A new luxury lodge is opening in Zimbabwe: Tembo Plains Camp, which is part of the Great Plains Conservation is. The exclusive five-star accommodation, member of Relais & Châteaux, is located in the private 118,000 hectare Sapi Reserve, whose northern boundary runs for more than 40 km along the Zambezi River. The famous Mana Pools Reserve, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, forms the western boundary of the Sapi Reserve.

The opening will take place on August 1, 2021.

A personal exclusive safari with luxury accommodation

With four spacious guest tents, an exquisite two bedroom family unit and a private guide tent, Tembo Plains Camp is ideal for couples, families, multi-generational travellers and those seeking an exclusive personal safari experience. The beautiful accommodation for families, with interiors designed by Beverly Joubert, co-founder of Great Plains, consists of two tents with a shared living and dining area and pool. It accommodates up to four adults or two adults and two children ages six and up. Each guest tent features an indoor lounge and outdoor dining area, a private plunge pool and exercise bikes, and an expansive bathroom with tub, showers, and double sinks. Guests have access to professional Canon cameras and Leica binoculars throughout their stay to capture the many special holiday moments.

"When we designed Tembo Plains Camp, we wanted to reference the famous ruins of the former city of Great Zimbabwe, but not lose sight of our love for canvas and exploring the surrounding area," commented Dereck Joubert, CEO of Great Plains. "This resulted in a unique combination of canvas walls and stone walls. The semi-circular stone walls in each tent separate the bathroom and shower from the bedroom and lounge areas, bringing this architectural reference to the interior design. Outside, this stone wall design continues to the back of the guest room, and this gives guests a greater sense of privacy, which is often an issue with tents. But because we didn't want to have a completely 'enclosed' space, the tent-style fronts offer an unrestricted view of the Zambezi River, which flows just a few metres in front of the linen tent side of the guest units," Dereck Joubert continues.

A tribute to the elephants

"Tembo", by the way, means "elephant" and is a tribute to the animals that are often seen in the Tembo Plains Camp area - along with wild dogs, buffalo, lions and leopards. The Sapi Private Reserve is now considered one of the best wildlife destinations in Africa. (Amateur) ornithologists will love Tembo Plains as prime birding country, ideal for photographers and nature lovers. Tembo Plains Camp's main activities include day and twilight game drives, walking safaris, canoeing and boating on the Zambezi River.

Rates: Bed and board with all inclusive services in the guest tent costs from $1,160 per person per night and from $3,248 in the new Tembo Plains family unit per night.

Tembo Plains Camp
Tel: +27 (0)87 354 6591
info@greatplainsconservation.com
greatplainsconservation.com