A visit to Elephant Havens, a nonprofit elephant rescue centre near Botswana’s Okavango Delta, has been added by Atzaró Collection to its nine-day African Ultimate Experience.
The excursion takes guests by helicopter from Atzaró Okavango Camp to the orphanage, where they can choose a one-hour, three-hour or private visit. Every booking includes entry and a donation towards the care and rehabilitation of orphaned elephants.
Elephant Havens is described by Atzaró as Botswana’s first and only elephant orphanage. The organisation, located beside the Gomoti River on the Delta’s outskirts, rescues and hand-rears orphaned or abandoned young elephants, with the aim of eventually returning them to protected wilderness.
A helicopter flight across the Okavango Delta
Atzaró Okavango Camp is a luxury safari camp within a private concession bordering Botswana’s Moremi Game Reserve, where lagoon-facing suites place guests close to the Delta’s waterways and wildlife.
The new excursion begins with a ten-minute helicopter flight from the camp. The route passes above floodplains, winding channels and palm-dotted islands before reaching Elephant Havens, around 45 kilometres northeast of Maun.
Guests can also request a champagne stop during the flight for an additional cost, which has yet to be confirmed. The helicopter lands on a deserted palm island, allowing time for drinks and uninterrupted views across the Delta.
The standard Elephant Havens visit lasts one hour and includes an introduction to the organisation, an educational talk with handlers and time observing the young elephants. Visitors may offer approved treats and take photographs under the guidance of the care team.
A longer experience runs from 9am until noon. During the three-hour session, guests spend more time with the elephants and walk beside them as they forage. Depending on their routine that day, visitors may also see the babies swimming or cooling themselves in a mud wallow. A private three-hour version can also be arranged.
Passengers are advised by the helicopter operator to have a passport with them and to be ready 30 minutes before departure. The experience requires a minimum booking of two people, while prices for solo travellers are available on request.
How Elephant Havens cares for rescued elephants
Elephant Havens has operated in Botswana since 2018 and describes its purpose as protecting and preserving the country’s African elephants. Its work begins with rescuing vulnerable calves that have been orphaned or abandoned.
Caring for a baby elephant requires constant attention. The organisation says some calves need specially prepared lactose-free formula every three hours, alongside continuous companionship from their handlers. As the elephants grow, the team gradually reduces their dependence on people and prepares them to live within wild herds.
According to a report by Drift Travel Magazine, 12 elephants cared for by the organisation were reintroduced to a protected wilderness area in 2024. Its other work includes habitat protection, conservation education, local employment and efforts to reduce conflict between communities and wild elephants.
Its orphanage now covers 140 acres, having expanded from an original 45-acre site. The grounds contain individual elephant enclosures known as bomas, a veterinary office and laboratory, a freshwater well, a milk-preparation kitchen and visitor facilities. The buildings are powered by solar energy.
Every Atzaró excursion includes a donation of $100 per couple to support the organisation’s conservation and rehabilitation work.
“Our guests kept telling us the same thing after their stay in the Delta: they wanted to give something back,” Vicente Guasch, Chief Global Officer of Atzaró Collection, said in the announcement. “Elephant Havens does remarkable work rescuing and rehabilitating orphaned elephants, and we wanted our guests to see that work first-hand, not just hear about it. It felt like the right addition to this itinerary, and a natural extension of how we already think about conservation across Atzaró Okavango.”
Cape Town and the Okavango in nine days
The Atzaró African Ultimate Experience combines a boutique city stay in South Africa with four nights in Botswana’s Okavango Delta.
The first part of the journey is a three-night stay at Atzaró Cape Town, a six-suite design hotel at the foot of Table Mountain. During the Cape Town section, guests take a full-day Peninsula tour along Chapman’s Peak Drive, including time at Cape Point Nature Reserve and the penguin colony at Boulders Beach.
The itinerary next sends guests to Atzaró Okavango Camp for a four-night stay. Alongside the new Elephant Havens visit, the programme offers expert-led game drives, guided walks, mokoro canoe trips and birdwatching, with activities varying according to water levels and seasonal conditions.
The camp has eight suites and two private villas, providing 12 separate sleeping suites in total. Each faces the lagoon and includes a private plunge pool, an elevated terrace with a star bed and an outdoor bath. Parquet floors, French mid-century furniture, antiques and African textiles give the interiors a polished residential feel.
During high season, guests may see elephants, hippos, lions, leopards and African wild dogs. The camp’s facilities include a spa and sommelier-led wine cellar, as well as an outdoor pool, yoga shala and open-air gym.
The property operates on solar power and treats its water through reverse osmosis. Its partnership with the African Bush Camps Foundation covers conservation and community projects, including employment initiatives in communities around the Delta.
After Botswana, the itinerary returns to Atzaró Cape Town for a final night. Prices including the Elephant Havens visit range from $11,965 to $24,960 per couple sharing a double room, depending on the season. Bookings and further details are available through Atzaró Okavango at info@atzaro-okavango.com.
