in the hopes of spotting the shyer nocturnal animals of the Okavango Delta: such as genet, civet, serval, porcupine and, on the rare occasion, the aardwolf. It also has two elevated platforms which can be utilised either for a ‘sleep out’ or as a game viewing platform by day.
Game drives take place in the same area as Chitabe Camp’s guests, so the viewing experience is identical. Wildlife seen here includes elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard and cheetah; as well as zebra, tsessebe, giraffe, kudu and impala. On occasion guests are also privileged enough to see Wild Dog.
Facts: Year round multi-activity camp:
•Land game drives in open 4×4 Land Rovers, each accommodating a maximum of 7 guests so that each guest has an outside seat. •Day and night drives •Walking safaris are offered from camp on a request basis •”Sleep outs” at the open air platforms on request
Chitabe Lediba Camp Game Viewing
The Camp is located in the Chitabe Concession, which covers 28,000 hectares of pristine Okavango Delta wilderness. It borders the well known Moremi Game Reserve and is nestled between two main river systems, the Gomoti to the east and the Santantadibe to the west.
The Camp is unique even in the Okavango Delta in that it harbours such a variety of habitats in close proximity, ranging from classic Okavango Delta scenery with Illala palms dotting floodplains to open savannah and acacia woodlands. A finger of perennial swamps inundated by water throughout the year extends into the Chitabe Concession and the area is also dominated by seasonally flooded areas which transform 56% of the concession from dry floodplains into a lush oasis, when the annual flood waters meander through. All this gives rise to a surprising diversity of species, which allows guests a wide range of luxury African safaris, game viewing and birding experiences.
The high numbers of impala in the area means that leopard are often seen near Camp. Also encountered are buffalo, elephant, lion and occasional sightings of wild dog, the subject of the Botswana Wild Dog Research Project that takes place in the area.
The birdlife is excellent and varies throughout the year, depending on water levels and season. Raptors are abundant here: including the African Hawk Eagle and the Hooded Vulture often nests on the island. Game drives in the palm-filled landscapes often produce families of Ground Hornbill, Greater Honeyguide, Scarlet-chested Sunbird, Red-billed Hornbill, Gabar Goshawk and coveys of Red-billed Francolin.
