Great Plains Conservation Duba Plains Camp
Duba Plains Concession Botswana
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#14 of 96 lodges in North-West District
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The renowned Duba Plains Camp sits in the heart of the Okavango Delta. A matrix of palm-dotted islands, flood plains and woodland, the 33 000-hectare private reserve typical of the region’s unique landscape. Duba Plains Camp offers 5 bespoke suites, in addition to a separate 2-bedroom suite aptly named the Duba Plains Suite, all designed by Dereck Joubert to blend into the forest and to take advantage of the shapes and textures of the shade but also to evoke the old classic African safari style of the 1920’s. It is a wildlife connoisseur’s getaway with literally thousands of animals in an almost endless pattern across the flood plains. All the rooms are raised on recycled railway sleeper decking and offer guests amazing views of the surrounding floodplain and the steady stream of wildlife parading past. Duba Plains is a proud member of Relais & Chateaux.
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Property amenities
Pool with view
Free breakfast
Boating
Entertainment staff
Free airport transportation
Facial treatments
Gift shop
Non-smoking hotel
Pool / beach towels
Outdoor pool
Private pool
Plunge pool
Bar / lounge
Restaurant
Breakfast available
Complimentary Instant Coffee
Complimentary tea
Complimentary welcome drink
Kids' meals
Outdoor dining area
Special diet menus
Wine / champagne
Fishing
Walking tours
Free shuttle or taxi services
Airport transportation
Foot massage
Full body massage
Hand massage
Head massage
Manicure
Massage
Neck massage
Outdoor fireplace
Outdoor furniture
Sun loungers / beach chairs
First aid kit
Express check-in / check-out
Laundry service
Ironing service
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Room features
Bathrobes
Desk
Housekeeping
Interconnected rooms available
Safe
Coffee / tea maker
Minibar
Walk-in shower
Seating area
Sofa
Wardrobe / wardrobe
Bottled water
Clothes rack
Private bathrooms
Wake-up service / alarm clock
Bath / shower
Complimentary toiletries
Hair dryer
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Room types
Landmark view
Non-smoking rooms
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Languages Spoken
English
Location
Duba Plains Concession Botswana
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The first day at Duba Plains was nice. Nice camp, good food and the game was OK, not great. Unfortunately that is where it ended. I was stung by a venomous scorpion getting into bed. The pain was excruciating and since it was dark we had no idea what it was. We radioed the camp manager and it took him an hour to get back to us. My husband had to go out in the middle of the night in the bush to find him. I asked either for a doctor to be flown into camp which he said they could not do or be medivac’d out. Neither one was an option. I finally talked to the doc over WhatsApp and told him my whole foot and leg up to the knee was so painful and swollen. No one ever saw me and the camp manager didn’t even know how to take my blood pressure. I had to do it myself. Also, I had to ask him for antihistamines and steroids. Without going into further detail, it was the worst experience of my life and still have residual issues.…
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip 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.
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Response from Great Plains Conservation, Owner at Great Plains Conservation Duba Plains Camp
Responded 2 weeks ago
Dear Sandy Thank you for your review regarding your stay at Duba Plains and the unfortunate care you received following your scorpion incident. While having a scorpion in our tents located in the wild is highly unusual, there are times when a small creature does manage to slip in unnoticed, even with our best-laid structures to encourage them not to enter a bedroom. As Dereck, our CEO, mentioned in his letter to you, "I believe that we provide 'a dream,' the ideal hand-crafted safari as an entry point into that very special world of an African safari. But if we come across as uncaring in any way on the ground, we run the risk of ruining that dream, so please accept my sincerest apologies for this." We trust that the remainder of your safari with us was one where memories were created with your immediate move to Selinda Camp, followed by your stay at Tembo Plains in Zimbabwe! The lack of attentiveness by the manager on duty that evening has also been dealt with directly. We look forward to your return to a Great Plains camp in the hopefully not-too-distant future. Warm Regards The Great Plains Family
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
+1
That place is heaven on earth. From luxurious tents to the food, wildlife, and great staff. It was such a breathtaking atmosphere. Shout out to our tour guide, Rapz, who went all out during the game drives, and we enjoyed the sundowners in the bush thereafter.
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Date of stay: September 2023Trip 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.
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Response from Great Plains Conservation, Owner at Great Plains Conservation Duba Plains Camp
Responded 2 weeks ago
Hi there Basimisi, We are so glad you enjoyed your stay with us and we will pass your positive feedback along to Rapz. We hope to see you again soon! Kind regards, The Duba Plains Camp Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We had the chance to spend four nights at the Duba Plains Camp. The camp is exceptional. The rooms are amazing, the food was terrific, and the service was terrific. And, the wildlife was amazing. We saw lions, leopards, rhinos, baboons, and a myriad of birds and other animals. We had a terrific experience. This is a very special property and I highly recommend it.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: August 2023
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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.
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Response from Great Plains Conservation, Owner at Great Plains Conservation Duba Plains Camp
Responded 03 Oct 2023
Hi Jonathan, Thank you for your kind review. We are so glad you enjoyed your stay with us, and we hope to see you again shortly! Warm Regards, The Duba Plains Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
This was our second time to visit Duba Plains. It did not disappoint. Of the 6 camps we have been to in Botswana this is by far the favorite. We had Mots again as our guide. (We requested him and highly recommend) The game viewing was exceptional with the ability to see lots of Rhinos that you can't see elsewhere. Duba has a more authentic (Out of Africa) feel than some of the other, over the top camps. It felt like coming home when we arrived. Everyone is so warm and friendly and eager to please. We will be back. Highly recommend.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: June 2023
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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.
Helpful
Response from Great Plains Conservation, Owner at Great Plains Conservation Duba Plains Camp
Responded 29 Aug 2023
Hi Robert, We are so glad you enjoyed your stay! Thank you for your cheerful review. Kind regards, The Duba Plains Camp Team
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This response is the subjective opinion of the management representative and not of Tripadvisor LLC.
We traveled with another couple in June. Would be outstanding but for a few minor issues with equipment in tent not redolved or resolves aftera few requests. Food & game drives were excellent for the most part. We expected Duba to be our top choice of our two week four camp trip but just not quite as good as Selinda or Jao Camp.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: June 2023
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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.
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This was the second camp we stayed at, the first being Selinda Camp. We had been to Africa before, but in camps that were not as upper class as this trip. Here are my thoughts on these camps. They are first class, all the way, and if you've ever had a bucket shower, you know the difference. The thing is, ask yourself what you need, and what you want out of your experience before shelling out the extra $$$, because that is a completely personal preference, and it may not matter to you. First, the lodgings. They are top notch. We couldn't have asked for better. It was first class, all the way. The furnishings, the available bars, the views, the bedding, the common areas in the suite rooms (we were with another couple within a group, and we shared the suite which is two identical rooms on either side of the common area), your own private swimming pool (and in the suite, each couple had their own pool outside their room), the giant copper bathtub, the thoughtful gestures like fresh water pitchers in the bathrooms, and common rooms, the mini fridges in the common room and the bedrooms, your own private fully stocked bar, a jar of cookies (and a jar of gluten free cookies, because I am gluten free), a fully stocked writing desk, and a sitting area in our room. There were yoga mats, Canon 5DMIV with 100-400mm lens-for each guest, memory cards for the cameras. The bedding was fully covered with mosquito netting, and an A/C unit above the headboard. When fully enclosed with the fabric, the A/C was enough to cool the bed area. Full compliment of toiletries, shampoo, conditioner, lotion. Plenty of charging stations for any of your electronics. Please take an adapter, but you do not need a converter. Next up, staff. The staff was very good. There is a point person who makes appointments for anything you need-massage, hair, facial, pedi, mani. I had two massages, because I'd broken my wrist and had surgery for a plate prior to coming, and had just been cleared by the doctor, but physical therapy was ongoing, and my arm was a mass of muscle knots. She was very good, and used hot stones and deep massage to relax the muscles, and I couldn't have been more happy with the level of service, or how friendly and comfortable they made me feel. On the 2nd day of our arrival, I could not drag myself out of bed at the wakeup call, and stayed in to try and relax, and recover from the rough pace we had (we had an organized group with a private guide not provided by the camp). At around 8:00, when I was contemplating what to do about breakfast, one of the girls showed up, and asked what I would like for breakfast. I was totally stunned-I expected to go over to the main lodge area to get breakfast, but she insisted on taking my order and delivering it to me, after which she prepared coffee for me in my room-cheery and happy. It was so amazing to me-and appreciated-I don't expect people to wait on me hand and foot, but she made me feel so special and cared for. The staff that come to bring you tea and coffee and get you for safari, are pleasant, and happy. The jeeps are open sided, and fully equipped with the best ponchos, I've ever seen-lined with a heavy faux fur type of lining that keeps you warm in the chilly mornings, and dry in the pouring rain. each seat has a center console where they are stored. Insulated water bottles are provided, and filled each morning. Breakfast is out in the bush, sometimes a formal big affair with a table and camp cooking, sometimes simple premade items. Always GF items were provided as well as regular fair. The gluten free breads and muffins were always VERY good-especially for GF. They put the spread out, and packed it up. We were never lacking for good food. Lunch was served family style at the lodge. Always fresh, always good. Dinner was where I had trouble. Every evening drinks were served on the deck, during their cocktail hour, which was pleasant and a fun way to decompress after the drives. The dinner food was very good as well-fresh, varied, no complaints with the actual food, or the cooking. Served in courses, it often made the evenings a bit long. Once or twice they served dinner buffet style instead, which helped speed things up. And the only reason I'd not prefer this is with a group of 12, and the really long days, and the later dinners which served by courses took longer, often made it hard to get up the next morning at 5AM. My only true complaint was, wifi was not available in the main lodge. We were told this was an effort to force guests to engage with each other, rather than buried in their phones. Generally speaking, it sounds good in theory, but when you make new friends, you often want to connect with them on social media, and this made it almost impossible. I also resent being treated like I'm 10, and can't put down my phone on my own-I assure you I can. And at this age group (fifties or so) we generally don't engage in antisocial behavior by being obsessed with our phones anyway. It seems controlling and obnoxious to me. The gift shop was filled with a variety of really lovely things, high quality clothing and hats, as well as scarves, and other items. Definitely worth a browse. The issues I had during this trip did not arise from the camps, but rather from private guide issues. We found the drivers knowledgeable in the wildlife-behavior and patterns, and good trackers. Regarding the wildlife, I was very disappointed with the lack of Cheetahs. Botswana has the highest concentration of cheetahs in not only Africa, but the world, numbering around 1700. We saw NONE. Having been told by our booking agent we would certainly see Cheetahs, I was really irritated that we did not see any (though this has nothing to do with the camp). The thing is, Duba Plains is an extremely small conservancy, size wise. And what it felt like was one of those wild animal parks. So many visitors in such a small space has rendered the animals very easy to approach (because they are used to people), and that rather took away from the feeling that you were in the wild. And maybe that is because I only have Tanzania and the Serengeti to compare it to, but it isn't the same. We did see things that would've been hard to see in other places, like the very new baby rhino, and that was thrilling and I would not change that. The other thing that was a huge disappointment was the fact that there are no zebras. But again, has nothing to do with the lodge itself, only what you will see. If what you are looking for is a place that you can see animals and still get a massage, shop in the gift shop, swim, do yoga, relax and all in first class accommodations in addition to a game drive here and there (or even twice a day, squeezing in the other stuff when you can), this is your place. But if you really don't care what the accommodations are, and the game viewing is more important to you, then you might not need everything they offer.…
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Date of stay: January 2023Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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Room Tip: If you want to use the outdoor showers in your room, bring shower shoes as you never know what...
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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.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
an incredible quality of service in this camp, perfectly located in the heart of Okavengo Delta. The suite was just perfect. The food also. All the staff paid a permanent attention to us. The safaris were 100% satisfaying also, by car or by boat: we met the Big 5 and plenty of other animals in perfect conditons.
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: May 2023
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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.
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+1
The camp is one of our 2 favorites in Botswana for many reasons. In no order of preference. The tents are large, comfortable/opulent with a great plunge pool, refreshing in the PM. Game Drive from the deck is fun. Laundry is superior. Food by Chef Assistant is unique, brilliant and demonstration kitchen is fun. Unbelievable what he does in the middle of the bush. Most important. The concession is the most beautiful in the Delta for my purposes. Woodlands in the east, Delta floodplains in the west. Always great sightings, lion, male and female and cubs now growing from when we saw them 18 months ago. Wild dogs every day over the 4 days we were there. Leopard. Over 120 different birds species. Here at Duba and later at a sister camp of Great Plains, we encountered over 45 different mammals. Unbelievable, non-stop action. All of this was coordinated by the great work of our guides, Flame, Rapz and Aaron. All were brilliant guides and naturalists and Flame's work was as good as I have encountered during many experiences with African guides. Unique 5 star experience. Great value for money.…
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Date of stay: April 2023Trip type: Travelled with friends
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Room Tip: All of the tents are great. Enjoy the demonstration kitchen one night.
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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.
Helpful
With its own (dirt:) airstrip, this remote and flawless camp exceeded every conceivable expectation! The greeting from the staff was gracious and memorable (Queen-wins best smile and dimples) with singing and giant smiles, the ‘tent’ which is totally bespoke, huge and private, the meals whether in camp or in the bush were all perfectly prepared, the game drives both relaxing and thrilling…The setting is pristine, but it would pale without the staff...to a person they are warm, gracious, always with a big smile, and seemingly anticipate any request! Special mention to the managers Mike and Tay, literally no request was too much! (Queen gets the prize for biggest smile and adorable dimples, while Cecilia gave us excellent massages with facials!) But, we must express our deepest gratitude to our guides Flame and Tops. I am not sure where to begin, but they were with us for 4 days and nights…each day delivering our coffee at 5:30am, taking us on morning and then sundowner drives, then escorting us after dinner/dark back to our tents. They must have some measurement of eye sight greater than 20/20 because they saw stuff we couldn’t even see with binoculars until they got us up close! With their expert guidance, we were able to take full advantage of the mega cameras available to each of us capturing incredible shots/memories. On our last evening instead of a drive, Flame and Tops took us on a thrilling flat boat ride along the meandering waterways zipping past lily pads, birds taking off from the water into the vast sky, crocodile, hippos, and even a leopard! Then we floated and had our sundowner before heading back watching the sky turn purple, red and orange, all reflecting in the water! A perfect experience on one’s 60th birthday! When leaving the whole crew saw us off and several in our group was trying (not very well) to suppress water welling in our eyes. A safari like we had at Duba Plains (and the sister camp in Kenya) changes you. It creates memories of a lifetime, it bonded our friendship with each other and connected us to a world of nature and humanity that deserves our respect and protection. I strongly suggest staying 3 nights if you can, we stayed 4, which allowed us to have extra time to enjoy the views, the camp, the people and our tent:) One important note…Before we came to this camp we stayed at a ‘sister’ camp in Kenya, Mara Plains Camp, which was equally fabulous. You should know that both of these camps are ‘owned’ by Great Plains Conversancy and the mission of GPC ("to create innovative, world-class conservation projects in diverse and threatened habitats throughout Africa”) is crucial to securing protections of the land and habitat where each camp is located, with Duba focusing on the Okavango Delta (Botswana), and most importantly to the safety and protection of the animals that live there. They respect the local population, providing them with work and valuing their traditions and engaging them in the vital conservation efforts. It is important to support businesses that give back and invest in their communities, whether in Africa or at home. …
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Date of stay: March 2023Trip type: Travelled with friends
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Room Tip: Stay a min of 3 nights...you will be glad you did.
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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.
1 Helpful vote
Helpful
Without a doubt, the absolute best in service, accomodations, food, and of course the game viewing. This was my first trip to Africa, and it won't be my last. Great Plains is a phenomenal organization and their attention to detail is extraordinary!
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: January 2023
Value
Rooms
Location
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.
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ALSO KNOWN AS
duba plains camp hotel okavango delta
FORMERLY KNOWN AS
Duba Plains Camp
LOCATION
BotswanaNorth-West DistrictOkavango Delta
NUMBER OF ROOMS
6
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Claim Your ListingGREAT PLAINS CONSERVATION DUBA PLAINS CAMP - Lodge Reviews & Price Comparison (Okavango Delta, Botswana) - Tripadvisor
Frequently Asked Questions about Great Plains Conservation Duba Plains Camp
What are some of the property amenities at Great Plains Conservation Duba Plains Camp?
Some of the more popular amenities offered include free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge.
Which room amenities are available at Great Plains Conservation Duba Plains Camp?
Top room amenities include a minibar, a desk, and a view of a nearby landmark.
What food & drink options are available at Great Plains Conservation Duba Plains Camp?
Guests can enjoy free breakfast, an on-site restaurant, and a lounge during their stay.
Are there opportunities to exercise at Great Plains Conservation Duba Plains Camp?
Yes, guests have access to an outdoor pool during their stay.
Does Great Plains Conservation Duba Plains Camp have airport transportation?
Yes, Great Plains Conservation Duba Plains Camp offers airport transportation for guests. We recommend calling ahead to confirm details.
Is Great Plains Conservation Duba Plains Camp accessible?
Yes, it offers reduced mobility rooms. For specific enquiries, we recommend calling ahead to confirm.