Latest news with #OkavangoDelta
Travel Daily News
3 days ago
- Travel Daily News
Botswana voted Africa's Best Safari Country 2025
This year's research analyzed over 3,100 reviews – 1,763 user reviews gathered by between January 1, 2024 and April 9, 2025 and 1,342 reviews written by 26 reputable guidebook authors who work for a variety of publishers including Lonely Planet, Rough Guides, Frommer's, Bradt Guides and Footprint. Despite fierce competition among African nations renowned for offering unique wildlife encounters, Botswana emerged as the clear frontrunner. The country's appeal lies in its dramatic natural contrasts – from the arid expanses of the Kalahari Desert to the lush waterways of the Okavango Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of Africa's premier wildlife habitats. Botswana's safari experience is deeply rooted in conservation. Its low-impact, high-quality tourism model emphasizes sustainability, which continues to resonate with both first-time and repeat visitors. Notable highlights include opportunities to spot the elusive African wild dog, guided canoe trips through the delta's winding channels, and ancient San rock art sites that add a cultural dimension to nature-based exploration. The comprehensive nature of the survey, combining insights from tourists and seasoned safari experts, reinforces Botswana's standing as a leader in delivering high-caliber, responsible safari experiences on the continent. SafariBookings is the largest online marketplace for specialized safari tours in Africa. More than 1,500 specialized safari operators from around the world offer their safari tours on the SafariBookings platform. Every year more than 4 million people visit to find their perfect safari.
Travel Daily News
13-06-2025
- Travel Daily News
Machaba Safaris opens Monachira Camp in the Okavango Delta
Monachira Camp opens in Botswana's Okavango Delta, offering year-round water safaris, sustainable luxury, and immersive wildlife experiences in a serene setting. Monachira Camp, the latest addition to Machaba Safaris' portfolio, is now open to guests seeking an exceptional Delta experience. Located along the serene Monachira Channel northeast of the Moremi Game Reserve, this new camp offers a refreshing blend of contemporary African design, sustainable luxury, and authentic wilderness experiences. As one of the few camps in the region to offer year-round water safaris in the Okavango Delta, Monachira delivers a uniquely tranquil and adventurous safari escape. Set on raised wooden decks with panoramic views of floodplains and papyrus-lined waterways, Monachira Camp blends effortlessly into its surroundings. Interiors feature natural fabrics in soft tones of white, cream, black, and warm yellow, reflecting the vibrant hues of the Delta. Guests can enjoy the beautifully designed lounge, open-air dining area, curated curio shop, beach bar, and a refreshing plunge pool – perfect for relaxing on warmer days. While game drives are available, Monachira Camp is designed around water-based exploration. Guests can glide through papyrus-fringed channels by mokoro or motorboat, encountering elephants, lion, leopard, and rare antelope species along the way. The nearby Gudigwa heronries are home to thousands of birds, making Monachira a paradise for birdwatchers and photographers alike. 'Monachira Camp is a celebration of the Okavango Delta's quieter side – immersive, elegant, and deeply connected to the water. It completes our portfolio with a unique offering that highlights the Delta's year-round water wilderness,' says Alistair Rankin, CEO of Machaba Safaris. In line with Machaba Safaris' commitment to sustainable tourism, Monachira Camp offers eight eco-conscious luxury tents (twin or double) and two family tents, each featuring indoor and outdoor showers, private outdoor lounges with daybeds, and shaded canvas areas. For added relaxation, guests can treat themselves to personalised in-room spa treatments. Two guide rooms are also available for hosted groups. The camp's cuisine celebrates Botswana's seasonal produce, offering flavourful meals prepared by passionate chefs in true Machaba style. The camp operates on solar power, and beautiful reed walls, sourced locally, reinforce its eco-credentials. Wi-Fi is available in the guest rooms, while the public areas remain tech-free to preserve the sounds of the Delta. Monachira Camp is accessible by light aircraft or helicopter via Shinde Airstrip, followed by a 20-minute drive into camp. The new camp creates opportunities for multi-camp itineraries that combine the best of water- and land-based safaris across the Machaba Safaris collection of camps.
Irish Times
10-06-2025
- Science
- Irish Times
Dead elephants and feral sea lions: how poisonous algal blooms harm the planet
Before the elephants collapsed, they walked in aimless circles. Some fell head first, dying where they stood moments earlier; their carcasses scattered near watering holes across the Okavango delta in Botswana. The unexplained deaths in May 2020 alarmed conservationists. By July at least 350 elephants had died and nobody knew why. 'The animals all had their tusks, so poaching was unlikely. A lot of them had obviously died relatively suddenly: they had dropped on to their sternums, which was indicating a sudden loss of muscle function or neural capacity,' says Niall McCann, director of the conservation group National Park Rescue. Nearly five years later, in November 2024, scientists finally published a paper indicating what they believe to be the reason behind the deaths: toxic water caused by an algal bloom. READ MORE A sudden shift between dry and wet conditions in 2019 and 2020 created perfect conditions for cyanobacteria that release toxins lethal to the elephants, although the researchers could not make definitive conclusions as samples were not taken quickly enough in 2020 due to the pandemic. 'Blooms' are a rapid increase in the amount of algae, often occurring in shallow, slow-moving warm water. They can transform a sea, lake or river into a mass of green, yellow, brown or even red, sometimes for several weeks. Not all blooms are harmful – many sustain important fisheries. But sometimes algae forms such a thick layer that it blocks out sunlight in critical habitats; others can release harmful toxins. When the algae die, they rapidly deplete oxygen in water – often creating 'dead zones' where few fish can survive. As the Earth warms, harmful algal blooms are on the rise – even creeping into polar waters. They are driven by a mixture of pollution from agriculture, runoff from human waste and, increasingly, global heating – sometimes with dramatic consequences for wildlife and humans. As they spread, they are changing the colour of the world's lakes, rivers and oceans. [ UN Ocean Conference 3: will it lead to protecting the high seas from all extraction, forever? Opens in new window ] Nearly two-thirds of all lakes have changed colour in the past 40 years, a recent study shows. A third are blue – but as temperatures warm, they are likely to turn a murky green or brown, other research has found. The planet's oceans are turning green as they warm, a result of absorbing more than 90 per cent of excess heat from global warming. At sea, the size and frequency of blooms in coastal areas has risen by 13.2 per cent and 59.2 per cent respectively in 2003-2020, a 2024 study revealed. In freshwater systems blooms became 44 per cent more frequent globally in the 2010s, according to a 2022 global assessment of 248,000 lakes. The rise was largely driven by places in Asia and Africa that remain reliant on agricultural fertiliser. While progress has been made in North America, Europe and Oceania to stabilise blooms, the climate crisis has driven their resurgence in some freshwater systems. The fertilisers that people use to grow plants – including reactive nitrogen and phosphates – also supercharge algal growth. As they are washed off fields and pour into water bodies around the world, they significantly alter how ecosystems function. 'Humans are today loading more reactive nitrogen into the biosphere than the natural cycle [is],' said Johan Rockström, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. He was co-author of a 2023 assessment that found that humanity had now gone far beyond the planet's natural limits for nitrogen and phosphorus. [ Commitment to climate action hard to find in Government Opens in new window ] 'We need to reduce the supply of reactive human nitrogen by over 75 per cent. It's a dramatic change and there's a lot of scientific debate about this,' he says. 'Most agricultural scientists say that it is not possible because we cannot feed humanity. We have a contradiction here: is our first objective to keep the planet's freshwater systems, coastal zones, ecosystems and climate stable – or is it to feed humanity?' Others warn that it is not a simple choice between food and the environment. In northern Norway repeated algal blooms have wiped out millions of farmed salmon and cod in recent years. A single bloom killed more than seven million salmon in 2019. This year another has wiped out up to a million more fish. As has just happened in South Australia, where it spanned 8,800 sq km, scores of fish and dead sea life wash up on beaches once a huge algal bloom spreads. Deepwater sharks, crabs, lobsters and prawns are among those found dead as a result of the toxic blanket created by Karenia mikimotoi algae, with the ocean 2.5 degrees hotter than usual for the season. In March a teenager was attacked by a 'feral' sea lion off the coast of southern California, where there has been an increase in aggressive behaviour from the animals linked to a large algal bloom, which can poison and induce seizures in the mammals due to the domoic acid neurotoxin it produces. While there are signs that the bloom is waning, it was the fourth consecutive year that California had experienced a significant outbreak. However, not everything dies in a dead zone. Once the putrid expanse of algae has dispersed and those that can swim away have left, aquatic species better adapted to low levels of oxygen, or hypoxia, move in. This has led to a boom in jellyfish numbers in many parts of the world. Denise Breitburg, of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, has studied Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the US to experience algal blooms, for decades, says: 'The jellyfish we have here are way more tolerant of low oxygen in the water than species they would be competing with for food. They become more efficient predators and can utilise habitat that fin fish are excluded from.' As the world heats, the disruptions that algal blooms cause to ecosystems will be hard to stop, experts warn. Prof Donald Boesch, who helped first identify the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico, which last year reached 17,000 sq km, the 12th largest in 38 years of records, says the process will get worse if the world does not prevent rising temperatures. 'As the liquid heats up, its ability to dissolve gases is reduced, so it holds less oxygen. Warmer surface waters can increase the stratification of layers in the ocean. It means that the warmer waters at the surface are less dense than the bottom waters, so they don't get mixed up. 'It's going to get worse,' says Boesch.
The Guardian
10-06-2025
- Science
- The Guardian
Dead elephants and feral sea lions: how poisonous algal blooms harm the planet
Before the elephants collapsed, they walked in aimless circles. Some fell head first, dying where they stood moments earlier; their carcasses scattered near watering holes across the Okavango delta. The unexplained deaths in May 2020 alarmed conservationists. By July, at least 350 elephants had died and nobody knew why. 'The animals all had their tusks, so poaching was unlikely. A lot of them had obviously died relatively suddenly: they had dropped on to their sternums, which was indicating a sudden loss of muscle function or neural capacity,' says Niall McCann, director of the conservation group National Park Rescue. Nearly five years later, in November 2024, scientists finally published a paper indicating what they believe to be the reason behind the deaths: toxic water caused by an algal bloom. A sudden shift between dry and wet conditions in 2019 and 2020 created perfect conditions for cyanobacteria that release toxins lethal to the elephants, although the researchers could not make definitive conclusions as samples were not taken quickly enough in 2020 due to the pandemic. 'Blooms' are a rapid increase in the amount of algae, often occurring in shallow, slow-moving warm water. They can transform a sea, lake or river into a mass of green, yellow, brown or even red, sometimes for several weeks. Not all blooms are harmful – many sustain important fisheries. But sometimes algae forms such a thick layer that it blocks out sunlight in critical habitats; others can release harmful toxins. When the algae die, they rapidly deplete oxygen in water – often creating 'dead zones' where few fish can survive. As the Earth warms, harmful algal blooms are on the rise – even creeping into polar waters. They are driven by a mixture of pollution from agriculture, runoff from human waste and, increasingly, global heating – sometimes with dramatic consequences for wildlife and humans. As they spread, they are changing the colour of the world's lakes, rivers and oceans. Nearly two-thirds of all lakes have changed colour in the past 40 years, according to a recent study. A third are blue – but as temperatures warm, they are likely to turn a murky green or brown, other research has found. The planet's oceans are turning green as they warm, a result of absorbing more than 90% of excess heat from global warming. At sea, the size and frequency of blooms in coastal areas has risen by 13.2% and 59.2% respectively between 2003 and 2020, according to a 2024 study. In freshwater systems, blooms became 44% more frequent globally in the 2010s, according to a 2022 global assessment of 248,000 lakes. The rise was largely driven by places in Asia and Africa that remain reliant on agricultural fertiliser. While progress has been made in North America, Europe and Oceania to stabilise blooms, the climate crisis has driven their resurgence in some freshwater systems. The fertilisers that people use to grow plants – including reactive nitrogen and phosphates – also supercharge algal growth. As they are washed off fields and pour into water bodies around the world, they significantly alter how ecosystems function. 'Humans are today loading more reactive nitrogen into the biosphere than the natural cycle [is],' said Johan Rockström, director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research. He was co-author of a 2023 assessment that found that humanity had now gone far beyond the planet's natural limits for nitrogen and phosphorus. 'We need to reduce the supply of reactive human nitrogen by over 75%. It's a dramatic change and there's a lot of scientific debate about this,' he says. 'Most agricultural scientists say that it is not possible because we cannot feed humanity. We have a contradiction here: is our first objective to keep the planet's freshwater systems, coastal zones, ecosystems and climate stable – or is it to feed humanity?' Others warn that it is not a simple choice between food and the environment. In northern Norway, repeated algal blooms have wiped out millions of farmed salmon and cod in recent years. A single bloom killed more than seven million salmon in 2019. This year, another has wiped out up to a million more fish. As has just happened in South Australia, where it spanned 8,800 sq km (3,400 sq miles), scores of fish and dead sea life wash up on beaches once a huge algal bloom spreads. Deep-water sharks, crabs, lobsters and prawns are among those found dead as a result of the toxic blanket created by Karenia mikimotoi algae, with the ocean 2.5C (4.5F) hotter than usual for the season. In March, a teenager was attacked by a 'feral' sea lion off the coast of southern California, where there has been an increase in aggressive behaviour from the animals linked to a large algal bloom, which can poison and induce seizures in the mammals due to the domoic acid neurotoxin it produces. While there are signs that the bloom is waning, it was the fourth consecutive year that California had experienced a significant outbreak. However, not everything dies in a dead zone. Once the putrid expanse of algae has dispersed and those that can swim away have left, aquatic species better adapted to low levels of oxygen, or hypoxia, move in. This has led to a boom in jellyfish numbers in many parts of the world. Denise Breitburg, of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, has studied Chesapeake Bay, the largest estuary in the US to experience algal blooms, for decades, says: 'The jellyfish we have here are way more tolerant of low oxygen in the water than species they would be competing with for food. They become more efficient predators and can utilise habitat that fin fish are excluded from.' As the world heats, the disruptions that algal blooms cause to ecosystems will be hard to stop, experts warn. Prof Donald Boesch, who helped first identify the dead zone in the Gulf of Mexico, which last year reached 17,000 sq km, the 12th largest in 38 years of records, says the process will get worse if the world does not prevent rising temperatures. 'As the liquid heats up, its ability to dissolve gases is reduced, so it holds less oxygen. Warmer surface waters can increase the stratification of layers in the ocean. It means that the warmer waters at the surface are less dense than the bottom waters, so they don't get mixed up. 'It's going to get worse,' says Boesch. Find more age of extinction coverage here, and follow the biodiversity reporters Phoebe Weston and Patrick Greenfield in the Guardian app for more nature coverage
Forbes
09-06-2025
- Business
- Forbes
This New Ultra-Luxury Safari Camp In Botswana Is One of Africa's Best
As it celebrates its first birthday this month, Atzaró Okavango–a singular newcomer to Botswana's incomparable Okavango Delta–is setting a new standard for ultra-luxury safari experiences in a country widely regarded as the original trailblazer of low-impact, high-value safari tourism in Africa. Celebrating its first birthday this year, Atzaró Okavango Camp sets a new standard for luxury in a country that pioneered low-impact, high-end safari tourism. Atzaró Okavango's debut last June marked the start of an enterprising partnership between two esteemed giants of hospitality. The Ibiza-based Atzaró Group–the creative force behind the acclaimed Atzaró Agriturismo Hotel in the island's verdant interior, and Prana by Atzaró, Indonesia's premier exclusive-use phinisi sailing yacht–was eager to expand into Africa (Atzaró Cape Town, the brand's uber-chic boutique hotel, also opened the same month). To sidestep any potential concerns about Atzaró's lack of experience in the safari arena, the group joined forces with African Bush Camps (ABC), the sustainable safari company founded in 2006 by Zimbabwean entrepreneur and former guide Beks Ndlovu. ABC operates 17 camps and lodges in Botswana, Zambia, and Zimbabwe, and is renowned across the industry and beyond for its exceptional guiding and operational expertise in some of Africa's most pristine locales. Located in a private concession in the heart of the Okavango Delta, the one-of-a-kind camp is reached by a short and scenic helicopter ride from the Maun Airport. Set within a 425-square-mile private concession between the Moremi Game Reserve and the Gomoti Plains, the entirely solar-powered camp–reached by a spectacularly scenic, 15-minute helicopter ride from the airport in the Delta gateway town of Maun–offers an immersion in rarefied bush luxury. Its eight sprawling suites (measuring nearly 1,800 square feet each) and two, two-suite family villas, all equipped with plunge pools, feature a panoply of top-tier creature comforts: canopied king-sized beds, parquet flooring, mid-century modern furnishings, and artful Turkish rugs pair with inspired accents like large-format wildlife photography, hand-carved masks and beaded objets, and pendant lights crowned with handwoven lampshades. En-suite bathrooms feature both indoor and outdoor bathtubs (stone inside; copper outside) and showers, while air conditioning, high-speed wifi, and a minibar brimming with drinks and homemade goodies round out the long list of amenities. The camp's eight sprawling suites and two family villas feature ultra-luxe furnishings and a laundry list of top-tier amenities. The open-plan common areas, designed to showcase the continent's vast aesthetic and natural bounty, champion the distinctly African luxuries of seemingly boundless space and exuberant nature. Oversized Chesterfield sofas and other luxe leather couches center seating areas adorned with boldly patterned textiles, elaborate cowrie-shell collar necklaces (which symbolize fertility, prosperity, and protection in many African cultures), and artifacts ranging from antelope horns to ostrich shells. An outsize circular fire pit presides over a seasonal lagoon that steadily grows as the famed floodwaters arrive, flowing a thousand miles from the Angolan highlands to the delta from May to September. The entire camp is built some 20 feet above the ground to accommodate the deluge, and minimize the property's footprint on the land. Inspired common spaces pair a wide array of African art and artifacts with cozy seating nooks and ambience galore. Though you can easily while away the day enjoying the camp's myriad charms–a 65-foot, lagoon-facing lap pool, holistic spa, standout gym, and yoga shala among them–the main attraction remains a peerless safari within Africa's most extraordinary oasis. The Okavango Delta, which last year celebrated its 10th anniversary as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is one of the world's most remarkable wetland ecosystems. Covering some 5,800 square miles during peak flood season (June through August), the massive inland delta forms when–due to the region's underlying geology–the Okavango River fans out into the Kalahari Desert (rather than flowing into the ocean, as most rivers do). This bona fide natural wonder supports a dazzling array of wildlife, including nearly 500 bird species and north of 130,000 elephants, the largest population of any country in Africa. Cheetahs number among a host of predators–including leopards, lions, and wild dogs–in the Okavango Delta. Setting off at the crack of dawn, you might spy a pride of thirsty lions slinking through the speargrass that edges the delta's legion waterways for a drink, before retiring to a shady spot to snooze until nightfall. Other predators in bountiful supply include Africa's rare wild dogs, whose tactical pursuit of prey–like red lechwe antelope, which are uniquely adapted to wetland environments, often taking to the water to escape danger with the help of their long, powerful legs and splayed hooves that prevent them from sinking into mud–is a pulse-pounding sight to behold. Night drives provide an exhilarating chance to encounter a whole other host of delta dwellers that thrive in Africa's starry-skied moonlight–like leopards, spotted hyenas, porcupines, and honey badgers, to name a few. A lap pool, spa, and gym are just a few of the exceptional amenities in camp. If you're eager to get some steps in, walking safaris at Atzaró Okavango present a prime opportunity to spotlight the region's extraordinary biodiversity. Traversing the bush on foot along trails forged by elephants and hippos over millennia–single-file and accompanied by an armed guide for safety–offers an invigorating perspective on the myriad complexities of its ecosystems. You'll keep an eye peeled for the 'Little Five' (ant lion, elephant shrew, leopard tortoise, red-billed buffalo weaver, and rhino beetle)–the walking-safari alternative to the traditional 'Big Five' sought-after safari animals (leopard, lion, elephant, rhino, and buffalo)–and learn about some of the delta's more than 1,000 plant species. Walking safaris offer the opportunity to survey the bush from a fresh and fascinating perspective. Towering termite mounds, sculptural and otherworldly, are another mainstay of the landscape best examined up close. Besides enriching the soil and promoting plant growth–thanks to the astonishing industriousness of their residents, a keystone species in the delta–they've played a fascinating (and ongoing) role in creating the more than 150,000 islands that comprise this matchless habitat. Very simply put, trees–often palm, jackalberry, and strangler fig–that colonize the mounds draw water and nutrients to the surface, forming elevated land masses that subsequently develop into the ever-evolving isles on whose very existence the delta depends. Termite mounds–like this one showcased in camp–have played a pivotal role in the Okavango Delta's formation. A sojourn to Botswana's inland Xanadu would be incomplete without a ride in a mokoro, the shallow-water canoe–traditionally dug out from a tree trunk, and nowadays crafted of (more sustainable) fiberglass–that's long been a key mode of transport here. Floating along these storied waterways, a friendly local steering in the stern with a ngashi (wooden pole) as the breeze rustles the surrounding papyrus and pampas grass, conjures a gentle reverie. They're also an avian paradise; the dazzling array of feathered friends on display, which your poler will happily identify, astounds. Perhaps swallow-tail bee-eaters, Africa openbill storks, and Burchell's starlings, their stunning plumage flashing blue-green in the pink-gold gloaming: such sightings lend instant credence to the adage that Africa will make a birder out of anyone. A mokoro ride along the delta's storied channels is a must-do during a stay at Atzaró Okavango. Back at camp, there's plenty of gourmet fare to satiate the appetite you'll work up exploring the bush. The Atzaró Group's well-earned reputation for world-class cuisine (the group also operates several celebrated restaurants in Ibiza) extends to the delta, where organic, locally sourced ingredients, paired with zesty African flavors in an ever-changing seasonal menu, take center stage. There's also a beautifully decorated boma (Swahili for 'enclosure') for festive group dinners by candlelight and cultural gatherings; an elevated observation deck and tea room for scrumptious snacks before afternoon drives (think homemade empanadas, mini quiches, cakes, and macarons); and an elegant wine cellar, outfitted with chandeliers and velvet-swathed settees, where you can sample vintages from renowned African and international vineyards while gazing out over the lagoon and the Santandibe River beyond. The camp's gourmet cuisine highlights locally-sourced organic ingredients and African flavors in inspired seasonal menus. Like most standout safari operators, Atzaró Okavango supports local sustainability and conservation projects with the help of the African Bush Camps Foundation (ABCF), including a community partnership with the nearby Ditsiping Village. ABCF provides after-school tutoring and exam preparation for learners aged 12–18 from Ditsiping, along with a dedicated learning center and full-time tutor to help students reach their academic goals. Bae Siethuka, the African Bush Camp Foundation's first female trainee guide, joined the Atzaró Okavango team this year. Besides its first birthday this month, the camp marked another notable milestone in 2025. ABCF launched its pioneering Female Guides Program in 2021–a two-year course of study that combines classroom, practical, and on-the-job experience, as well as skills training, mentorship, and rotations at ABC camps and lodges. Graduates emerge as highly competent guides, skilled in wildlife, conservation, safety, photography, and tracking. This year, ABCF's first female trainee guide, Baemule 'Bae' Siethuka, joined the Atzaró Okavango team–an exceptional achievement in an industry that remains decidedly male-dominated. Rates at Atzaró Okavango range from $690 per person, per night in low season to $1490 per person, per night during peak season. Private villa rates (four-person capacity) range from $3,450-$7450 per night between low and peak season. Contact the camp with questions or to book. A stay at Atzaró Cape Town, the group's new luxury boutique hotel, offers a terrific way to kick off a world-class safari holiday. Rates at Atzaró Cape Town, located at the foot of Table Mountain, range from 7650-12,650 ZAR ($430-$710) between low and high season. Contact the hotel with questions or to book. Atzaró can easily design an African odyssey with stays at both properties–contact either for details.
