Pachyderm Paradise

Camp Kuzuma is in the middle of an elephant thoroughfare, so expect plenty of close (trunk) calls

- Dorria Watt

Camp Kuzuma is a privately-owned luxury bush camp set in the Kazuma Forest Reserve, one of the busiest of elephant corridors, which joins the Chobe National Park and the Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe.

Game viewing begins immediately en route from Kasane International Airport in Botswana, with ‘Wild animals crossing’ signs prominently displayed along the highway and our driver frequently coming to a halt to allow just that! It’s a stark contrast to the hundreds of trucks snaking for kilometres, as drivers queue patiently to ferry their loads across the Chobe River.

Tourism ranks second on Botswana’s GDP, after diamonds. The unspoilt beauty, zero tolerance to hunting and poaching and the implementation of advanced tourism policies to ensure the country remains one of the most spectacular wildlife havens, have turned the country’s economy around.

The hub of Camp Kuzuma is a thatched lounge, dining room and cigar bar linked to the five private suites via an elevated wooden walkway, constructed to preserve the natural plant life and high enough for animals to pass beneath – except for elephants and giraffe.

A wooden deck extends into the land, with a rim flow pool and a sunken fire pit, which all overlook a waterhole just metres away. It is so near you rarely need to leave the comfort of this central area to watch the elephants, who are frequent visitors throughout the day, and other game up close. During the height of the dry season, 140 elephants have been counted drinking their 180l per day. Ou Baas, the local elephant bull, is also known to visit regularly, although he prefers to sip water from the overflow of the pool.