Wilderness Safaris, a beloved Vumbura Plains Camp located in the Okavango Delta World Heritage Site in Botswana, recently underwent extensive refurbishment to both the exterior and interior. The refreshed look and feel will celebrate its sense of place and culture, bringing bespoke design elements to the camp’s core purpose.

© Dana Allen

The 60,000-hectare Vumbura Protected Wildlife Area is leased from five villages in a partnership that ensures the benefits of conservation tourism. Vumbura is home to a wide variety of wildlife and mix of habitats including mopane, acacia, woodland, floodplains and swamps. This year-round water- and land-based adventure is perfect for travelers looking for unique wildlife encounters.

“It is this core purpose, combined with Vumbura’s beautiful Delta setting that has inspired the design, décor and furnishings for the refurbishment; not only rejuvenating the camp, but weaving these extraordinary conservation and cultural stories into bespoke design pieces that bring the local culture alive for our guests in a tangible way,” noted Cate Simpson, lead interior designer and owner, Reflecting Africa.

The Okavango Delta and the life it supports will be brought to life through a wall installation in the lounge area. Additional artwork of screens and maps will also adorn walls around the camp. The Wilderness design team and Cate collaborated with Gina Waldmann to create installations in main areas of the camp, paying tribute to the OCT community. These pieces showcase individual stories of their heritage, basket weaving and local fishing culture.

© Dana Allen

In basket weaving, patterns tell a story or convey a particular animal patterning, and this will be honored through a basket installation on one wall of the lounge. Almost 30 baskets woven by the Vumbura ladies will also be installed by the bar.

Inspiration for the rooms is drawn from the environment while paying homage to the Okavango Delta. The rooms will feature enlarged underwater photographs by Andrea Crawford on the wardrobe doors and shower screens. The tiles and carpets include a blue and green color palette to bring the water of the Delta inside. The redesign of the doors and windows will maximize the stunning views of the Delta.