Daunara Safari Camp – redefining luxury

The brief for Daunara Safari Camp was to create an exclusive-use luxury villa that blends with its natural surroundings while offering a world class safari experience. In response, Fox Browne Creative and Jack Alexander Studio crafted a lodge that embodies elegance and sustainability, on the edge of Botswana’s Okavango Delta. Fox Browne creative was also responsible for the overall creative direction and strategy, the hospitality concept and all operational elements.

Image credit: Fox Browne Creative

The camp comprises five spacious tented suites, each offering panoramic views of the Delta. The layout, dictated by the positioning of five prominent trees, allows for both privacy and shared communal experiences, with three standalone suites and two interconnected family suites.

A raised wooden walkway, mirroring the winding Delta waterways, connects the tents, ensuring guests remain immersed in the natural environment as they move about the camp. The central camp area includes a family-friendly house kitchen, an intimate sitting room, a fully stocked bar, and a stand-alone wine cellar, alongside outdoor spaces like shaded verandas, a sunken firepit, and a salt-chlorinated lap pool.

Image credit: Fox Browne Creative

Other noteworthy features include a state-of-the-art gym and a massage tent overlooking a second waterbody. The boma, a modern reinterpretation of a traditional African outdoor gathering space, is a standout feature consisting of three interconnected separate circular forms for dining, lounging, and outdoor cooking, all centered around an enormous fire bowl. This playful yet functional design offers a unique guest experience.

One significant challenge was the sensitive Delta environment, so the overall design had to emphasizes sustainability. To address this the entire lodge is elevated on a steel and timber frame to minimize environmental impact and avoid the use of any concrete. The placement of tents was dictated by the location of five prominent trees, providing natural shade for cooling and integrating the camp seamlessly into the landscape.

This approach not only preserved the environment but also enhanced the aesthetic appeal, framing the tent canopies against the tree line. In addition to this, the operation is fully powered by a solar farm and passive design elements like insulated floors and walls, triple-skin PVC canvas roofs, and natural ventilation ensure sustainable operations.

Image credit: Fox Browne Creative

Thoughtful interior details blend rustic safari charm with luxurious layered touches, from brass studded timber panels framing quilted-canvas walls, to intricate tent hardware, Hand embroidered mosquito nets echo the delta botanicals and bespoke carpets, inspired by the underside of the water lily, create a sanctuary for guests that offers a deeply authentic, yet luxurious and elegant safari experience.

Daunara delivers a luxury tented camp experience, where meticulous design and sustainability converge to offer a transformative safari. The lodge redefines exclusive-use luxury in the heart of one of Africa’s most renowned landscapes, setting a new standard for tented camps and lodges worldwide.

Main image credit: Fox Browne Creative