By The UNCHARTED® editors · 4 min read
Explore the art of the slow safari—an approach often neglected amid the thrill and adventure of seeking out wildlife. Kateka seeks to do just that by encouraging a more mindful, linger-longer mentality. After all, sometimes staying put and spending a solid week at one spot in the bush can result in a deeper, more grounded experience than restless camp-hopping does.
Nestled into the Klaserie Private Nature Reserve, Kateka overlooks 160,000 acres within the Greater Kruger. Lions, kudus, Cape buffaloes, and African painted dogs have made massive comebacks in the region since hunting was banned a few years ago. Kateka prides itself on aligning with this conservation ethos and safeguarding the wild integrity of the land: They don’t just want guests to stop and stare at these thriving creatures, but to take time with them…spot the swish of a tail and a flick of an ear, or hear the cackle of a hyena, and get attuned to the subtle signs and rhythms of the wild. What is that body language signaling? Is there a predator nearby? In addition to this stop-and-smell-the-flowers approach (quite literally—the smell of aniseed and knobthorn blossoms fill the air), they have an outdoor infinity pool, an indoor Jacuzzi, and an infrared sauna with a salt-lined floor to enhance the relaxed approach.
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PLAN YOUR ADVENTURE
What we love most about Atzaro is its sustainability. Opening in spring 2024 and ensconced within Botswana’s Okavango Delta World Heritage Site, this camp was designed to harmoniously integrate with its surroundings. Powered entirely by solar energy, it offers a perfect balance of green living and opulent comfort. While there, glide through wetlands in a dugout canoe, or hear the African soil crunch beneath your feet while on a walkabout.
This safari is a slower style, but still with all the exciting wildlife: Plunge pools overlook an elephant watering hole, hippos may peak out of the water alongside your dugout, lechwe can be spotted along the banks and across the grasslands, and sitatunga, a type of aquatic antelope, wade through the marshes. Botswana is also a haven for birders: Delight in the calls of the green heron as well as the screeches of the Ayres’s hawk-eagle and Pel’s fishing owl. Surrounded by lush palm islands and vibrant delta vegetation, this eco-friendly oasis offers an unparalleled combination of savanna-meets-delta adventure.
The Mababe region of Botswana is about as raw, remote, and untamed as it gets—the type of place likely to leave you breathless, and, probably, a little bit emotional. Here lies brand-new Mokete Camp. The word “mokete” means celebration or feast—and this is definitely a place to feast on the unexplored and celebrate the untamed. It is a place where you can witness lion kills every day, perhaps even multiple times a day. A place where you can fly over the same tsessebe buffalo herd for a solid 10 minutes, the spectacle stretching the breadth of the horizon. A place where you’ll be dazzled by the zebra migration, creating a world of black and white. Palm-dotted floodplains feed nutrient grasslands, which in turn welcome giant herds. Guests can venture out after dark with guides to see what has whipped cackling hyenas into a frenzy, and spot the glaring eyes of a leopard from the top branch of a tree.
If being in the heart of all this visceral, heart-stopping drama sounds ideal to you, then one of Mokete’s nine tents (which have cantilevered canvas roofs that slide away, revealing never-ending stars!) is the place for you.
Mara Toto Tree Camp
Located within the Masai Mara National Reserve and set firmly in East Africa’s big cat territory, Toto Tree Camp is nestled in a secluded forest canopy of ebony trees overlooking the Ntiakitiak River. Crafted from canvas and wood and perched upon elevated decks, Toto Tree draws inspiration from the romantic safari era, expressing a rustic, Tarzan-meets-Robinson Crusoe aesthetic. The camp will offer four light, airy, and spacious tent suites complete with flush toilets, double vanity basins, copper baths, and brass showers. A central lounge and wine room offer ample space to unwind and enjoy fine dining following a day spent gamespotting on the plains (guests are provided with high-quality binoculars and a professional-grade Canon camera), and an outdoor seated fire area is just the spot for enjoying a sundowner while nocturnal bushbabies emerge and scramble through the limbs surrounding your tent. Experience Africa at the treetop level starting in the summer of 2024.
Steeped in culture and history, the Zanzibar archipelago once enticed adventurers, seafarers, and traders from far and wide. Stone Town seems to still have a rich aroma of clove, nutmeg, and cinnamon, conjuring up images of its bygone days as a spice port. Many travelers choose to chill here at the tail end of safariing—it’s a perfect place to unwind after time in the bush. And Mnemba, an exclusive private island just off the main isle, is getting a brand new look coming in the fall of 2024. This beach paradise already has a dozen rustic-chic bungalows (laid out to resemble a nautilus seashell aerially), but the renovation will give the interiors a makeover, increase their size, and add an adjoining room to the family banda.
Other lodge developments include renovating the island’s wellness area and dive center (which will have a conservation partnership with Oceans Without Borders). Mnemba Atoll, set in the clear cerulean waters of the Indian Ocean, is known for its superb scuba and snorkel spots where guests can peep ghost pipefish, green turtles, harlequin crabs, and zebra snout seahorses. At day’s end, drift across the sea in a dhow and sip a sundowner while the sky goes from deep indigo to azure. This is intimate barefoot charm at its best.
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