Enquire
Menu

Camps and Lodges

Skybeds

Sleep high above the ground underneath a blanket of a billion stars.
Location
Khwai Private Reserve
No. of rooms
3 Rooms
Price Range
US$ 745 — US$ 995 per night
Dates Open
April – October
Enquire Now
Skybeds

A million star review

Looking for a truly unique way to spend time in the bush? Then look no further than our fabulous Skybeds, located deep within the Khwai Private Reserve. As the name suggests, this is no ordinary safari camp. Each “room” is actually a three-storey raised platform, overlooking the wildlife-spotted plains of Khwai. Charmingly rustic yet perfectly stylish, you’ll find a bathroom with flushing loo on the first floor, a dressing area, and the ultimate cherry on the top floor, an enormous double bed, draped in white linens and a feather duvet and completely open to the stars.

With such spectacular skies overhead, you could be forgiven for forgetting about what’s happening down below. But keep one eye on the ground, for the Skybeds overlook a busy waterhole. In one night we’ve seen wild dog, lion, elephant and hyena – and that’s just the beginning. So, whilst we can’t guarantee you’ll get much sleep, we can guarantee one of the wildest and most wonderful safari experiences you’ll ever have.

Please note that Skybeds can only be booked in combination with a stay at Elephant Pan, Tuludi, Sable Alley and Little Sable in Khwai Private Reserve.

Expansive skybed views
Click to enlarge
Skybed Waterhole
Click to enlarge
Inquisitive Visitors
Click to enlarge
Sundowner & Dining platform
Click to enlarge
Outside dining
Click to enlarge
Sunset at Skybeds
Click to enlarge
Top bedroom platform
Click to enlarge
Bedroom under the stars
Click to enlarge
Bathroom view
Click to enlarge
Skybeds Shower
Click to enlarge
A night under the stars
Click to enlarge
Dining platform
Click to enlarge

Community and Conservation

The Khwai Private Reserve is a venture with the Khwai Village and your visit has a positive impact on conservation initiatives here. Through multiple community-based projects, ranging from pre-school support to a cultural village, we are helping to support and uplift the local community.

Click to enlarge map

Northeast Okavango Delta

Skybeds is situated alongside a busy waterhole within the 200,000 hectare Khwai Private Reserve concession. This is our precious reserve in the Khwai area of the Okavango Delta, and as the name suggests, it’s private, giving our guests that most indulgent of African luxuries – space.

The reserve is at the north east corner of the Delta, and boasts a glorious diversity of land and waterscape, with a variety of ecosystems playing host to an array of wildlife. From seasonal waterholes and permanent channels to mopane woodland and riverine forests – it’s all here.

Open April-October

April to October is the dry season, but don’t be fooled by the warm daytime temperatures – it can get chilly in the evening. That’s exactly why each Skybed is equipped with cosy blankets and duvets as fat as a stack of pancakes. At this time of year, the wildlife congregates at the Skybeds waterhole. Herds cluster together, predators lurk in the wings, and you can almost feel the heightened tension over the last drops of H20.

As the end of the season approaches and November begins, rain becomes more of a likelihood but it certainly doesn’t rain all night and is more a spectacular event than a hindrance! The giants of the wildlife world start to take the limelight now and large numbers of hippo, elephant and buffalo explore the surroundings.

Signature Experiences

Sleep Out

Nature Walks

Viewing Hide

Game Drives

Heli Flights

Amenities

Outside Dining

Get up close

Watch the
livestream

Livestream Highlights
Where wilderness and stars align

Why you'll Love It

Romance under the stars

This is the ultimate romantic experience. A night in the private sanctuary of your skybed, wrapped under a blanket of stars.

A wilderness experience

This is no ordinary safari accommodation, it is guaranteed to be one of the wildest and most wonderful safari experiences you’ll ever have.

Rustic charm

This intimate bush set-up effortlessly combines style, comfort and rustic charm in an ‘open top’ three storey raised platform.

Active waterhole action

Overlooking a prolific waterhole, there is a constant flow of wildlife to offer guests outstanding game viewing opportunities.

Up-close game viewing

Visit our underground hide, built at a bustling water hole. This is a definite must-see and a highlight for most guests.

Conservation Education for Children

Few projects are more exciting than those that open up the world of conservation to eager young minds. Our Coaching Conservation outreach programme is an innovative conservation programme for children, which fosters self-respect, respect for each other and respect for wildlife and the environment.
Learn more
Starstruck

Accommodations

Sleeping under the stars in the heart of the bush isn’t something you do every day, and we wanted to keep the experience as exclusive as possible. After all, it’s not quite the same with 100 people snoring next to you. As a result, there are only three Skybeds sleeping a total of six people, and, just as importantly, each one is perfectly private from the next.

The Skybeds are no ordinary camp bedrooms. You’ll be sleeping high above the plains, raised two stories off the ground, and quite literally metres from a mammal-dominated waterhole. The upper platform is your alfresco bedroom, complete with bed and mosquito net. The snuggest of duvets will keep you warm when the temperature tumbles and we’ve even got hot water bottles to keep you extra toasty. The bathroom is on the second-floor level with an enclosed shower, flushing loo, and private changing area. As well as a dome tent with two single beds for inclement weather.

The Skybeds aren’t a white-gloved, linen-tableclothed sort of place and good, wholesome food is served around the campfire or on the dedicated dining platform, accompanied by the wandering wildlife, the sounds of the night, and a crisp G&T.

We may have injected a good dose of romance into the Skybeds, but that doesn’t mean they’re only for couples. Small groups can book the camp on an exclusive basis (that’s what we call a party!), and we welcome families with children 15 years and older. If you’re embarking on a multi-day Natural Selection safari, add in a night at the Skybeds for a change of pace and scene.

At a Glance
  • 3 x 5-metre high sleeping platforms
  • Private bathrooms with indoor showers
  • Dining platform
  • Wi-Fi available: No.
  • Hairdryers: No.
  • The sleeping platforms do not have electricity or charging facilities
  • Guests can change their devices at the main platform, while having sundowners and dinner
  • Child policy: We welcome children aged 16 years and older. If sole use of Skybeds is booked, children between the ages of 12 and 15 are allowed, providing they share a platform with an adult
  • Children are not to be left alone on the Skybeds and should be under adult supervision
  • Disabled access: Sadly, disabled access is not possible
Amazing Encounters

Wildlife

We’ve turned the idea of a traditional camp on its head at Skybeds, so we thought we might as well flip the notion of a traditional safari too. Usually, the camp is for resting, but at Skybeds, your bedroom takes centre stage in the wildlife-viewing department. Keep your eyes peeled for kudu and roan antelope roaming beneath your tree-house, predators patrolling the water’s edge and long-lashed giraffe peeping into the bedroom.

Game drives mostly focus on the resident predators, and our team of fabulous guides understand exactly where the furry icons claim their territory. Lion prides prowl with precision, leopard hide in the boughs of the trees, and packs of wild dog and scatterings of hyena are a regular part of the program. And in Khwai, it’s not just predator versus prey, but predators fighting amongst themselves too. Exciting stuff.

We also recommend that you pop out on an evening drive. The beauty of being in a private reserve is the ability to do what we want (within reason!), and one of those things is game viewing under the cover of darkness. These drives increase your chances of seeing big cats on the move, and reveal some of the more elusive nocturnal species too. And next on the list is a walking safari. You’ll follow herds of red lechwe and waterbuck, and come eye-to-eye with kudu and eland – the perfect complement to your view from the treehouse.

Elephant
Click to enlarge
Underground Hide
Click to enlarge
Giraffe
Click to enlarge
Kudu
Click to enlarge
Waterhole
Click to enlarge
Buffalo
Click to enlarge
Lioness
Click to enlarge
Experiences

What to see and do

Get access to a range of experiences that can be enjoyed during your stay

Game Drive

Explore the pristine concession, home to a rich array of wildlife, on our comfortable game viewing vehicles.

Guided Nature Walk

Experience a guided walk through the bush with your trusted safari guide.

Predator Action

With so much predator action you’ll not know which way to turn.

Birding

With 350+ species spotted in the region this is a haven for twitchers.

Sleepouts

Sleep out under the stars at Skybeds (must be pre-booked, open 1 April – 31 October).

Heli Safari

Get an entirely new perspective of the Okavango Delta from the air.

Underground Hide

Visit our underground hide for a truly up-close-and-personal encounter with the wildlife.
Okavango Delta Activities PDF
Making a difference

Our impact

When you visit, you will be directly supporting the following Natural Selection conservation initatives:

Khwai Private Reserve Anti-Poaching

We equip rangers in Khwai Private Reserve with tools and training to effectively protect wildlife. They patrol, collect data, manage invasive species, and protect trees.
View project

The Maria Ramsden Learning Centre

Working closely with the Khwai community to better the lives of vulnerable children and single mothers. The centre provides a safe learning environment as well as assisting with food provisions.
View project

Coaching Conservation

A conservation outreach programme for children in rural areas, which fosters self-respect, respect for each other and respect for wildlife and the environment.
View project

Lessons In Conservation

This youth-led organisation seeks to expose children to the beauty of their local environment, with an over-arching mission of raising awareness about conservation in rural communities across Africa.
View project

Khwai Village Outreach

Supporting the Khwai community through multiple community-based projects like a cultural village, specialist guide training, a feeding programme, solar installations in homes and disabled support.
View project

Wild Vision

Addressing the challenge of early onset vision impairment in young children by bringing efficient on-site eye testing and eyeglass distribution to remote schools.
View project
Get a glimpse

Watch our video

A Dream Come True

Skybeds story

Skybeds are a childhood dream come true for many of us at Natural Selection. We wanted a camp that stood high above the ground, where nothing would disturb our views, but where plenty of gruntings and snortings would disturb our sleep! We came up with the idea of multi-storey sleeping platforms – something that had never been done before – and set about building them around a plentiful waterhole in the heart of Khwai Private Reserve*. We decided that too many platforms would detract from the intimacy of the experience, so we stuck to just three. And there you have it: Skybeds – a place to be at one with the wild; count a billion stars above your head as you drift off to sleep; and watch as elephant emerge through the pastel haze of the sunset to drink from the water mere metres below your bed…

*This concession and its eco-tourism (non-consumptive) designation, relies on the sustainable use of areas in which eco-systems are intact and, in the process, provides important refuge to countless species and biodiversity under threat, important corridors for migration as well as buffers between wildlife and surrounding land uses. It wasn’t always like this, historically it was utilized for hunting. The conversion from hunting to ecotourism was made a success story by Natural Selection and the KPR management team. At Natural Selection, we recognize the important role that eco-tourism plays in the protection of wilderness areas, and therefore continue to promote and expand our conservation efforts.

Special Offers

Explore hidden Gems

Honeymoon Special Offer

We’re feeling the love! Honeymoon with us and one spouse stays for 50% off in participating camps.
View offer

Long Stay Combination Rates

Book now and enjoy incredible savings with our Long Stay Rates in Botswana and Namibia!
View offer

Reservations

  • reservations@naturalselection.travel
  • Tel: +27 21 001 1574

Marketing

  • marketing@naturalselection.travel
  • Tel: +27 21 001 1574
Full Contact Details

Natural Selection

Our Destinations

Plan a Safari

Facebook-f Instagram Youtube

Explore

Botswana
Namibia
South Africa
Angola

Camps and Lodges

Camps and Lodges

Camps and Lodges

Expeditions

Start Planning

Natural Selection