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6 June 2016 by Ronan Gay
Combining luxury with authenticity, Sanctuary Retreats is a collection of boutique African camps and lodges. Predicated on their strong commitment to conservation, each retreat is designed to bring you closer to nature, taking full advantage of their unrivalled locations. To some, that means twice-daily game drives to spot the Big Five in UNESCO-listed destinations while to others it simply means evenings spent stargazing from a private hot tub. And, while your setting might be remote, you’ll stay connected with excursions into local communities, facilities that are taken straight out of five star hotels and world-class cuisine that combines international sensibilities with regional produce.
Botswana
Botswana's labyrinthine waterways, arid savannahs and green wetlands spring to life as antelope hurdle rivulets, majestic rhinos stop at watering holes and big cats roam wild. Experience its grand diversity as you go in search of leopards and giraffes and walk with rescued elephants in the Okavango Delta before moving onto the Moremi Game Reserve, known as the ‘predator capital of the world’. As well as lion prides and cheetah coalitions, the region is, unsurprisingly, packed full of game. Your final stop will be a riverside retreat, bordering Chobe National Park. By day, familiarise yourself with Africa’s largest elephant population and, come the evening, retire to the spa and split-level swimming pool, in the centre of the Botswanan bush.
Zambia and Botswana
Sharing an abundance of wildlife and, almost, the spectacular Victoria Falls, these two gems of Southern Africa go hand in hand. You’ll start once again with the Okavango Delta where you’ll stay in an intimate lodge, complete with private outdoor baths that look out over the camp’s jungle-lined lagoon. You’ll then be treated to game drives and walking safaris in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park. Return to a roaring campfire after spotting everything from bush babies and antelope herds to hyenas and leopards. Finish with a stay on the banks of the Zambezi River, 12km upstream from Victoria Falls. Here, you'll retire to your boutique, stilted hut after a spa treatment, visit to the world’s largest waterfall or yet more once-in-a-lifetime game drives.
