Tembo Plains Camp has four suites plus a beautiful 2-bedroomed family Zanji Suite, ideal for two couples, a family or a couple looking for the ultimate private safari. “When I designed Tembo Plains Camp it was with a view to reference the famous Zimbabwe Ruins but not lose sight of our love of canvas and exploring. So, we ended up with a unique combination of canvas and stone walls. The semi-circular walls inside each tent isolate the bath and shower from the bedroom, and indoor lounge areas bringing that architectural reference inside as well. Outside this pack-stone wall design continues along the back of the guest bedroom, and that really gives you a greater sense of privacy, often an issue in tents. Still, I didn’t want a completely ‘built room’, so the front has these uninterrupted views of Zambezi river flowing just meters away from the canvas ‘tented’ suite.” – Dereck Joubert, Great Plains CEO

Painted dogs (wild dogs), lions and leopards are seen around Tembo Plains Camp whilst buffalo, and of course, elephants, are often seen up and down the river, sometimes swimming the river itself.

The Sapi Private Reserve, established by Great Plains as part of our mission to convert vast tracts of Africa into pure conservation land, is now a beautiful private photographic reserve that borders the Mana Pools National Park. It is recognised as one of the finest wildlife destinations in Africa today. This fantastic wildlife sanctuary and the Mana Pools National Park that we can access if we want to, offer a combined range of over 337,000 hectares of prime, protected wilderness for our guests. It is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and a core area of the middle-Zambezi biosphere reserve.

The private Sapi Reserve, a previous hunting area, was established in 2016 by Great Plains Conservation as a beautiful private photographic reserve safe for wildlife. It borders the Mana Pools National Park to the west and forms part of our mission to convert vast tracts of Africa into pure conservation land. It is now recognised as one of the finest wildlife destinations in Africa today. We access this fantastic wildlife sanctuary and the Mana Pools National Park if we want to offer a combined range of over 337,000 hectares of prime, protected wilderness for our guests. It is a part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site and a core area of the middle-Zambezi biosphere reserve.

Enjoy the privacy of a safari, so rare today, in a wildlife-rich sanctuary along the Zambezi River with us. Here you don’t have to worry about anything else except how best to soak up every moment. Your safari with us includes everything, day and night wildlife-viewing drives, boating, canoeing or guided walks and tracking, and drinks. And, of course, our Relais & Châteaux level cuisine and service.

Our Great Plains Foundation is building a brighter future for Africa’s wild places through projects that address conservation across entire landscapes. One example of this landscape-wide approach is the private Sapi Reserve. This critical and fragile landscape came into the Great Plains fold in 2016 as a property hunted since 1957. As with our Selinda Reserve in Botswana, Great Plains Conservation immediately stopped all hunting. The 290,000-acre Sapi Concession in Zimbabwe is a crucial area with the Zambezi River as its northern border and the Mana Pools National Park on its western edge. The Sapi Concession forms the heart of a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Given its potential to play a pivotal role in conserving the broader Zambezi Valley, Great Plains took responsibility for managing this landscape – reclaiming it for conservation. Learn more about the Great Plains Foundation Sapi Restoration Project.