March
4
2010
By Dan Achber
It’s no mean feat to make a hotel feel like home. There’s a certain ineffable quality to it most of the time, something you can’t quite put your finger on but it just feels right.
At Jao Camp, it starts when your hosts, the towering, shaggy-haired Chris and his charming girlfriend Tara, meet you off the safari car and greet you like long lost family.
Jao is a little odd to me; the architecture is imposing for a safari camp, but for some reason also entirely welcoming. I’m sure a great deal of it is due to the amazing staff. The split level Mali style main building is huge, but as soon as you sit down a quick smile and an introduction by Waziba—one of the waiters—make you feel instantly at ease.
The rooms just add to the effect. Expansive is the word I would use, and from any part of the room (the bed, the lounge, your private deck, the tub and yes, even the toilet) you have a commanding view of the Delta beyond.
This litany of unadulterated praise wouldn’t be complete without an account of the nightlife at Jao. A common feature at many safari camps is the boma dinner; a huge bonfire is built and you and your fellow safari-ists dine al fresco under the stars. Usually some of the staff come and sing. The more jaded among you might be forgiven for thinking that that sounds rather contrived. More often than not it is, though thankfully not at Jao.
When the singing began in the distance I did my best to smile politely and not feel the dread of enduring a forced ‘cultural experience’. Very quickly I realized that this was anything but a dog and pony show. The staff actually ask to come and sing, and truly genuinely enjoy doing it. Like most of us, the Motswana like to show off, and do so though singing in a spectacular fashion. After just a few songs my cynicism had been drained and I was up dancing around the fire, the power of the harmony evident by the goose bumps it raised on my skin. This, without question, is how a sublime evening in the bush is supposed to end.
Today we will be asking Dan Achber to perform a reenactment of his fire dance at Jao Camp. Anyone is welcome to attend this event at our offices, though we would appreciate it if you contact Dan in advance, so we can arrange for the appropriate seating around our rooftop fire pit.