Oaseby 7 Star Lodges
David and Audra at Chobe Chilwero lodge

Our story

A different kind of safari story.

Before we became lodge owners we were safari guests. Oase grew out of more than twenty years of travelling around Africa, learning what worked stayed with us and what we wished could be done differently.

Before we were lodge owners

We were safari guests first.

We first came to Africa in the early 2000s. Then we came back the following year. Before long it was quarterly and eventually almost monthly.

Over more than twenty years, we stayed at hundreds of safari lodges across Southern and Eastern Africa, from simple walking camps with short-drop toilets to some of the continent's most celebrated properties.

We experienced all of it from the same side of safari that you will as guests. We noticed the big things, but also the smaller ones. How a day was structured, when service felt natural, when it felt forced, what made us want to stay longer and what made an experience linger long after we had gone home.

David & Audra TuckerFounders, 7 Star Lodges

David with his parents and son Jordan in Chobe National Park

“Oase is built from everything we loved about safari — and everything we wished could be done differently.”

The Big 5 brought us to Africa. Over time, we realised the moments we remembered most were often the ones that were never on the checklist.— David & Audra Tucker

WHAT SHAPED OASE

More than twenty years of safari taught us what really matters.

A morning bush walk takes place at Oase.

Guided by nature

Oase is a private reserve of 530 hectares on the banks of the Blyde River. It is not a Big 5 reserve, which gives us the rare opportunity to offer interactive experiences such as Leopard tracking on foot and the freedom to disembark the vehicle to investigate sightings closer. It is a more intimate and interpreted way to experience the bush.

A bird's-eye view of the Treetop Sleepout elevated above the bush at Oase.

Built for privacy and comfort

Our suites are spacious, private and designed to connect you with the nature, without compromising on comfort. From the Fairmont Suite to Rosewood (one of our family suites), each has its own character with exceptional service, personal butlers and all the details taken care of.

Guests take cooking lessons with the chefs in the Cooking Studio.

More than just a game drive

Game drives are only part of the story. At Oase you can enjoy guided bush walks, lights-out moonlit game drives, helicopter experiences, boat trips, fishing, bush cooking classes, spa treatments and simply time to relax. Each day is flexible, shaped around your interests and no rigid schedule.

Still curious. Still travelling. Still asking what we would want if we were the guests.

David & Audra Tucker
Clouds gather over the bush as the sun sets.

Your turn

Come and experience Oase for yourself.

Come for the wildlife. Give yourself enough time for the moments you could never have planned.