Visit Duba Concession, Botswana

Driving over the rickety wooden bridge, glassy water and crocodiles underneath, you enter the Duba Plains.

Sweeping yellow grasses, interspersed with wild date palms, pink hippo grass and grey termite mounds stretch endlessly to a vast horizon. The air is still and there’s an eerie silence, broken only by the roar of distant lion. Then, in the distance you see clouds of dust rising up from the grasslands. Oxpeckers and egrets flutter in the air. Dark shapes take form, the grass crackles and a thousand-strong herd of buffalo comes into sight. Welcome to the Duba Concession, the land of the buffalo and lion.

Wildlife of the Duba Concession

Duba Plains is home to Botswana’s largest herds of buffalo. Thousands are in residence, while more migrate in during the low water, so they are never far away. It is also home to Africa’s densest lion population, with anything between around three and six prides protecting their territories at any one time: the frequent battles that result make for unforgettable game-viewing. On day and night game drives the opportunity to photograph lion watching, stalking, and sometimes even killing buffalo is ever present. It’s superb for close up photography and a breathtaking wildlife experience.

The Duba Concession is in the far northern reaches of the Okavango Delta. As well as lion and buffalo, there is a variety of plains game and good population of spotted hyena. The concession is owned by the local Okavango communities, from which most of the guides and camp staff are recruited, and staying here you are in the hands of experts.

With just one camp, the concession is as remote as it is wild and however long you stay, it will never be enough.