HYENA PAN

Moremi & Khwai

A solid place to stay to get a fill of elephants and big cats while staying in comfort

From its lofty position amongst a grove of cathedral mopane trees, the eight tents at Hyena Pan look over a watery lagoon of the same name. In the morning, you’ll open your tent flaps straight on to the trumpeting elephant in the lily-filled waters below, spend your siesta watching herds splash and snort, and fall asleep to antelope grazing just outside your canvas walls. This isn’t a place for those looking for opulence and extravagance; it’s a private piece of big-game Africa, where the wildlife encounters are authentic, intimate and always wild.

You’ll find everything you need, and nothing you don’t. Each tent has twin beds, which can easily be made into doubles. Mesh nets keep the mozzies out, and there’s an electronic safe to store valuables, along with a luggage rack and wardrobe. Their eco-conscious minds were also at play when they designed Hyena Pan, and each tent is solar powered, with international plug points. A gas geyser pumps constant hot water to the ensuite bathroom and shower.

At the heart of the camp you’ll find the dining deck and lounge areas. Keep an eye on the comings and goings at the waterhole from a slouchy sofa, or float in the mini-splash pool and watch the wildlife doing the same below. Meals are wholesome and tasty, and after you’ve finished munching, the night is best spent in the open-air boma with a nightcap (or two or three). When darkness falls, they illuminate the waterhole to see all who come and go.