Latest news with #RelaisandChateaux
The Age
19-05-2025
- The Age
The knock-out stay that will ruin all future safaris
THE PLACE Zarafa Camp, Botswana CHECK-IN Black clouds are on our tail as our LandCruiser speeds towards Great Plains Conservation's Zarafa Camp. It's only 45 minutes from Selinda Reserve airstrip, but we pull up at our luxury camp's tented pavilions just in time to beat the thundering rain, which causes the vervet monkeys on the deck to scatter in search of cover. I'm handed lemonade flavoured with rooibos tea to settle my excitement as staff begin to zip up the marquee lounge tent against the tempest. After the rain passes, I'm shown to my tented suite. THE LOOK Zarafa Camp was the first hotel in Botswana to join the Relais and Chateaux collection, which recognises exceptional hotels and restaurants around the world, and the attention to detail shines through. Touches like sanded-back Zanzibar doors, Persian rugs and the metal cast of a giraffe's skull evoke a sense of old-world romance. Much of the camp was built using recycled materials salvaged after a tsunami devastated parts of east Africa in late 2004. The camp's main hub comprises a communal tented pavilion housing the dining room, library, bar, lounge, and a new wine cellar added in 2023, with wraparound decking featuring a firepit with views over Zibalianja Lagoon. There's also an open-air gym, massage studio, and an on-site boutique offering locally made jewellery, clothing and art. THE ROOM Each of the camp's four marquee-style guest suites measures 100 square metres and feels like a private condo. Pulling open the heavy antique front door reveals a welcome lounge with a fully stocked (and included) mini-bar and writing desk with a complimentary Canon DSLR camera ready for me to take on a game drive.
Sydney Morning Herald
19-05-2025
- Sydney Morning Herald
The knock-out stay that will ruin all future safaris
THE PLACE Zarafa Camp, Botswana CHECK-IN Black clouds are on our tail as our LandCruiser speeds towards Great Plains Conservation's Zarafa Camp. It's only 45 minutes from Selinda Reserve airstrip, but we pull up at our luxury camp's tented pavilions just in time to beat the thundering rain, which causes the vervet monkeys on the deck to scatter in search of cover. I'm handed lemonade flavoured with rooibos tea to settle my excitement as staff begin to zip up the marquee lounge tent against the tempest. After the rain passes, I'm shown to my tented suite. THE LOOK Zarafa Camp was the first hotel in Botswana to join the Relais and Chateaux collection, which recognises exceptional hotels and restaurants around the world, and the attention to detail shines through. Touches like sanded-back Zanzibar doors, Persian rugs and the metal cast of a giraffe's skull evoke a sense of old-world romance. Much of the camp was built using recycled materials salvaged after a tsunami devastated parts of east Africa in late 2004. The camp's main hub comprises a communal tented pavilion housing the dining room, library, bar, lounge, and a new wine cellar added in 2023, with wraparound decking featuring a firepit with views over Zibalianja Lagoon. There's also an open-air gym, massage studio, and an on-site boutique offering locally made jewellery, clothing and art. THE ROOM Each of the camp's four marquee-style guest suites measures 100 square metres and feels like a private condo. Pulling open the heavy antique front door reveals a welcome lounge with a fully stocked (and included) mini-bar and writing desk with a complimentary Canon DSLR camera ready for me to take on a game drive.
