Botswana has a moderate climate with three fairly distinct seasons: from December to March is the rainy season, with warm temperatures and occasional thunderstorms. April to July is dry, with sunny days and the temperature at night beginning to drop. In June and July the nights can be very cold. From August through to October the weather heats up, with October's temperatures sometimes approaching 40°C. Generally the rains break in November.
Located in the heart of the Okavango Delta, Stanley's Camp is a wonderful tented camp with views out over the flood plains. The camp is famed for its interaction with elephants and offers a rare opportunity to learn more about these amazing giants.
Stanley's Camp is located in a private concession surrounded by Okavango flood plains. While general game viewing in this area is very good with giraffe, lion and even wild dog often spotted, the main attraction is its three semi-habituated elephants. Guests have a wonderful opportunity to spend a morning with these elephants and their handler; a truly exceptional and memorable experience.
There are a wide range of activities offered but walking with elephants will be a truly memorable experience and one which will be hard to beat on safari. The three elephants were orphaned and adopted by owners Doug and Sandi Groves. Walks are interactive and informative as you learn about elephant behaviour and witness first-hand how they search for food and strip branches of leaves.
The camp itself is small and intimate with only eight luxury tents all raised on wooden decks. The tents are beautifully furnished with wooden polished floors and dark wood furnishings including a dressing table and writing desk. The large deck provides guests the perfect spot from which to watch the sunrise while enjoying an early morning coffee or simply enjoying a siesta from the comfort of your own hammock.
In addition to elephant interaction, game drives are also offered but water levels do determine how far you can go. During seasons of high water levels game drives are usually combined with motor boat safaris allowing you to explore the channels and lagoons with ease. Walking safaris give you the opportunity to explore the delta from a different perspective, allowing you to get closer to wildlife and the environment. Walks are a wonderful chance to really smell and take in all your surroundings. As the delta is flooded for much of year one of the best ways to explore is by mokoro. Peacefully meander your way through delta channels past giant lilies and sit back and enjoy the wonderful bird life, or even spot crocodiles as they bathe on the banks.
There are three reasons to visit Stanleys Camp and they all have trunks and tusks. A morning spent with Jabulani, Thembigela and Morula is nothing short of magical. These three semi-habituated elephants live alongside Doug and Sandi Groves, Doug having never spent a night away from them in the 25 years he has been their carer and their affection for him is very apparent, and incredibly touching to see. Having spent a morning with them in 2007, I was keen to return, and I was not disappointed. Jabulani, the bull, has grown spectacularly and is incredibly impressive, nearly 12 feet at the shoulder and expected to grow another foot or so throughout his life. Thembigela and Morula, the two females, vie for the attention of their guests, approaching and stretching out their trunks to sniff and be stroked in a very endearing fashion. The walk is gentle, not venturing far, and stopping often for Doug or Sandi to describe their elephants, ask you to feel the weight of their trunks, the soft skin behind their elbows, hold your hand out so the elephants can gently grip your fingers with the tips of their trunk. This is the reason guests come to Stanleys; the game is fairly unexceptional, with a few elephant around and various plains game; but a morning spent with the trio, as they are known, must rate among the all time best experiences in Africa, in my book.
Sanctuary Stanleys Camp is located on the Boro River in a 260,000 acre private concession bordering the Moremi Game Reserve in the Okavango Delta, home to some of the most spectacular wildlife on Earth.
The camp is accessible by air from Maun (15 minutes), Kasane (1-hour 30-minutes) and all other delta camps. The camp has its own airstrip which is located approximately 20 minutes from the camp depending on the water level in the delta. During higher water levels guests will be greeted at the airstrip and transferred by vehicle or boat if high water, to camp.