Reviews of Savute Under Canvas
Wildlife sightings and reviews
25 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Savute Under Canvas and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa

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"Savute Under Canvas review"
Tents were probably a bit below expectations just a bit tired . Looking at other mobile options it lacked an area in the camp and the tent to relax during the gap from returning from the morning drive and the start of the 1630 evening drive .
Also , and this is my fault , for some reason . I thought it moved during the stay but the camp is fixed during the stay and thus I can't see the advantage of staying in a fixed base camp .
Perhaps it is cheaper but Sue happy with the option but I'd have stayed at a fixed camp !" See all these reviews: 7n in Botswana; 2n in South Africa; 2n in Zimbabwe

Elephant
4 sightings

Giraffe
2 sightings

Lion
10 sightings
"Savute Under Canvas review"
Tony, our guide was very knowledgeable did an excellent job! We had him to ourselves for the first 2 days and he did everything he could to accommodate our requests. We saw almost every animal except the rhinos which are endangered due to poaching and have been relocated for safety reasons.
I would highly recommend Savute Under Canvas for a more primitive but very comfortable camping experience." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana

Aardvark
1 sighting

Buffalo
10 sightings

Eland
7 sightings

Elephant
10 sightings

Giraffe
10 sightings

Hippo
2 sightings

Lion
10 sightings

Pangolin
1 sighting

Roan antelope
10 sightings

Sable antelope
10 sightings

Sitatunga
10 sightings

Spotted Hyena
1 sighting

Wild dog
10 sightings

Wildebeest
10 sightings

Zebra
10 sightings
"Authentic bush experience with a great crew"
Good sightings of Elephant, Giraffe, Kudu, Tsessebe, Warthog as well as glimpses of Scrub Hare, Black Backed Jackal and African Wild Cat. We also had a visit to the Bushmen paintings on a rock face and walked up fairly close to them.
The crew at the camp were very efficient and very friendly, being welcomed back after each game-drive with traditional singing, etc. As usual, the chef produced great food and fresh cake from his simple wood fire." See all these reviews: 12n in Botswana

Elephant
6 sightings

Giraffe
3 sightings

Lion
8 sightings

Wildebeest
2 sightings
"Savute Under Canvas review"
We expected a fairly basic camp since it’s in the national park and has to move every 5 days, but our tent was lovely and comfortable and full of small details that elevated the whole experience. The bed was super comfortable and warm, we had robes and foot soaking tubs waiting for us after morning game drives, we were provided a pair of binoculars and flashlight to use the entire time we were there (which no other camp we went to provided), hot water bottles were placed under our covers while we ate dinner so we came back to a nice warm bed, etc. etc. Simple, but very thoughtfully set up.
Chef Simon went above and beyond and everything we ate was truly delicious. I am a vegetarian and he made amazing vegetarian dishes just for me for every meal. In addition to multiple dishes at every meal, he also baked fantastic breads and cakes multiple times a day. We were truly blown away by his food, and left camp very full and satisfied. The bar was also fully stocked and always open, and OP made us some tasty drinks.
We were the only people at camp the two nights we stayed there so we ended up with a private guide—TT— the entire time, and had a fantastic time with him. TT asked us what we were hoping to see and did a great job accommodating our priorities; was very knowledgeable and answered all our questions; communicated well about what he was looking for while tracking and what our plans were for each game drive; and helped us see a ton of amazing animals! He was also fun to hang out with and we just had a great time.
With TT’s help, we were able to see tons of lions (including adorable cubs) from both prides in the area, big herds of elephants, and even a pack of wild dogs with their pups (in addition to plenty of other general game). While we didn’t see as much diversity of game as at the other camps we went to (no cheetahs, leopards, or buffalo), the density of animals and plenty of close encounters left us very satisfied. We were also a little worried about the park being crowded, but we almost never had more than one or two other cars with us at an animal sighting, and didn’t encounter other vehicles on the road all that often. It was obviously more crowded than in a private concession, but not bad at all.
All of the camp staff were fantastic, and because we were the only guests at camp, we got to chat more with the manager, Matthews, and other staff during meals and learned a lot about Botswana and their lives. It was a really nice, personal experience." See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana

Elephant
10 sightings

Giraffe
10 sightings

Lion
6 sightings

Roan antelope
2 sightings

Wild dog
1 sighting

Wildebeest
7 sightings
"Savute Under Canvas review"

Elephant
Multiple sightings

Giraffe
Multiple sightings

Leopard
Multiple sightings

Lion
Multiple sightings

Wildebeest
1 sighting
"A bit disappointing"
We were in a car of 5 of which one couple wanted to see a leopard. And apparently the guide really wanted to please them so he insisted a bit too much on finding that leopard. Which had us driving around and around for practically 2 whole days. Without seeing it." See all these reviews: 20n in Botswana; 1n in South Africa

Elephant
10 sightings

Giraffe
10 sightings

Lion
2 sightings

Zebra
10 sightings
"Savute Under Canvas review"

Cheetah
1 sighting

Giraffe
Multiple sightings

Lion
1 sighting

Wildebeest
1 sighting

Zebra
Multiple sightings
"Savute Under Canvas review"
we were very lucky as we had the jeep to ourselves and I think this makes all the difference as we learned so much from our guide and had a one to one experience ,also we were able to take the time to sit and just watch the animals behaviour which we loved.
couldn't fault the food - amazing!" See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana; 4n in South Africa; 2n in Zambia

Buffalo
1 sighting

Eland
Multiple sightings

Elephant
Multiple sightings

Giraffe
Multiple sightings

Hippo
Multiple sightings

Lion
Multiple sightings

Spotted Hyena
Multiple sightings

Wild dog
Multiple sightings

Wildebeest
Multiple sightings

Zebra
Multiple sightings
"Savute Under Canvas review"

Cheetah
2 sightings

Elephant
10 sightings

Giraffe
10 sightings

Hippo
2 sightings

Leopard
5 sightings

Lion
8 sightings

Spotted Hyena
2 sightings

Wild dog
1 sighting

Wildebeest
10 sightings

Zebra
4 sightings
"Cold nights (end July) but enjoyable safari"
Conditions were comfortable enough but we looked forward to having a proper hot shower in the next camps - since showering was very basic here (but we knew it would be). Food was very good despite the primitive cooking conditions.
We had a cloudless view of the 'Blood' moon during the eclipse.
We had good viewings of Elephants at a waterhole (2 separate family groups), Cheetah, Leopard and Lions (including a mating pair) as well as many groups of Wildebeest, plus Jackal, Tsessebe, Giraffe, Hyena and Dwarf Mongoose." See all these reviews: 11n in Botswana

Buffalo
1 sighting

Cheetah
1 sighting

Elephant
4 sightings

Giraffe
3 sightings

Leopard
1 sighting

Lion
2 sightings

Spotted Hyena
1 sighting

Wildebeest
8 sightings

Zebra
1 sighting
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