Reviews of Savute Under Canvas
(96%) From 11 travellersThey do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa.
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Savute Under Canvas review
Having experienced "Chobe Under Canvas" the two prior days, the Savute experience was a bit of a disappointment. Our guide, Mork, was knowledgeable and provided us some exciting viewing opportunities. However we were uncomfortable when he chose to travel into the bush to provide us a view of a male lion.
The acting Manager was also the other guide, and the chef (who was very outgoing and talented in food preparation) the first night was apparently substituting for the full-time chef who was present the second night. The facilities were clean but the water provided for showers in the late afternoon was not very warm (making it very challenging to enjoy a shower with the air temperature fairly cold).
Also, the camp was being dismantled the morning of our departure so the dining tent had been removed for our dinner our final night at Savute.
Excellent in every way
There is nothing we would improve.
Our guide was excellent in showing us animals, and very knowledgeable in providing us with history, personal anecdotes, natural history, geology, etc. of the area. The campsite was excellent and we especially enjoyed the elephants who strolled right in front (and behind) our tents.
The staff was friendly, fun, energetic. The food was delicious, and our tent was spacious and clean.
Comfortable, great staff
It was comfortable but not in the same class as chobe under canvas. E.g. The bed was sinking a bit in the middle. The walk to the mess tent was rather sandy, a bit of straw to create a pathway would help. The staff were very helpful.
The food was good. Simple but tasty. Great baking as in Chobe under canvas. Same, if not worse problem with trickling shower!
Liked the fact that tent sitting area faced the forest rather than the mess tent .
Excellent location, staff & wildlife
Savute Under Canvas is a small camp situated in the remote bush in a less visited part of Chobe NP. The staff were excellent and we had very good wildlife experiences. During our final breakfast at camp, we were treated to the sight of 100+ buffalo wandering close to camp.
The tents are large and comfortable, although they get very hot during the middle of the day, despite the shade offered by the surrounding acacia trees.
Perseverance and Persistence Pay Off
The Savuti Marsh, home to the BBC documentary “Giant Killers,” a pride of lions that hunts elephants, and the “Fishing Leopard,” a mother leopard that teaches her cubs to eat catfish. I was thrilled to be here and had high expectations for phenomenal game viewing. Unfortunately, the wildlife did not get the memo that we were coming. A dry cold front passed the day we arrived, and perhaps that kept the game in hiding.
I want to give our guide full credit for doing everything in his power to find game - extending the evening and morning game drives, taking advantage of his relationship with the BBC filming crews in the area, coordinating with other guides... Nobody was seeing anything. I got a new appreciation of just how exceptional the documentaries are. Countless days spent observing the game for that brief moment of special footage.
On our second and final evening game drive, our perseverance paid off. We spotted a Denham’s bustard, scarce in Botswana, especially during the time of year we visited. The highlight of the evening, though, was a pack of wild dogs hunting impala. The curse had been broken. Taking the long way to the airstrip the following morning, game was plentiful including elephants, kudu, wildebeest, buffalo, giraffe, and the fishing leopard (distinguishable by a notch on her left ear)!
The &Beyond mobile camps are very comfortable and the staff are extremely accommodating. I was very impressed with the ability of the staff to move the camp every five days, or even more frequently as bookings and park regulations mandate. The meals, served under an open sided tent, were fresh and delicious - quite a feat given the remote locations and the mobile nature of the camp.
Great bush experience in Savute Under Canvas
The camp was exactly what we were looking for: few tents, in-the-bush, low impact on the environment but very much looked after.
The camp staff was very nice and caring. Our guide Sam K showed a great experience and respect for the wilderness. He had a great knowledge of animals and plants and thanks to him we had excellent game viewing (leopard with cub, lion hunting warthog..).
They always used the 2 vehicles for game driving and this made it possible to better appreciate the experience (especially from the photographic point of view) without crowd vehicles.
Savute was phenomenal
Everything was great here! Our chef (Thebe) really bent over backwards to prepare gluten-free meals for us. They were delicious. I forgot one item in our tent and it magically appeared at the airstrip just before our flight came as well. Just shows how well organized and well run &Beyond is!
The game drives were great too. Saw several leopards, a large pride of lions and tons of other game all around. We were at Savute in June so it was quite cold, particularly the few days we were there. They provided blankets but those weren't windproof but the warm water bottles helped a lot! Bring layers!
Tons of animals
This camp was my favorite of the 3 that I stayed in during this trip. The accommodations were excellent for a tent and the staff was very attentive.
After every afternoon game drive, there was a hot bucket shower waiting for me without having to request one. The food was very good too. Although there was only one activity option in this camp (game drive) and limitations restricting viewings to the main roads (park rules) I offered the best game viewing of the 3 camps. I saw about 70% of my animals here.
Our guide (Sam) was fantastic and extremely knowledgable. I would highly recommend this camp.
Savute Under Canvas review
Savute under Canvas is a wonderful camp of &Beyond, which is moved every 6 days. It thus has a great bush feeling, even though it does not lack comfort and exquisite cuisine! The meals prepared by BK were amazing every day!
Samuel our guide created a very relaxed safari experience. Wildlife was very good, we even saw a klipspringer and a pack of wilddogs! It should be considered, however, that the camp is situated in the national park and therefore offroading and night drives are not allowed and (compared to the private concessions) quite a number of other cars is driving in the area.
Visiting the ancient rock paintings at sunrise while listening to the call of the giant eagle owl was stunning...
We'll definitely try one of the other &Beyond "Under Canvas"-camps on our next safari holiday.
Savute Under Canvas review
I really enjoyed staying with &Beyond again. They are really good in trying to make you feel like a princess, which they always manage to do.
The camp staff was wonderful (and lots of fun too), the guide KD very knowledgable and eager to share his knowledge patiently. And the food - considering the circumstances - was very good. Together with Kwando Lagoon I liked the people and atmosphere here most. The camp was very intimate, with only 4 tents. As the camp has to move every 6 days the tents and the camp as a whole is a bit more simple than the one I know in the Serengeti, but that is alright. I think camping in the bush in a tent gives an additional trill.
The area is really beautiful and pretty now the water has returned to the channel and the marsh. Lots of animals are staying around now or returning (pelicans!). It absolutely made up for the fact that this is a NP and not a concession (and therefore no off road driving allowed). I am very glad I decided to go here. And I am still a big fan of &Beyond.....
We have always believed that acting responsibly is the only way to approach tourism and we're one of
the few companies to hold AITO's original coveted 5-star status for responsible tourism. It's a lead
that others are now following.
