Stanleys Camp in the Okavango Delta

Stanleys Camp is a classic tented camp with just eight tents built around an imposing sausage tree on a private concession overlooking the Okavango floodplains. The area around the camp changes with the seasons – from lush green when the rain flows down from the Angolan highlands to dry savannah when the Kalahari Desert tightens its grip.

This intimate Stanleys Camp is gathered around a large sitting and dining area which affords magnificent views over the floodplains of the Okavango Delta. From the swimming pool, watch giraffe and other plains game march across the savannah. You might even catch a glimpse of rare wild dogs stalking the plains. This is one of the best places in the world for seeing buffalo in large numbers, with herds often exceeding 2,000.

Each canvas tent at Stanleys Camp boasts a traditional ceiling fan and is individually designed, but all have a classic and understated elegance that harks back to the explorers and colonialists of the 19th century. Large wooden decks provide private areas for guests to relax in hammocks or enjoy cocktails before dinner in the spectacular dining mess.

Sanctuary Retreats and Living With Elephants invite you to explore Africa with us from an elephant’s perspective, walking in the gigantic and silent footsteps of nature’s great masterpiece. For more information please see our Additional activities page.

Stanleys Camp Game Viewing

Game Drives

Sanctuary Stanleys Camp is set in a private concession giving visitors the opportunity to venture out at night on exciting game drives to see the many nocturnal animals that live here. The evening drive starts after sundown cocktails, using a spotlight to winkle out elusive nocturnal creatures including the ones that are easier to catch a glimpse of in the dark, like hyena and leopard. Tiny fireball eyes that seem to levitate through the air and reappear again in different trees are bush babies, just one of several different creatures to be found. Game drives are not typical here, as water crossings are part of the adventure, and watching zebra standing belly-deep in water, grazing, is a sight to see! Even giraffe will cross water up to their hocks.

Mokoro Excursion

The Okavango Delta is of course flooded for much of the year and when it is, guests can experience serene silence at the gentle pace of a poled mokoro excursion along the narrow Delta channels. Guests can sit back and relax as they glide through lily ponds on local dugout canoes while they get eye to eye with a buffalo as it laps water from the river, watch crocodiles sunbathe on the banks or cruise past a pod of hippos as they lie in a pool. Fish eagles, frogs and fabulous lilies form much of this experience, but more frequently it is the quietness and gentle pace that makes its impression on guests after a mokoro morning.

Walking Safari

Stanleys Camp professional guides accompany guests as they learn about the bush from a different perspective, up close and personal with the environment. Walking safaris is the perfect way to awaken ones senses where guests can touch, feel and smell the African bush while listening to the various interesting stories the guides have to tell. Walks allow guests to read the news of the night in the smooth sand of the road. Lion, leopard, elephants, genets and even millipedes are all part of the signs, each with their story to tell. Walking safaris is about seeing the small five and the various flora in the area.

Elephant Interaction

Thousands of elephant migrate through the area and here, as at the nearby Sanctuary Baines’ Camp, guests can have an astonishing experience walking with elephants in the bush. Three orphaned elephants have been brought up in the area and have been used to being with humans since an early age. Every morning the elephants go for a walk around their home range, foraging for food and checking that all is well. They look for fresh fruit in the nearby trees and interact with guests. A few people each day are able to accompany them on their walk through the bush and see the wilds of Africa through the eyes of an elephant – a truly uplifting experience that makes a lasting impression on all who share their time with the elephants. This activity includes a leisurely paced walk with a trio of semi-habituated elephants, and a picnic lunch in their company.

Helicopter Flights over the Delta

These scenic flights involve flying west of the game drive routes towards the permanent delta, exposing areas which are unreachable by vehicle or boat. Guests have the option of the doors being removed for unrestricted photographic opportunities. This is done with the utmost consideration to guest safety. The activity highlights the shear enormity of the Okavango Delta exposing the many animal species of the region. On completion you will return to camp. Guests are offered a 30, 45 or 60 minute scenic tour of the Okavango Delta in a one turbine Bell Jetranger helicopter with 4 seats which is offered on a year round basis. Being a personalised activity guests have the choice of when to do the activity however early morning and late afternoon usually provide the best light for photography. Some guests prefer to fly during the siesta period so as not to miss out on the other activities. Preferred flight times can be requested on booking. Guests meet their guide in the reception area of Stanleys Camp for their transfer to the helicopter activity. The transfer is approximately 10 minutes from camp.