Archive for the ‘Botswana Lodges’ Category

Chobe Game Lodge is the only permanent game lodge located inside Botswana’s famous Chobe National Park. Located some 20km upstream from the confluence of the Chobe and Zambezi Rivers, Chobe Game Lodge is the most convenient base to explore both the park and the river.

There are two options when it comes to accessing Chobe Game Lodge. First, visitors can access via the park gate at Kasane, approximately a 2 hour drive by road. Second, visitors can fly in and transfer by light aircraft from Victoria Falls or where ever you may be coming from within Botswana.

Chobe Game Lodge is popular simply for its sensational setting along the Chobe River. The river is the park’s most sought after attraction due to massive herds of elephant and buffalo being drawn into the area with great predictability during the dry season.

Guests to Chobe Game Lodge can expect top-notch facilities; A curio shop, wildlife reference library, Tshwene Bar, a luxury cigar bar equipped with a full size Victoria pool table classically overlooking the floodplains. Internet is available as well.

The outdoor eating area at Chobe Game Lodge is strategically placed under large mahogany trees on the banks of the river. Guests can have meals served here and the terrace restaurant. There is plenty of relaxing seating. Chobe Game Lodge also has a large swimming pool with its own terrace and a riverside area where guests can listen and watch local traditional performers.

Chobe Game Lodge also has a full gym onsite and conference facilities fully equipped with air-condition. The conference seats up to 90 delegates.

Chobe Game Lodge has the following room types:

• 47 standard luxury rooms at Chobe Game Lodge are river facing. AC / and fans, mini-bar, en-suite bathroom and with a private terrace
• 4 river view suites with the same amenities as the standard luxury rooms, but each of these suites also have its own private plunge pool and a separate lounge area.

Chobe Game Lodge is surrounded by wildlife. Chobe National Park is home to the largest concentration of elephant in all of Africa during the dry season. Between the massive herds of elephant and buffalo other species in the area include:

• Giraffe
• Hippo
• Crocodile
• Zebra
• Impala
• Tsessebe
• Roan
• Sable
• Wildebeest
• Kudu
• Waterbuck
• Warthog
• Eland
• Lion
• Hyena
• Jackal
• Bat-eared Fox
• Cheetah
• African Wild dog

If you’re also interested in Birding, no worries as Chobe Game Lodge is home to the Western banded snake eagle, trumpeter hornbill, narina trogon (summer), Pel’s fishing owl, bearded robin, red-faced cisticola, collared palm-thrush, swamp boubou, coppery sunbird, and purple banded sunbird to name just a few.

Chobe Game Lodge offers a choice of land and water-based activities

Game Drives

Traditional morning and afternoon game drives are conducted in open sided 4×4 vehicles, ensuring maximum visibility.

Boat Cruises

Probably the most exciting form of transport to get close-up and not too personal with river activity. Passengers can drift along in small, but highly maneuverable boats, perfect for morning or sunset cruises. Coast along the Chobe River on their double-decker river cruiser, the Mosi-oa-Tunya, with on-board bar and snacks.

Stargazing

Their resident professional guide and environmentalist also offers to view the ‘next generation’ on their stargazing deck.

Are you interested in making Chobe Game Lodge one of your stops on your safari in Botswana?

The Kwando Lagoon Camp delivers time and time again with fantastic game viewing. Located north of Selinda, the Kwando concession is very large with over half a million acres but home to only two small campls that are 30 km apart.  Most of the western side is dense mopane forest, however along the Kwando River is a band of lush riverine forest weaved with open plains that attract big game, especially during Botswana’s dry season.

Building a solid reputation for superb game viewing, Kwando Lagoon Camp has tremendous tracking and guiding making finding wildlife a top priority.

Kwando Lagoon Camp Accommodation

Kwando Lagoon Camp stands next to the river, to the north of the concession, the thick riverine forest. The camp overlooks views of the private lagoon formed by the river.

It has 8 large comfortable tents perched on the riverbank. Each tent is separated into a bedroom area with a spacious en-suite bathroom. The bathroom has a double basin and a flush toilet. The shower is outdoors and walled with local weeds in an eloquently African fashion. A veranda overlooks the peaceful river at the front where guests can appreciate the resident hippo pod.

Kwando Lagoon Camp is furnished in the best luxury that a Zimbabwean master craftsman can create. There is plenty of open space beneath shade to relax during the peak temperatures of the day. Kwando Lagoon Camp has a small plunge pool.

Kwando Lagoon Camp  – Popular Activities

• Short walks
• Fishing
• Double-decker boat for bird-watching cruises

Often times guest can get the perfect lighting from the top deck of these boats to see hippo walking along under the crystal clear water.

Overall, Kwando Lagoon Camp has superb tracker/guide system who accompany all their day and night excursions. The vehicles at Kwando Lagoon Camp are completely open, without canopy. This allows for unobstructed views of wildlife, but remember to protect yourself from the sun.

Their vehicles are also specially designed – custom designed by a farmer in the Kalahari Desert of Namibia – to be a workhorse vehicle to undertake the pressures of offroad driving for the exciting pursuit of special circumstances such as a pursued hunt.

Kwando Lagoon Camp Wildlife Viewing

Predators

• Lion (frequently seen)
• Wild Dog (especially prevalent)
• Hyena (frequently seen)
• Leopard (frequently seen)
• Cheetah (especially prevalent)

Night Sightings:

• Serval
• Caracal
• Honey Badger
• African Wildcat
• Genet
• Civet

Grasslands and Pan Systems:

• Impala
• Red Lechwe
• Steenbok
• Reedbuck
• Wildebeest
• Buffalo
• Giraffe
• Tsessebe
• Kudu
• Zebra
• Waterbuck
• Sable
• Roan
• Elephant

The Kwando Lagoon Camp combines particularly well with its sister camp in the Okavango Delta, Kwara. Discover more of Botswana’s Independent Safari Camps.

Muchenje Safari Lodge is perched high on the hillside overlooking Chobe National Park offering impressive views of the flood plains.  Although outside the park, it is nestled in the Chobe Forest Reserve and away from the busiest section of the park.  Muchenje Safari Lodge is the only accommodation in this area, thus offering unique profuse game experiences.

The main Muchenje safari lodge is elegant but relaxed and incorporates a dining area, bar, viewing platforms and decks.  There is also a swimming pool on sight with open horizons and provides a tranquil setting for it guests to simply unwind and enjoy the sounds of nature.

The Muchenje Safari lodge has 11 en-suite rooms that are exquisitely furnished with a delightful African ambience.

Activities at Muchenje Safari lodge include:

• 4×4 Safaris through the park (half / full day)
• Guided walking safaris
• Night drives in the forest reserve
• Boat cruises on the Chobe to seek out the huge elephant herds
• Village tours to Muchenje village

Muchenje Safari lodge is privately owned and managed which opens up the opportunity for a more intimate experience through genuine, friendly hospitality.  The owners cater to each guests needs and strive to ensure the very best of safari experience.

Muchenje Safari lodge has its very own guides and trackers to guarantee the local knowledge needed to find, learn, and see the very best of wildlife in the area.

Chobe is one of Africa’s best wildlife sanctuary and home to some of the world’s best game viewing experiences.  Chobe is well known for its large elephant herds, hippos,  and buffalo, large predator populations – lion, leopards, and African wild dogs, as well as diverse populations of plains game and birds.

Muchenje safari lodge does its best to keep only 4 people per vehicle during their game drives to ensure guests have preferred seating and plenty of room for their camera equipment.

Only 40 minute drive from Kasane and 2 hours from Victoria Falls and Livingstone.

The magnificent and much underrated Mapula Lodge is located in the northern area of the Okavango Delta, just beyond the Moremi Game Reserve.  The Mapula Reserve is a private area which translates into offering exclusive ability to offer a full range of activities that otherwise couldn’t be done in national parks.

Nestled against a permanent lagoon (home to a large pod of resident hippos!) situated right on the “door steps” of the main complex of Mapula Lodge, the wilderness experience is guaranteed.

What makes Mapula Lodge special

“Mapula” which translates into “goddess of rain” in Tswana, the local language and offers guests a stunning position on the edge of the seasonal floodplains and brilliant access to the diversity of wildlife and environment in the area.

Mapula Lodge accommodates a maximum of 20 guests (often times never fully occupied) at any given time in a total of 10 twin chalets which can easily be converted to doubles or even provided with an extra bed for families traveling with children.

Recruiting their staff from the local villages proves Mapula Lodge concern for sustainability and makes for a very friendly family atmosphere, adding a much appreciated comfort to your stay.  The central complex is decorated in traditional thatch, with a relaxing lounge, dining area, modest sized library, curio shop and large deck sheltered by the canopy of an African ebony.  The lower deck has a small pool and loungers.  The decks make for the perfect perch for birding as the lodge is well positioned amongst the riverine vegetation and lagoon.

Mapula lodge has its own safari guides and together work with local trackers to seek out all the much desired big cat predators as well as –red lechwe, impala, kudu, zebra, wildebeest, steenbok, waterbuck, reedbuck, porcupine, hyena, jackal, genet, caracal, wild dogs and lion! (Just to name a few)

The Mapula Reserve is excellent for wildlife viewing, even though a section of the Okavango’s main buffalo fence runs through part of the reserve.  The wildlife all but ignores this and easily passes between at will.  Game drives operate on both sides of the fence and distance covered depends entirely on flood levels.

Activities at Mapula Lodge include:

• Day drives with guide and tracker
• Night drives with guide and tracker
• Walking
• Mokoro
• Private vehicle and guide (extra cost)
• Swimming pool at the main complex
• Cultural interaction at an authentic village.

Experience the calving season of December and January and benefit greatly by choosing this season to safari Botswana.

In Botswana’s Green Season –also the Low Season – there are some INCOMPARABLE specials.

The demand for Botswana safaris is high, while the supplies and services are low, thus making a safari to Botswana one of the most expensive of all other options.  Also, because flying between camps is common, this only adds to the cost.

However…

When planning your Botswana safari the low season (December – March) can be as much as 60% less than prices in the high season.  And that is still the all inclusive deal – meals, drinks, laundry, and activities. (Read more about Botswana’s Green Season Specials)

Botswana’s Green Season provides the opportunity to witness many of the areas game populations calve newborns that also attract predators and when combined…make for spectacular photographic opportunities!

Mapula Lodge is a 30 minute flight from Maun.

Put your feet down and do a walking safari! Discover Botswana’s walking safaris

Botswana is possibly home to the largest circuit of independent safari camps, lodges and services.  This circuit of independent safari camps offers guests access to ALL the key areas of northern Botswana – Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve, Chobe National Park, Makgadikgadi /Nxai Pans, and Central Kalahari –all under the banner of Footsteps in Africa who also has their own charter company – Delta Air, servicing clients to all the most popular destinations.

What is the difference between independent safari camps and other Botswana game lodges?

The independent safari camps are committed to providing rewarding, yet affordable safari experiences to their guests.  They are owner managed, thus providing intimate services, guaranteeing to meet the needs of each guest.  The camps are small, intimate, and able to ensure you with the exclusivity you deserve.

The independent safari camps social responsibility:

• Ensures sustainability, interweaving local communities with conservation
• Community-based tourism projects are established at Santawani and Sankuyo Bush Camp in association with Lodges of Botswana and the Sankuyo village trust.

The independent safari camps Environmental Impacts:

• At each of the camps, guests are encouraged to participate in a minimum of one non-motorized activity per stay.  Whether it is a WALKING safari or a peaceful mokoro boat trip.
• Oddballs’ Enclave, Oddballs’, and Delta Camp are amongst the most environmentally friendly safari camps anywhere according to EcoTourism Standards in Botswana.

The independent safari camps Sustainable Tourism Practices:

• Maximizing social, economic, and cultural benefits to local communities whilst conserving the environments the camps operate in.

Botswana’s independent safari camp circuit offers a plethora of activities and experiences, including traditional mokoro (dug-out canoe) excursions (the last of operators in Botswana to use the traditional, hand-made canoes rather than fiberglass replicas), camping safaris, day and night drives with guide and tracker, Bushman interactions, guided walking safaris, horse riding, and family and /or specialist safaris –birding, geology, etc.

Independent safari camps include:

• Kalahari Desert Camp (Central Kalahari)
• Grassland Bushman Lodge (Central Kalahari)
• Meno a Kwena Camp (Makgadikgadi/ Nxai Pans area)
• Delta Camp (Okavango Delta)
• Oddballs’ Enclave (Okavango Delta)
• Oddball’s Camp (Okavango Delta)
• Mapula Lodge (Okavango Delta)
• Santawani (Okavango Delta)
• Sankuyo Bush Camp (Okavango Delta)
• Fly Camp: Khwai (Okavango Delta)
• Fly Camp: Xakanaxa (Okavango Delta)
• Fly Camp: Savuti (Chobe National Park)
• Fly Camp: Chobe Riverfront (Chobe National Park)

When is the best time to visit Botswana?   http://wildsafariafrica.com/destinations/safari-botswana/

Ngoma Safari Lodge near Chobe National Park, Botswana is part of a new collection of luxury lodging.  Revered as more luxurious than the traveler favorite, Muchenje Safari Lodge, Ngoma is a five star establishment entirely founded on the principals of utilizing and giving back a percentage of its revenue to the lives of those living in the surrounding community.

In other words, the development of Ngoma Safari Lodge a community/private sector funded project in collaboration with the Chobe Enclave Conservation Trust (CECT).  The CECT is made up of 5 communities in an area known as the Chobe Enclave, the same area as the lodge.

Perched on an escarpment, directly within the Chobe Forest Reserve bordering the western edge of Chobe National Park, the lodge offers stunning panoramic views of the Chobe River and Caprivi floodplain of Namibia.

The focal guest lounge is sheltered by the brilliant Baobab, also overlooking the Chobe River.  The lounge includes:

• A sitting room
• Dining room
• Bar
• Library with internet
• A fire pit outside for evening drinks and stories
• Telescopes for wildlife viewing and astronomers.

All 8 river facing suites at Ngoma Safari Lodge will have:

• Spacious Luxury Rooms and Outside Viewing Decks
• Bath
• Indoor and Outdoor shower
• Overhead fans
• Air conditioning
• Mini-bar
• Coffee and Tea Amenities
• Private Plunge Pool on the Veranda

Each of the suites have superb views of the river, thus a magnificent opportunity to witness the great Botswana zebra migration, the hundreds of elephants and buffalo grazing on the floodplain below, all depending on the season.

Ngoma Safari Lodge activities will include:

• Chobe River Cruising Combined with a Full Day Game Activity
• Game Drives
• Day Drives into Chobe National Park and Night Drives and Bush Walks in the Private Concession
• Cultural Village School and Village Tour (Ngoma Safari Lodge’s relationship with its community)
• Birding (over 450 species) Ngoma’s very own hide and platform sits below the lodge

Combine your visit to Chobe with an exclusive lodge in the Okavango Delta.

Chobe Under Canvas is a luxury fly-in camping experience.  Fall asleep to the deep rumbling of marauding elephant, or to the roar of a lion, and experience Chobe National Park like it was meant to be.

Chobe Under canvas are semi-permanent camps, under the specialized care of highly trained guides and staff.

In the classic Hemmingway style, under canvas is an exhilarating style of camping without sacrificing the comfort of 5 star services.  Tents –each with a double bed, en-suite bathroom, separate toilet, a romantic al fresco bucket shower –are spacious.

Chobe under canvas never has more than 6 tents, in their precisely placed private wilderness camp.

The Chobe National Park encompasses an outstanding 11,700 square kilometers, framed by the magnificent Chobe River to the north, and buffered on all sides by wildlife concession (management) areas allowing for unobstructed free movement of wildlife.

Chobe is a wildlife enthusiast’s dream.

One of the world’s most renowned wilderness reserves, Chobe is home to the largest single concentration of elephant in the entire African continent.  Year-round, herds of Cape buffalo and elephant find refuge along the river’s edge with their numbers topping in the hundreds and thousands during the dry season (June – October).

When choosing Chobe under canvas, it is possible to witness two endemic species of antelope, the puku and the Chobe bushbuck.  The varieties of vegetation and geological features make this region of Botswana rather unique, offering extreme contrasts and a fantastic cross section of wildlife.

During the rainy season (December –March), the Savute region of the park is home to the annual zebra migration, which peaks in January and February when the zebra and wildebeest congregate in large numbers to graze on the sweeter grasses brought on by the rains.

The Savute region is also home to one of southern Africa’s largest concentrations of predators, and a destination choice for Chobe under canvas camping.

It is not uncommon to see leopard, cheetah, lion (the greatest concentration), and African wild dog while staying at Chobe Under Canvas.

The landscape of Savute is noticeably different from the lush Chobe riverfronts with an almost desert feel.  It is common to witness the wildlife in this area escaping the heat by grouping together in the limited shaded real estate available.  In years of plentiful rainfall, the Savute River will flow.

Guests at Chobe Under Canvas can enjoy twice-daily game drives, in semi-open safari vehicles, with a guaranteed ‘window’ seat.

Something to keep in mind:  When planning your Botswana safari, the low season can be as much as 60% less than prices in the high season.

Combine your stay at the Chobe Under Canvas Luxury Camping with a stay in Botswana’s premiere destination The Okavango Delta.

“We stayed 3 nights and then the camp was being moved to another camp site. It was fantastic – all the staff were happy, smiley, friendly people. The food was amazing – how do they manage such style on a camp fire?! Tea is brought to your tent in the morning and hot water bottles are put in your gorgeous double bed before you retire for the evening. Guides all excellent. What more can I say – perfect – would go again without hesitation. Tent has a bedroom and ensuite bathroom. Hot water provided in the bucket shower and hot water brought via the back door by the staff in the morning before you go off on your morning game drive. Great sundowners, fantastic sunsets, back by 6.30 as it is a National Park but still other companies are few and far between. That’s the beauty of Botswana.”