Linyanti Wildlife Reserve, Botswana

Wilderness DumaTau

Price per night from$8,402.00

Price information

If you haven’t entered any dates, the rate shown is provided directly by the hotel and represents the cheapest double room (inclusive of taxes and fees) available in the next 60 days.

Prices have been converted from the hotel’s local currency (USD8,402.00), via openexchangerates.org, using today’s exchange rate.

Style

Trunk cool

Setting

Botswanan wilds

Don’t judge a book by its cover — or, in this case, a camp by its name — for Wilderness DumaTau may sound all-tents-no-comfort but this ensconcing base has all the trappings of a luxury retreat. Stilted suites put the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve’s elephant-starring lagoon at the edge of your private plunge pool, and platformed walkways weave between the camp’s wellness centre, floating fire pit and dining spots. And that’s all before you’ve roamed with the reserve’s wild residents…

Smith Extra

Get this when you book through us:

A locally crafted souvenir gift (worth around $50)

Facilities

Photos Wilderness DumaTau facilities

Need to know

Rooms

12 suites.

Check–Out

Check-in is at 2pm, and check-out is at 10am. Both are flexible, on request and subject to availability.

More details

Rates include all meals, drinks (apart from some premium alcohol), nature drives, guided hikes and some excursions. Extras to pay for include travel between camps, specialist excursions and spa treatments.

Also

Unfortunately this remote camp is not suitable for guests with limited mobility.

At the hotel

Floating fire pit with views of the lagoon, wine cellar, living spaces, fitness centre and laundry service. In rooms: free WiFi, air-conditioning, coffee- and tea-making kit, minibar, free bottled water, hairdryer and Healing Earth bath products.

Our favourite rooms

Each suite sits stilted above the Osprey Lagoon, with private decks that watch over free-roaming wildlife. But alfresco spots aren’t all that reference this camp’s Botswana base: ensconcing interiors impress with locally made mosaic tiling and traditional textiles, too. Most suites are set-up for couples, but if you’re travelling as a group, there’s one two-bedroom Family Suite that fits four.

Poolside

Each stilted suite comes with its own private plunge pool, and you’ll also find a 12-metre swimming pool outside at the Osprey Retreat, abutting the lagoon’s native flora and flanked with sunloungers.

Spa

This isn’t the sort of camp with shared showers, but rather a sprawling wellness centre that means post-safari soothing comes as standard. Healing takes place in the spa’s duo of treatment rooms, and across the wooden walkway, you’ll find a tricked-out fitness area, deli and juice bar, and plenty of shaded spots in which to idle over the surrounding bush.

Packing tips

An extra zoom lens to capture the reserve’s most elusive residents.

Also

If you have children in tow, please note that some activities come with a lower age limit.

Children

Little Smiths aged six or older are welcome. DumaTau has one family suite. By prior arrangement, a dedicated staff member can supervise children and you’ll need to reserve a private vehicle if you're with under-13s (additional charges apply).

Sustainability efforts

Wilderness takes a threefold approach to sustainability, aiming to protect (with sensitive management between people and wildlife), empower (by investing in the local community) and educate (supporting pathways out of poverty). In total, its camps help to protect six million acres of land, highlighting conservation and bringing tourism to rural areas across the African continent. Each camp treads lightly, following a set of strict standards that apply to the construction and operation of each stay. Standards cover water and energy consumption; monitoring of waste and recycling, and supply chain management. Camps are audited twice yearly and must comply with at least 85 per cent of the requirements, with any shortfalls addressed before the next audit. Wilderness DumaTau also runs entirely on solar energy.

Food and Drink

Photos Wilderness DumaTau food and drink

Top Table

Most tables come with prime wildlife-watching vantage points, so a bad choice isn’t likely anywhere here.

Dress Code

Blue hues to blend with your lagoonside locale.

Hotel restaurant

Dining at Wilderness DumaTau is a fluid affair (although thankfully not liquids only). Meals are typically tailored to fit with the day’s scheduled activities, but evenings are often a chance to come together with other guests and staff over drinks, before sitting down to an à-la-carte menu that’s guided by regional ingredients and seasonal crops (Kalahari truffles, say, or sapid salads packed with hand-picked herbs, fruit and veg). If you’re up and out early, expect a basic breakfast at camp, bolstered by drinks and snacks on the trail, before returning to an early lunch or brunch. Similarly, guided afternoon outings are always accompanied with on-location drinks and nibbles.

Hotel bar

Sundowners, apéritifs and drinks around the floating fire pit may well become part of your daily routine at Wilderness DumaTau, and you’re unlikely to go thirsty with staff on hand to take your order for drinks — hot, cold or something a little stronger.

Last orders

Banish any expectations of set dining hours and embrace the fact that food and drink will be seamlessly integrated into your day just when you want it.

Room service

A minibar in your suite is stocked with soft drinks and low-alcohol options. When hunger strikes, wander over to the lodge, where staff will be happy to help.

Location

Photos Wilderness DumaTau location
Address
Wilderness DumaTau
DumaTau Camp
Linyanti Wildlife Reserve
Botswana

Floating above the Osprey Lagoon, Wilderness DumaTau sits within the 275,000-acre Linyanti Wildlife Reserve in northern Botswana, near its Namibian border.

Planes

Commercial flights touch down at Kasane or Muan international airports; from there, scheduled transfers with Wilderness Air land on the Chobe Airstrip, where you’ll be met by the Wilderness team and taken on the 40-minute drive to camp.

Automobiles

This remote retreat isn’t reachable by car, so you’ll have to leave your wheels at home.

Other

Once you’ve booked your safari stays, the Wilderness team will be in touch to arrange travel between camps — usually scheduled or private charter flights or helicopter transfers.

Worth getting out of bed for

Everything at Wilderness DumaTau is about the animals — well, the elephants really, since your stilted setting rests above one of Botswana’s storied crossings. Outside of camp, guided game drives are your best bet for sightings. But you can also explore Linyanti’s landscapes with boat trips along the Kwando River, catch-and-release fishing, from-the-sky helicopter safaris and birdwatching with DumaTau’s in-camp experts. 

Wilderness has a bounty of camps across Botswana, starting with two flagship stays: best-in-class Wilderness Mombo is in a wildlife-rich spot where the Delta splits into its primary channels, and Wilderness Jao sits on a remote island, with stellar game viewing all year round and seasonal water safaris. Rebuilt for the 21st century, Delta stalwart Wilderness Chitabe has a superpower in the diversity of habitats that surround it. North of the Delta, Wilderness Vumbura Plains has water safaris all year round. Helicopter into Wilderness Mokete — a remote, lighter-weight stay that’s relatively new; if you’re heading here, make it your first stop. 

Local restaurants

All meals and snacks are included with your stay — whether back at the lodge for dinner or out in the bush for a mid-drive pitstop. 

Reviews

Photos Wilderness DumaTau reviews

Anonymous review

Every hotel featured is visited personally by members of our team, given the Smith seal of approval, and then anonymously reviewed. As soon as our reviewers have returned from this all-frills camp in Botswana and looked through their rolls of film, a full account of their in-the-wilds break will be with you. In the meantime, to whet your wanderlust, here's a quick peek inside Wilderness DumaTau in the Linyanti Wildlife Reserve…

With a name that translates to ‘roar of the lion’ and a striking setting in northern Botswana, at first glance boutique safari stay Wilderness DumaTau appears to channel main-character energy; but it soon becomes clear that this Earth-kind escape is all about blending into nature’s chorus. 

Your pioneering hosts have deftly designed each tricked-out suite to sit stilted above the camp’s encompassing Osprey Lagoon, spotlighting the local fauna and flora. Elephant crossings, which have passed either end of the camp for decades, go undisturbed and private terraces give elevated views of the water’s wandering wildlife. Guided game drives and tailored-to-you tours put you even closer to the action. Back at base, therapists work their healing touch at the in-camp wellness centre, and provenance-proud dining bolsters the camp’s upscale appeal. 

With an abundance of river-fed adventures unaffected by seasonal rains, DumaTau showcases a different side of Botswana for seasoned safari-goers and novices alike.

Book now

Price per night from $8,402.00