Great Plains, the tourism conservation organisation founded by National Geographic filmmakers and explorers-in-residence Dereck and Beverly Joubert, is delighted to present its most fabulous family safari offering, the Young Explorers Programme, available across its camps in Botswana, Kenya, and Zimbabwe.
From gliding along the Okavango Delta on a traditional Botswanan mokoro and meeting Maasai warriors in Kenya, to discovering the wonders of Zimbabwe’s Victoria Falls, the explorers of tomorrow will be treated to a family holiday of a lifetime with Great Plains.
“The Young Explorers Programme at Great Plains is very dear to my heart”, said Great Plains CEO and co-founder Dereck Joubert. “We can all remember the liberating freedom, as kids, when we could run about outside all day long, making stuff from sticks, catching tadpoles, and climbing trees. As children, we explore, we discover, we get lost in our adventures, but we always return wiser and more enlightened. Safaris with kids are much the same, and with our Young Explorer programme we hope to ignite what will become a lifelong passion for wildlife, conservation and – above all – adventure!”
The Great Plains adventure for young explorers age six and up begins at check in, where Young Explorers receive an ‘exploring essentials’ kit including a ‘beginner’s guide to the bush’ educational booklet, an explorer’s floppy hat/cap, buff, stickers, quizzes, certificate, and a journal in which to capture memories of a lifetime.
“We aim to develop new naturalists, to encourage those that have already started on this journey and to provide a safe place for that outdoor experience that is unavailable to so many today. At the same time, for every family we host, we set aside some money to host local children in our Conservation Camps, so this naturalist journey is shared locally. The bonds that are re-established on safari, in nature, go far beyond those we have at home. These regenerative moments make a lifetime of new family memories together, and Great Plains would like to facilitate these memories for you,” said Dereck Joubert.
Great Plains’ seven Botswanan camps offer an unparalleled opportunity for the whole family to soak up the sights of the bush in true explorer style, spotting incredible wildlife and experiencing the country’s distinctive landscape. Home to the world’s only inland delta, the Okavango Delta and the Selinda Spillway, an array of unique water-based experiences abound.
Aquatic adventures at Great Plains’ water-based camps, Duba Explorers Camp, Duba Plains Camp and Sitatunga Private Island, include authentic mokoro boat rides, based on seasonal water levels. Children ages 6 and up and teenagers will pick up a paddle and glide along the serene waters in a traditional Botswanan canoe, while their expert safari guide teaches them all about the various species they spot along the way. From the mokoro, little ones will delight in pointing out the occasional hippo or crocodile swimming in the distance and identifying the amazing Botswana birdlife, such as the carmine bee-eater. Families can also participate in a fishing adventure, learning this ancient skill surrounded by stunning scenery.
Aspiring chefs will adore the chance to join the kitchen brigade with several cooking experiences, ranging from cookie baking to pasta and pizza making, while the starry-eyed can embark on a star-gazing experience, learning about the various constellations as they stare up into the clearest of night skies.
Back at camp, families can enjoy a range of tech-free games and activities including basket weaving, football and rounds of the traditional Morabaraba board game, cards and Monopoly. Guides are on hand to teach essential tracking skills, which can be put into practice on a series of game drives and bird-watching excursions, a teen favourite.
Young guests at the Réserve-level camps – Selinda Camp, Zarafa Camp, Duba Plains Camp and Sitatunga Private Island – can enjoy an additional range of activities and excursions. These include photography lessons with a private guide and a very special interactive cooking experience, which sees the youngest in the brood don aprons and cook up a feast for their parents with the expert guidance of the camps’ Relais & Châteaux-trained chefs.
The Great Plains’ Botswana portfolio also includes Okavango Explorers Camp and Selinda Explorers Camp, which along with Duba Explorers Camp offers the quintessential tented safari experience – where families can sleep under canvas as they listen to the sounds of the bush all around, just like the explorers of yesteryear.
