Extraordinary Africa>Botswana>Okavango Delta and Moremi>Sable Alley
Sable Alley is just one of four camps on the excellent 200,000 hectare Khwai Private Reserve. It’s chic and comfortable, and has the huge bonus of being in a private concession bordering the fantastic public wildlife areas of Moremi and Chobe.
What’s Sable Alley really like?
The camp is really beautifully designed, set at the edge of the riverine forest looking out onto a lagoon full of spluttering hippos and passing animals in need of a drink. Sable Alley’s main area is a thatched, open-sided building looking out over the water and grasses. Inside the roofs are high to let the breeze flow through and there’s very natural décor with wood, rattan and gentle muted colours. Decking is laid out with plenty of seating to make the most of the view, and there’s a firepit for evening chats around the bush TV. There’s also a small, but perfectly formed pool, which is one of the things that makes this a great choice for families with older kids- and an absolute blessing in the searing heat of October and November.
Set on the edge of the forest and the floodplain are nine lovely “standard” tents, a family tent and a honeymoon tent. They’re raised up on stilts so they sit strong when the floodwaters flow in. There’s a small deck and sitting area at the front, a bedroom, and behind a bathroom with flushing loo and both indoor and outdoor showers. If you haven’t tried the latter before, please do, it’s magical – even when it’s a really chilly July day. The family tent has two rooms that connect together via an enclosed walkway, and the honeymoon tent is set quite far away from the main area for maximum privacy and has a lovely outdoor bath. In all, while we’d say this probably isn’t absolutely the fanciest camp in Botswana, it’s certainly very comfortable and is an absolute delight for
guests who stay here.
What can I do at Sable Alley?
Game drives typically take place on the Khwai Private Reserve. As you’re away from the public areas of Moremi, your game viewing feels private and exclusive, and you’re free from the restrictions of the public park so can do night drives and go off road for special sightings. There is a certain amount of mopane here (thick bush with leaves that flutter like butterflies) which means that game viewing is at its absolute strongest towards the end of the dry season. What we especially love at Sable Alley is the huge range of activities you can do here. It’s possible to try a gentle walking safari along the river, fishing (excluding the breeding season of January and February), and both boat and wonderfully peaceful mokoro trips. Part of the magic and mystery of the Okavango Delta is the unpredictability of the water levels, so the most reliable time to do these is June-September, barring all but the very driest of years. For an extra cost we can arrange a doors off heli flight- it’s not that cheap, and if we’re honest, it’s probably not the most environmentally friendly trip we offer either, even if you’re just replacing a light aircraft transfer, but blimey, it’s fun.
Giving back at Sable Alley:
Just by staying here guests are doing their part for conservation, this area was once used for hunting safaris and now protects the wildlife through the proceeds of photo tourism. Modern conservation is inseparable from the needs of the communities that live alongside the wildlife. Sable Alley support children’s conservation education, nutritious breakfast for preschoolers and salaries for their teachers. Should you wish, as an optional extra to your safari activities, we can arrange a visit to the village, which is next to Khwai Private Reserve, so you can see the work going on. They provide equipment and build roads for the antipoaching rangers and help the community harvest grass in ways that’s both easier for local people and better for the wildlife. They also help vaccinate local dogs, protecting them and the threatened wild dogs within the wilderness area.
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