Located in a secluded private concession in the southern region of the Okavango Delta, just 80km from Maun (or 23 minutes by helicopter), is a new collection of two tented camps, tailored to guests looking for authentic, natural luxury. On a permanent channel, bordering Moremi Game Reserve, South of Chitabe, this concession offers an exciting, game-rich safari year-round.
We’ve just returned from a wonderful 4 days at Maru. This was arranged by Van Bommel Safaris from the Netherlands. They could not have recommended a lovelier venue for a fabulous getaway and complete safari experience.
The luxury tents only missed a standing fan to deal with the very hot temperatures. Otherwise very comfortable with on suite toilet and shower.
The camp is run on solar power so very clean for the environment.
The staff are exceptional. They couldn’t do enough for our party. The 3 chefs preparing excellent food at all meals.
Camp manager Junior along with assistant manageress and staff could not faulted. Our rangers Chester and Titi had an impressive depth and understanding of animals and the environment. They showed great patience with their guests and consideration for the animals.
We will return.
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Date of stay: February 2020Trip type: Travelled with friends
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Taryn D, Public Relations Manager at Okavango Hidden Gems
Responded 12 Mar 2020
We loved having you stay with us at Camp Maru. Thank you for your valuable feedback on the fans. Chester and Titi send their regards and we look forward to hosting you again soon. From The Camp Maru Team
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We visited Maru camp as a family with my two twenty something year old children. It was the most exceptional weekend. Firstly the staff are so friendly and could not do enough for us, anticipating our every need and making sure we were always having a great time. The food was absolutely delicious, every meal was a treat. T.T was our ranger and what a friendly, lovely, knowledgeable man. He tried so hard to make every sighting dream come true. We saw all the big five besides Rhino plus we saw cheetahs as well! And last but not least the camp is beautifully unspoiled , it is a real escape from city living - going to sleep with the sounds of the hippo and hearing lions roar through the night. Very special place
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Date of stay: April 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Taryn Deneys, Sales at Okavango Hidden Gems
Responded 12 Apr 2021
Thank you for your lovely review. We loved having you stay with us at Camp Maru and hoping you will return and visit us again soon.
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Camp Maru and the staff that work there are incredible. We were warmly welcomed and well looked after the entire time.
Our guide, Master, had a wealth of knowledge about the wildlife and birds and helped make the reserve come to life for us. We tracked down lions and Leopards and while the sightings were amazing, the process of finding the animals was fun and added to the excitement of the visit. We also saw plenty of other animals, including Elephants, Giraffe and Buffalo.
From our tent we saw animals and could hear the hippos at night. We saw elephants passing our tent in the nights and one night a hippo was right outside our tent eating grass.
The food was great and offered good variety.
Since we were celebrating out anniversary, the team went out of their way to arrange a special dinner for us at our tent, making the celebration even more special.
A very big thank you to Master, Chester, Mots, Kem, Philemon and the cook NK. You guys are fantastic.
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Date of stay: April 2021
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Taryn Deneys, Sales at Okavango Hidden Gems
Responded 22 Apr 2021
Hi Nick, Thank you for your beautiful review. It's always fabulous to hear that our guests had the best time. Thank you for posting such awesome photos, you really captured your experience at Camp Maru. We hope to welcome you back in the near future. Kind Regards The Staff at Camp Maru
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Just completed 4 of the most magical days at Camp Maru. It's relatively unknown but won't stay that way! The beautifully appointed tents,a swimming pool where you can gaze over herds of elephants passing by or the map room where you can unwind and help yourself to ice cold drinks. The actual game drives were unbelievable under the guidance of Master. A tracker extraordinaire ,we followed lions and watched wild dogs hunting daily. But it was the small things...the African wildcats,the Genet,porcupine, bush baby,honey badgers and .....did I even mention the birds! The night drives searching for aardvark and only finding roaring lions. The owls. The snakes. This place is alive .lions walking through camp.hippos and hyenas disturbing the night silence. It truly is a slice of heaven. But none of it would matter if it wasn't for the unbelievable staff that go to every length to ensure your stay is memorable. And it was just that! From Rebecca at reservations to King Phil . You were amazing . And to Master,you are truly one! thank you.
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Date of stay: October 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Taryn Deneys, Sales at Okavango Hidden Gems
Responded 25 Oct 2021
Thank you Trevor for your review, so happy you loved your stay at Camp Maru. You got to see some amazing sighting.
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It takes a very special gem of a place to offer the same experiences from a previous visit with flair, heart and feeling. Such a place is Camp Maru whom I stayed with for 4 nights last week. I might as well have been seeing the place for the first time given the reception I got - from the thrilling game drives with an exceptionally knowledgeable and capable Chester, to the courtesy of TT who picked and dropped me off at the airport, to the delightful meals produced by Valentine and her team in the kitchen. Mine was a superb four day break! Every experience was new, and in spite of being lactose and gluten intolerant, my meals were creatively crafted and scrumptious! And Chester is also an asset to the establishment.
What also filled me with awe was how efficiently organized the camp was about recycling. And the idea of giving back to the community was one that resonated with me and proved that Camp Maru is humane in many ways than most. That camp is now home to me.
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Date of stay: February 2021
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Taryn Rose, Sales at Okavango Hidden Gems
Responded 09 Mar 2021
Thanks for contacting us on Trip Advisor, it was so lovely to have you back at Camp Maru. We hope you come visit us again soon. Kind Regards The Camp Maru Team
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Our arrival at Amber River Camp could not have been more spectacular, crossing the Okavango Delta by helicopter.
Upon our arrival, the best group of people awaited us with a unique welcome, full of songs and hugs.
Amber River Camp is a lodge in the middle of the delta, surrounded by animals and nature where the words "disconnection" and "happiness" become truly real. We spent the happiest and most surprising days of our trip there.
The safaris are spectacular, throughout the day, and the illusion that everyone puts in that you get to see the largest number of animals make the experience even better.
We were lucky to have the best of the best, Master, our guide, to whom we cannot be more grateful for all the moments we shared. From following animal tracks, to shared beer at sunset in the middle of nature. The best guide in the world and a great person.
As for the lodge, the rooms are exquisitely luxurious. They have all kinds of details and make you feel at home. The views of the delta are incredible.
As for the cuisine, we can only emphasize how spectacular each dish they offered was. Nothing to envy to a great restaurant in Madrid. Orini, the chef, puts real love into each dish she cooks and that reaches the diner.
Our stay there was a gift for us, because if we really have to keep something from this place in our minds, it is all the people who are part of Amber River Camp. There are many who helped us to have the best possible stay, but I would like to give a special note to Ollie, whose smiles and conversations we will remember for a lifetime. I would also like to give a special mention to Kat, whose joy is contagious just by spending a minute with her.
We would like to tell you much more, but we prefer that you yourself live the authentic experience of Amber River Camp, and you can only do that by going yourself.
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Date of stay: June 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Taryn Deneys, Sales at Okavango Hidden Gems
Responded 12 Sept 2022
Thank you for your lovely review, we are so excited to have Amber River up and running. We look forward to welcoming you to our camp in the near future.
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We had the incredible privilege of being able to visit Amber lodge. The transfer from Maun by helicopter was extremely efficient and never have I been sipping a gin and tonic in the wild so soon after the landing of an international flight, The staff were brilliant, food was outstanding, and the lodges were superb although you had to keep an eye out as we had wild dog, elephant, porcupine and other plains game passing through camp. I am an avid photographer and game drives, and camp life presented us with the opportunity for brilliant African landscapes, spectacular sunsets, a lot of bird life as well as the Lion, Leopard, Elephant and the full range of game that traverse the Delta. Most notably we had an impala run past our breakfast table with wild dog in hot pursuit, this resulted in a kill a mere 100m from camp. My wife also had elephant pass by while she was in the outside bath so an incredible up-close experience. All in all, an unbelievable experience, a particularly special Gem in the middle of Africa which is certainly worth a visit. We will certainly be back. Thanks very much to the entire team at Amber lodge. Mike and Delia Dux.
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Date of stay: August 2022
Value
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Room Tip:Â All excellent
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Taryn Deneys, Sales at Okavango Hidden Gems
Responded 06 Nov 2022
Mike and Delia, thank you for staying at Amber River Camp and your lovely review. Best wishes The Amber River Camp Team
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The Okavangu is a very special place and Camp Maru and its incredible staff allow you to experience it in a magical way. The food was simply excellent. The accomodation and setting incredible. Highly recommend this incredible place.
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Date of stay: September 2021
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Taryn Deneys, Sales at Okavango Hidden Gems
Responded 08 Oct 2021
Hi Chris We loved having you at camp. Thank you for your lovely review. We hope you come visit us again soon. Keep well The Camp Maru Team
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We spent 4 fantastic nights at Camp Maru and everyday was a highlight. Our ranger, Master, couldn't do enough for us and his skill and knowledge made the trip very special. The camp was superbly run and all the staff were very professional, cheerful and went out of their way to make our stay a special experience. The room was very comfortable, and the food was of a very high standard. We highly recommend Camp Maru.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: October 2021
Value
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This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Taryn Deneys, Sales at Okavango Hidden Gems
Responded 25 Oct 2021
Thank you Steven for your wonderful review and for recommending Camp Maru. We hope you visit us again soon.
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My wife and I spent 4 nights at Camp Maru and enjoyed a wonderfully relaxing time. We were in a place that felt like it hadn't changed in centuries, while living in luxury and enjoying gourmet meals. A little bit of heaven on earth, with warm, fun, knowledgeable and welcoming hosts.
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Date of stay: March 2021
Cleanliness
Service
Sleep Quality
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Taryn Deneys, Sales at Okavango Hidden Gems
Responded 29 Apr 2021
Thank you for choosing Camp Maru and your wonderful review. Kind Regards The Team at Camp Maru
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There are more places to choose from in the Okavango Delta area.
LOCATION
BotswanaNorth-West DistrictOkavango Delta
NUMBER OF ROOMS
6
Prices are provided by our partners, and reflect average nightly room rates, including taxes and fees that are fixed, known to our partners, and due at time of booking. Please see our partners for more details.
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