Zarafa Camp
botswana, botswana · ★★★★★
The Verdict
Worth it for your honeymoon?
Zarafa has the highest luxury-to-guest ratio of any safari camp in Africa. Great Plains Conservation's flagship on the 320,000-acre Selinda Reserve has just four tented suites, which means dinner is often four couples around a single table and the whole place effectively becomes your private estate. Each suite is an enormous canvas-and-timber pavilion with an indoor fireplace, a copper slipper bath in the outdoor shower, a private plunge pool, a Canon photographic kit ready to borrow, and a view over the Zibadianja Lagoon that swings between elephant-heavy water in the dry season and a river of zebra in the wet. The Jouberts are behind the concept, which means old-world campaign aesthetics, serious conservation storytelling, and some of the most attentive guiding in Botswana. It is a spectacular honeymoon camp.
- ✓Trust couples-verified reviews
- ✓Are willing to invest in once-in-a-lifetime
- →Need a strictly adults-only resort
- →Have a budget under $1,000/night
- →Want a direct beachfront
- →Prefer boutique & intimate properties
Score Breakdown
96/100
At a Glance
Room Recommendation
Which room to book
All four standard Zarafa Suites are equivalent in luxury and size, so focus on position — request one of the two central suites for the shortest walk to the main area and the best lagoon sightlines, or the northernmost suite for maximum privacy. The adjacent Dhow Suites (booked separately as a two-bedroom villa) can be added for exclusive-use bookings with a group, but for two honeymooners a standard suite is already palatial.
No Surprises
True cost breakdown — 7 nights for two
Based on mid-range rooms, premium-economy flights from Europe, full dining and signature experiences. Adjust for your actual travel profile.
| Item | Estimated Cost |
|---|---|
| Room (7 nights avg $3,750/nt) | $26,250 |
| Flights (2 pax, economy/premium) | $1,800 |
| Airport transfers / seaplane | $200 |
| Dining & drinks (beyond room) | $39,375 |
| Excursions & experiences | $700 |
| Spa / signature treatments | $300 |
| Tips & service (8%) | $5,250 |
| Total estimated | $73,875 |
Book Your Stay
Check availability
We compare Zarafa Camp across partners and redirect to the cheapest option.
Day by Day
Your 7-night honeymoon itinerary
Arrival and lagoon evening
Light-aircraft flight from Maun onto the Selinda airstrip, a vintage Land Rover game-drive transfer, champagne in your suite and a sundowner evening drive along the Zibadianja.
Elephant morning
Pre-dawn coffee, a long morning drive along the Selinda Spillway watching elephant herds move between water and mopane, brunch at camp and an afternoon boat cruise on the lagoon.
Predator focus
A targeted morning drive looking for the resident lion and wild dog pack, a slow brunch in the main area, an afternoon photographic session using the in-suite Canon kit and a boma dinner under the stars.
Full-day bush expedition
Packed picnic, a full-day exploration of the Selinda Reserve with your guide, lunch under a shady tree and a late return to a couples spa treatment before dinner.
Mokoro and floodplain
A dawn mokoro glide (seasonal) or boat cruise on the lagoon, breakfast on a remote island, an afternoon drive focused on leopard and a private candlelit dinner on your own deck.
Conservation morning
A private session with the camp's conservation team learning about Great Plains' rhino translocation and anti-poaching work, a late brunch, an afternoon sundowner drive and a final boma evening.
Farewell and transfer
A final dawn drive with coffee and rusks, a long farewell brunch and a light-aircraft transfer to your onward camp or back to Maun.
Honest Assessment
What to know before you book
Zarafa is reached exclusively by light aircraft from Maun or Kasane, with the standard 20 kg soft-sided duffel limit per guest and no hard cases permitted.
The Selinda Reserve is a seasonal system — the Selinda Spillway and Zibadianja Lagoon ebb and flow with rainfall, so May to September brings high water and dramatic boating, while October to April is drier and often best for big predators.
This is a malaria region — prophylaxis is recommended, and the camp supplies DEET and mosquito nets. Expect normal bush-camp insect life including tsetse in some areas of the reserve.
Pre-Arrival
Email to send the hotel
Subject: Honeymoon booking enquiry — Zarafa Camp, 7 nights Hello Great Plains Conservation Reservations team, We are planning our honeymoon and would love to spend seven nights at Zarafa Camp on the Selinda Reserve. Our tentative dates are [DATES], travelling as two adults. Please confirm availability for a Zarafa Suite, current fully inclusive per-night rates, and the typical Maun or Kasane light-aircraft schedule. We would also like your recommendations for combining Zarafa with Duba Plains Camp for a 10-14 night Great Plains honeymoon itinerary, plus any honeymoon additions (private dinners, photographic guiding, couples spa in-suite). Please also send your current deposit and cancellation policy. Thank you — we look forward to hearing from you. Kind regards, [Your names] [Phone] | [Email]
Send 2 weeks before arrival. Fill in names, dates, and preferences. Hotels respond to personalised requests.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Why is Zarafa so much more expensive than some other camps?
With only four suites on a 320,000-acre private reserve and an exceptional staff-to-guest ratio, Zarafa's economics depend on very few, very high-end bookings. You are paying for exclusivity, the in-suite photographic kit and Great Plains' conservation model that feeds back into land protection.
How does Zarafa pair with Duba Plains?
Beautifully — Duba is water-forward Delta with famous lion action, while Zarafa is a more dry-country Selinda experience with elephants, wild dogs and boating. Three nights at each is the classic Great Plains Botswana honeymoon loop.
Are children allowed?
Children aged eight and above are welcome, but Zarafa's four-suite scale means the vibe is almost always adult and couples-dominated. Most nights at the dinner table are entirely grown-up.
What's in the photographic kit?
Each suite comes with a Canon DSLR or mirrorless body and a high-end zoom lens (typical kit: 100-400mm) ready to borrow, along with tutorials from the guiding team. It's one of Great Plains' signature features.
What's included?
All meals, all drinks including premium wines and spirits, all scheduled activities (game drives, boat, mokoro where seasonal, walks), laundry, park fees, Wi-Fi in the main area and light-aircraft transfers from Maun or Kasane.
Is the wellness offering strong?
Zarafa has a modest in-suite spa service — treatments are set up in your suite on request rather than in a dedicated spa pavilion. For a full wellness focus, Jao or Xigera will outperform; Zarafa's strength is its intimacy and game viewing.
Same Vibe, Different Destination
