Evolve Back, one of India’s leading luxury experiential resorts has launched its first ever international property in Central Kalahari, Botswana. Known as the ‘Evolve Back Gham Dhao Lodge’, the name ‘Gham Dhao’ is from the local San language and means ‘Tracks of the Lion’.
The luxury resort is located on the northern boundary of Botswana’s Central Kalahari Game Reserve (CKGR). Situated in its own 11,000-hectare private game reserve, the lodge offers a classic Kalahari experience, rich game viewing and the unique experience of interacting with the indigenous San people of the Kalahari.
For its first international project, Evolve Back zeroed in on Botswana because apart from having extraordinary wildlife offerings, it has a stable democracy and the highest per capita income in Africa. Botswana is also not overtly commercialised, strongly focusing on “high-end low-volume” tourism to preserve the natural wild spaces that Evolve Back resorts are best known for. Before this acquisition, Evolve Back Gham Dhao Lodge was known as Haina Kalahari Lodge.
Director-Marketing, Evolve Back Luxury Resorts commented, Jose Ramapuram commented;
“This has been a dream project for us. Africa is the most premium market today, and we chose Botswana because we believe in going to non-commercial places and building them up while retaining their natural wilderness.
With this property, we aim to create incredible immersive experiences for our guests by introducing them to every aspect of the Kalahari, from its famed night skies and unique wildlife to the resident San people and their ancient culture. We want to globally reiterate our belief of being one with the land, and while doing that, we want to promote low-impact, high-end tourism.”
Established in 1961 and measuring a little over 52000 sq. km, the Central Kalahari Game Reserve is the second-largest game reserve in the world. Located in the centre of the Kalahari Desert, it is a distinct ecological unit that links the woodlands of the northern Kalahari with the thornveld and scrub plains of the south, making it home to many exotic species such as the lion, leopard, the elusive brown hyena, gemsbok, blue wildebeest and eland.
The guests at Evolve Back Gham Dhao Lodge will experience personalised game drives led by expert guides, nature walks with the San people and bush dinners deep in the African wilderness under breathtaking night skies.
The property features three categories of luxury tented accommodation with the maximum capacity of twenty guests, thus ensuring exclusivity that defines contemporary luxury, allowing you to experience the Kalahari at your own pace. The resort has its own private airstrip located in the heart of the Kalahari, making it easily accessible within Botswana.
The Kalahari Desert is a large basin-like plain located in the interior plateau of Southern Africa. It stretches across most of Botswana, eastern Namibia and parts of the Northern Cape province in South Africa. The spectacular location is the highlight of the Evolve Back Gham Dhao Lodge, now open to welcome guests from all over the world.
About Evolve Back
Evolve Back is an established chain of luxury resorts in India characterised by a thematic representation of the local history and its natural surroundings. The resort chain is widely popular and enjoys immense brand equity among patrons in India and overseas alike. Testament to this quality is its above industry average occupancy rate.
The Idea of Evolve Back
The idea that travelling is known to enrich and open barriers of the mind prompted Evolve Back Managing Director and Head Architect George Ramapuram and the other founders to glean unique insight from their years of travel. They realised that the evolved world traveller is looking for a pure and authentic experience representative of its destination, one that leads to a transformation within oneself. This revelation inspired Evolve Back’s ‘Spirit of the Land’ philosophy.
