Tag: Botswana

World’s 10 most extraordinary places to stay

Ever wanted to spend the night in a lighthouse in New York state? A treehouse in Laos? Or a cave hotel in Turkey? These are just three of the 10 most extraordinary places to stay in the world – according to travel experts Lonely Planet.

To accompany the launch of their first ever collection of world’s best hotels, Lonely Planet has revealed its top 10 list of unusual accommodation choices. We reported the Lonely Planet ‘eco accommodation’ list last week and now pick out some of the Goodtrippers-friendly options on the ‘extraordinary’ list: here are our picks…

Planet Baobab, Gweta, BotswanaPlanet Baobab, Gweta, Botswana

Second in Lonely Planet’s list, this funky lodge is a must if you’re visiting Botswana’s Makgadikgadi Salt Pans. You can choose to stay in a traditional mud hut (en-suite and adorned with art made with the natural pigments found in the many termite mounds in the area), or a traditional grass hut (en-suite and constructed using the same methods as the original bushmen of Botswana). If you fancy it, camping facilities are also on offer. Walkways wind through the baobabs (which are lit up at night) to a pool and bar-restaurant. Spot meerkats and elephants while you sip your sundowner…

 

Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge, AustraliaPeppers Cradle Mountain Lodge, Tasmania, Australia

No. 5 in the Lonely Planet list, this eco-friendly lodge is located on the edge of the spectacular World Heritage site Cradle Mountain-Lake St Clair National Park. Cabins are nestled privately in the bushland, with wallabies bounding past the windows and wombats shuffling amid the trees. Locally sourced game, wine, cheeses and honey permeate the restaurant’s menu, one of Tasmania’s best. The view from the spa is a dense thicket of King Billy pine trees. Guests can choose from couples’ or family cabins, right up to suites with private outdoor tubs and fuel-efficient fireplaces.

 

Free Spirit Spheres, British Columbia, CanadaFree Spirit Spheres, British Columbia, Canada

Treehouses for grown-ups! These fantastic handmade orbs, suspended among the tall trees of west coast rainforest, are kitted out like cosy boat cabins inside (mod cons including iPod docks all present and correct) and are accessed by rope walkways and spiral ladders. You’re encouraged spend time in your swaying sphere to immerse yourself in the local wildlife – the chattering birds and squirrels, now on your eye-level. The site also has showers, a sauna, kitchen and barbecue.

 

Thonga Beach Lodge, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South AfricaThonga Beach Lodge, South Africa

This luxury resort by the beach is environmentally-friendly and remote – it’s one of few such lodges within the 328,000 hectare iSimangaliso Wetland Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Its spacious huts are scattered through dune forest, some with spectacular views of the Indian Ocean. Whales frequently pass by, and Loggerhead and Leatherback turtles nest on the nearby beaches. Take a nature trek with a local expert, a deep sea dive, or simply relax in the spa or indulge in the lodge’s fresh seafood and salads.

 

The Gibbon Experience Treehouse, Bokeo Reserve, LaosThe Gibbon Experience Treehouse, Bokeo Reserve, Laos

Completing the Lonely Planet top 10 is this outstanding experience in Laos. Imagine waking to the sonorous call of the endangered black-crested gibbon, stretching in your bed a hundred feet up in the triple canopy, and nursing a coffee on your balcony as you watch the dawn mist crowd in over the jungle valley below. The tree houses, erected by conservation group Animo, are a thing of wonder straddling the giant trunks of strangler fig trees. You have to take a zip wire to ‘fly’ into your night’s accommodation! Dinner is delivered fresh from the nearby campfire, and music is the ambient sound of cicadas as fireflies dance in the night air.

 

The full Lonely Planet Top 10 Extraordinary Places to Stay

  1. Mihir Gahr, Rajasthan, India
  2. Planet Baobab, Gweta, Botswana
  3. Prendiparte B&B, Bologna, Italy
  4. Qasr Al Sarab, UAE
  5. Peppers Cradle Mountain Lodge, Tasmania, Australia
  6. Free Spirit Spheres, British Columbia, Canada
  7. Taskonak Hotel, Goreme, Cappadocia, Turkey
  8. Thonga Beach Lodge, iSimangaliso Wetland Park, South Africa
  9. Saugerties Lighthouse, New York state, USA
  10. The Gibbon Experience Treehouse, Bokeo Reserve, Laos

 

You may also be interested in the Lonely Planet’s top 10 eco stays

 

A kayaking adventure across the Okavango Delta

Looking for an African safari experience with a difference? Ecotourism experts Natural Habitat Adventures are launching a new tour that seeks to transport travellers back to the era of the early African explorers.

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Botswana: Kayaking the Okavango is a rare chance to paddle your way across 120 miles of the country’s Okavango Delta. Leaving the four wheel drive behind, travellers can expect to get up close with a range of wildlife, as well as explore this great African wilderness via the low carbon, and peaceful, means of kayak. Hear the rustle of wildlife in the reeds and the call of native birds, only to be broken by the sound of water dripping from your paddle.

The point-to-point trip, which Natural Habitat claims is the first of its kind, will explore the varied habitats of the delta from flooded marshes and dry islands, to seasoned floodplains which are home to many big game and predators. From your kayak you’ll enjoy an eye-level view of the plethora of birdlife living among the channels and lagoons.

The expedition will be led by Natural Habitat Expeditions CEO Olaf Malver who has designed this unique trip in conjunction with local partners in Botswana. From offering sea kayaking trips for the past two decades, he knows that travellers are likely to see a wealth of wildlife including hippo, crocodile, elephant, giraffe, buffalo, zebra, warthog, kudu, impala, lion and leopard. Fortunate guests may also spy the less frequently seen cheetah, sable and wild dog.

Itinerary

The 7-night/8-day trip takes place twice in 2014: 29 July – 5 August; and 12 – 19 August. The trip begins with a short chartered flight from Maun to Nguma Island in the permanently flooded northwestern Okavango Delta. It finishes at Moremi Crossing, followed by a return flight to Maun. The adventure accommodates 10 travellers with 5 nights of wild bush camping as you traverse the delta daily. Guests stay at a deluxe safari camp on the first night and final night of the trip. Paddlers should expect to kayak for around 6-7 hours a day over 6 days in the delta (with one layover day in the middle). If you wish, a 4-day/3-night luxury safari camp extension can be booked if you want to stay a little longer.

Recommended for… Those who love a challenging, sporty adventure in a wilderness environment.

Be aware that… A reasonable level of fitness is required as you will be kayaking for several hours a day almost daily.

‘Good’ credentials:

  • A low carbon, low impact opportunity to experience African wildlife
  • Natural Habitat Adventurers (NHA) are the world’s first 100% carbon-neutral travel company offering responsible travel and eco-conscious expeditions across the world since 1985
  • NHA is a travel partner of WWF

 

For more information, including prices and booking, visit www.nathab.com/expeditions

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