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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.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Duba Plains is a Great Plains lodge in the Okavango Delta, and among many exceptionally good lodges there, it stands out as the best in my opinion. We arrived at their private airstrip and the lodge was a short five minute ride away, where we were warmly welcomed by all the staff. One of the features of Duba Plains is the great staff who are warm, friendly and very accomodating. Sam and Lizzie kept us well looked after throughout the stay. Meals were always delicious, prepared by Herald and his staff. Our tent was spacious, private and very well appointed. The staff kept it tidy and very clean several times a day. It included a mini bar, refrigerator, coffee/tea station, fan, air conditioning, large bathroom with thick luxurious towels and both an indoor and outdoor shower. Nice soaking tub and plenty of hot water. WiFi is good and is available in each individual tent, but not the main lodge. The main lodge is spacious with a broad deck and lots of seating. meals are served individually when you want to dine, which I much prefer to communal dining at fixed times, and I consider this feature to be indeed a sign of top service quality. We saw elephants, antelope, baboons and even lions in the area of the lodge. The star of Duba Plains is the game drives in their comfortable and capable Landcruisers. Our guide, Kops, was absolutely incredible throughout our stay, finding the animals we wanted to see with uncanny ease and providing his extensive knowledge of their lives. He woke us up every morning, delivering hot coffee to our tent and making sure we had water and more coffee in our thermos bottles in the car. I have been traveling to southern and east Africa for 20 years on safaris and Kops is the best guide among some very capable guiding professionals I have experienced over the years. Their policy is no more than four guests per car but most days it was just the two of us. I could go on in more detail but to summarize, I was very impressed with Great Plains Duba Plains and I will likely return soon!
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Date of stay: November 2024Trip 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 Great Plains Conservation, Owner at Great Plains Conservation Duba Plains Camp
Responded 29 Nov 2024
Hi there, Thank you for taking the time to leave a detailed review of your stay with us at Duba Plains Camp. We are so glad to hear that you enjoyed all aspects of your stay, from your suite and dining experience to the wildlife experience with Kops. Our team works hard to maintain a level of high quality across the board, and we are happy to hear that this is what you experienced. We hope to welcome you back soon for more adventures! Kind regards, The Duba Plains Camp Team
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This place is legit. It gives an amazing safari experience that truly makes you feel in the wild so much more than other areas (e.g., we went to Greater Kruger also). You have to fly in, there are no other lodges on the property, you can't see another building or car for as far as the eye can see. The tented lodge / rooms have a fabulously rustic feel that really creates a unique setting to take everything in. The game drives are incredibly wild and fun -- think driving through water, winding along roads only made by repeat tire tracks, and seeing a ton of game incredibly close. The makoro (traditional canoe pushed by bamboo poles on the bottom) / boating options are also definitely worth doing. We found the food top notch too, which was impressive given the location. The staff is super friendly and this was a great overall experience, one we won't forget!
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Review collected in partnership with this hotel
Date of stay: January 2025
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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 Great Plains Conservation, Owner at Great Plains Conservation Duba Plains Camp
Responded 3 weeks ago
Hi George, We appreciate you taking the time to write about your experience with us, and we are so glad you enjoyed it. We take exceptional pride in our cuisine, safari experiences, and accommodations, and we're happy to hear that you appreciated these aspects of your stay with us. We hope to welcome you back shortly! Warm regards, The Duba Plains Camp Team
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We stayed 3 nights at this very swanky safari camp and had a wonderful experience.
Room is absolutely spectacular with very large living room/bedroom and bathroom. The furnishings are chic with leather chairs and oriental rugs and copper tub. We went in their winter and the room does get very cold in the morning (it’s a tent) so bring flannel pajamas if you go this time of year.
Game: it is different than the other concessions we visited in a good way. There is a lot of water everywhere and the terrain is lush. They use the jeeps to plow through deep water and that can be a little unnerving (the jeep gets a lot of water in it but you don’t get wet). The concession is a rhino conservation area and is the only place in Botswana you can see them. Crocodiles are seen up close on spectacular boat safaris which are a must. The other camps we visited had animal that we didn’t see at dubs (giraffes, zebras) but they were really similar so this was a welcome change of pace for us with they rhinos and the crocs. If you are a birder this is paradise.
Staff: great with very attentive general manager (Sam) who is fun to spend time with. Our guides (Flame and Tops) were terrific and kept us safe. The kitchen and servers were wonderful.”
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Date of stay: June 2024Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip: If you go in the winter I would bring very warm clothing form morning excursions…
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 Great Plains Conservation, Owner at Great Plains Conservation Duba Plains Camp
Responded 01 Jul 2024
Hi there, Thank you for taking the time to leave a positive review. We are glad to hear you enjoyed your stay with us, from the unique terrain and its accompanying wildlife experiences to our wonderful team. We hope to see you again in the near future. Warm regards, The Duba Plains Camp Team
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We arrived at Duba Plains on March 7 and stayed until March 11. Our guide Mots was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. Mots was able to identify behaviors, sounds and species of all of the incredible wildlife. The rooms were expansive and beautiful with plenty of space and amenities. The availability of cold water throughout the camp and during the drives was a welcome touch. The staff was outgoing and accommodating and even got my husband's jokes. Sam, Kele and Nadia were always available and ready to help in any way. Due to the heat they made the wine room available, with its air conditioning, for some of our meals. The presence of a masseuse was a welcome addition which we took good advantage of. The cool air circulation in the room made sleeping the most comfortable of all the camps we visited. The breakfast 'on the road' was a terrific idea as we were able to start our drives at sunrise. The ability to choose your main course at dinner was different from the other camps we stayed at and made the delicious meals even more enjoyable.Meeting the chef and his team when they described each course and their history was an added touch. We would have enjoyed more meals with the other travelers to meet and get to know them and hear their experiences. Overall Duba Plains was a 10 for our stay, the food, the staff and accomodations.
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Date of stay: March 2024
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Trip 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 Great Plains Conservation, Owner at Great Plains Conservation Duba Plains Camp
Responded 02 Apr 2024
Hi there, Thank you for your glowing review of your stay at Duba Plains! We're delighted to hear that you enjoyed your time with us, from the knowledgeable and friendly service provided by Mots to the spacious and comfortable rooms. We're glad you appreciated the thoughtful touches and outstanding service from Sam, Kele, and Nadia. Your feedback about communal dining is noted, and we'll strive to enhance socializing opportunities in the future. We look forward to welcoming you back for another memorable stay. Warm regards, The Duba Plains Camp Team
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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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Date of stay: January 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.
This is truly an experience of a lifetime! Since we got home people ask how our safari experience was, and it's difficult to answer because words don't do justice this place justice. Upon arrival at the camp, the entire staff greeted us with smiles and a traditional Botswana song and dance. We quickly learned that the Botswana people are some of the nicest, friendliest people you will ever meet. Our guide was Matt and he was just wonderful. Matt is such a hard worker, and took care of us the entire 4 days we were at Duba. Matt put us right in the middle of the animals every time we went out. The rest of the staff was all equally friendly and made us feel so special. Everything was a "10" from the accommodations to the food and drink. We especially enjoyed the breakfast cookies and coffee brought to our tent every morning, as well as the "sundowners" (evening drinks out in the bush watching the sun go down). We heard hippos walking just outside our tent at night and lions roaring after dark. Again, it's difficult to describe what an amazing experience this is, so our advice is that you will just have to experience it for yourself!
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Date of stay: May 2024
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Trip type: Travelled with family
Room Tip:Â I gave 5 stars on the Sleep Quality, but note if you are a light sleeper you will be hearing...
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 Great Plains Conservation, Owner at Great Plains Conservation Duba Plains Camp
Responded 28 Aug 2024
Hi there, Thank you for taking the time to write a lovely review. We highly appreciate it. We are so glad you enjoyed your safari drives and activities with Matt and the hospitality of our fantastic team. We will make sure to share your kind words with everyone. We hope to welcome you back soon with more morning cookies and coffee. Warm regards, The Duba Plains Camp Team
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Duba Plains was incredible. It was the ultimate luxury 'camping' experience in the bush. We loved the fact you get your own guide, or they at least try to ensure this, this meant given it was only my second safari experience i could tell the guide what distances i felt comfortable at with certain animals. Our guide was Raps, and he was amazing! We miss him already. We will be telling all our friends and family they need to put this on their list! Thank you to all the staff, you were all amazing.
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Date of stay: April 2024
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Trip 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 Great Plains Conservation, Owner at Great Plains Conservation Duba Plains Camp
Responded 03 Jun 2024
Hi there, Thank you for your lovely review. We are pleased to hear that you enjoyed your safari experience with us, and we so appreciate you spreading the word! We hope to welcome you back soon. Warm regards, The Duba Plains Camp Team
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The finest camp we have stayed at in our three African safaris. We were there in a group of 6 for four nights for a photo safari. We had 2 private wildlife guides that supplemented the drivers. So 2 vehicles for 3 of us in each one which is great for photographers.
First class service and room accommodations. The rooms are spectacular and huge. Indoor and outdoor showers along with a plunge pool at every room! The chef was first class. The meals were as good or better than any 4 star restaurant in the US.
I had my back seize up on me and they offered immediate assistance and were attentive to the specific needs of all of the guests.
The drivers were among the better ones we have had on safaris before. They understood placement for photographers with wildlife and communicated well with the other drivers to maximize our sightings. They were able to keep up with wild dogs on 2 separate hunts which is not an easy task. One of the few locations in Bots that you are almost guaranteed to see rhinos, leopards, lions, wild dogs and of course the vast array of prey. The Malachite Kingfishers were abundant and spectacular.
The roads are rough but then they are in all camps in the Okavango Delta. The boat rides were awesome and a good change of pace. We arrived just before their new airship was completed so we had some bonus fun of flying in by helicopter. Starting in April 2022 you can land via bush plane a couple of minutes from the camp.
Can't answer some of the questions below since everything was just simply done for us. You forget about all stress and just have fun.
The monkeys do run across the roofs occasionally and get a bit rowdy but hey its Africa, you are here for an adventure.
A bit pricey but if you can pull it off you will not be disappointed. Would go back in an instant as this is simply one of the finest camps in Africa and its reputation is well deserved.
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Date of stay: March 2022
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Room Tip:Â I can't imagine any room is less than spectacular given they are enormous and larger than...
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.
We spent 4 gorgeous nights in May 2022 in room 1 at Duba Plains. Our 4th Great Plains property in the past 6 months. Service was out of this world!! Chef Raymond deserves Michelin stars; Managed our dietary reqts by cooking us amazing vegetarian meals including a traditional Botswana meal and a interactive kitchen one evening. Best and Kate (T, Vasco served us a couple times) - fabulous..What more can we say. They were more than on top of things. Vero, Justin, Colleen - Very friendly and approachable. Flame was our guide with Tops (from the community) for our duration. We came to see the Delta waters, ellies in the water crossing a channel, swimming lions and leaping lechwe's amongst everything else, We saw all this and a lot more!! Speedboat ride down the Okavango river was wonderful! Tops took amazing pics with the GP camera. Thank you Tops!!! The night drive by the airstrip, stopping to see the night sky was spectacular!! Flame and Tops - You both make an amazing team and thank you for the pick up/drop off to the room!! We had a fabulous time with you both!
Thank you Duba Plains team for the most amazing Great Plains stay to date; We continue to remember the amazing moments!! The entire staff will go above and beyond to make your stay memorable!
We will definitely return!! We stayed in room 1 towards end of May 2022.
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Date of stay: May 2022
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Room Tip:Â Room 1 is farthest away
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.
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 2023
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Trip type: Travelled with friends
Room Tip:Â All of the tents are great. Enjoy the demonstration kitchen one night.
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.
Apologies, but just received this notice. The wildlife experiences at Explorers vs main Duba are different and while the 2 camps share the same concession, they are separated by water situations that do not permit access between except by boat. And the lodges will not share their respective concessions with each other. I.e., you cannot plan to visit the other while staying at one of them. Not permitted. Each of them are unique brilliant rich concessions and this concession is my favorite in Botswana. We have been there many times, mostly at Duba Plains but because of the value for the experience my wife and I often recommend the Explorers camp when you bump up against budget constraints, a real issue in Bots. We just suggested that friends book Explorers. You will not be disappointed there or at any Great Plains lodge. Please let me know of any questions. We are in Botswana many times each year and this takes us to lodges from time to time. Great Plains lodges are consistently beautiful and in superior concessions.
It belongs to your limitation. May be the way to the mail hall is movable. I suggest to ask direct into the lodge especially how to get into the jeeps for the drivings.
With respect to the floods and the level of the onkawanka river the jeeps need to be higher ones then in other lodges.
If you are able to travel to the lodge - it is one of the best we have seen.
Best regards
F. J.
Los Angeles, California594 contributions179 helpful votes
Yes! One of the many reasons I love it so much. I've been in both seasons (very dry and little water in December/January and tons of water in July) and you can off road during both seasons. When water levels permit, you can even take a boat to explore.
There are more places to choose from in the Okavango Delta area.
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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