Botswana lodges are the crème de la crème of the world of luxury safari. As the country is made up of private concessions unless you go to the extremely busy Chobe National Park or Moremi Game Reserve, the prices naturally inflate. Botswana has followed a model of high quality, low quantity in their approach to tourism and it is exceptional at just this. Botswana is home to some of the most spoiling experiences on the continent. The private reserves mean that a lodge which would cost you $700 per person per night in say, southern Tanzania, would cost you $1,300 per person per night in the watery and beautiful Okavango Delta… To get fantastic wildlife viewing and a huge diversity in activities, all in the privacy of your own slice of wilderness, you have to pay a premium!
Best value quality safari lodges in Botswana
Prices have inflated a lot in Botswana in recent years, and they just seem to be going up and up. A lodge like Pom Pom, which admittedly is in an exceptional game viewing area, is now $1,150 per person per night. Aside from the exceptional guiding and wildlife, the actual accommodation is fairly rustic. A fantastic option for some people, though we wonder whether Botswana isn’t going a bit over the top in prices across the board...
A fantastic new property has opened in the Kwara concession; Splash Camp which is a part of the Kwando range. It is very nicely presented and offers a bit more luxury for your money in an exceptional wildlife area but still comes in at $1,416 per person per night.
In order to slash the price of being in these private wildernesses though, we would recommend travelling off season in either May or November, to get still exceptional wildlife, but for a lot less. For example, Pom Pom over these months decreases to $826 per person per night, and Splash reduces to $1,040.
The best barefoot luxury safari lodges in Botswana
Barefoot-luxury safari lodges are a pretty special experience. Little Vumbura in particular is an office favourite. Set on a little island surrounded by water and in one of the most enviable parts of the Delta, Little Vumbura is a seriously special experience. The style is understated, yet authentically luxurious and we absolutely love it. It is not cheap though! Even without all the added luxuries like private pools and a more glitzy design, Little Vumbura is priced at $2,830 per person per night.
Going a little more intrepid, but no less luxurious is Duba Explorers. This is a tented camp, and really does capture the spirit of exploration in the wilderness, certainly without compromising on luxury. Duba Explorers is for those who crave authentic experiences, but expect a certain standard of opulence on their adventure. It is not a cheap camping experience at $1,900 per person per night.
The most luxurious safari lodges in Botswana
The most luxurious safari camp in Africa, and probably one of the best hospitality experiences in the world comes in Mombo Camp located on Chief’s Island in the heart of the Okavango Delta. Private pool galore, the world’s most impressive wildlife viewing opportunities, golden bathtubs, huge rooms and excellent food; it doesn’t get much better than this. As it is one of Africa’s flagship safari lodges… There is again, a price tag to match! In recent years, prices have soared and now in peak season, for one night the per person price is $3,800 USD… If you want the life of luxury, have a good Botswana budget, but can’t justify that per night amount, you could look at the still exceptionally spoiling Vumbura Plains, Duba Plains or Zarafa which are all priced at $3,000 per person per night.
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Okavango Horse Safaris - Okavango Delta
I have just ridden a five day safari with Okavango Horse Safaris in northern Botswana. It was absolutely FANTASTIC.- S Ward
Our Rating:
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Cost: $675
Okuti - Okavango Delta
Our View
Okuti is a lovely little camp with a lot of heritage which clearly shows through in the experience. Moremi offers year round game viewing and Okuti is well located enough to remain relatively remote within the game reserve. It’s a good value camp and perfect for those looking to keep costs down.
Our Rating:
Cost: $808
Pelo - Okavango Delta
Our View
The word Pelo in Setswana means ‘heart’ – a fitting name inspired by the distinct heart-shaped island on which the camp is built in the heart of the Jao Concession. This is the Delta as it is meant to be enjoyed – remote, genuine, and wild.
Our Rating:
Cost: $753
Pom Pom - Okavango Delta
Our View
A very airy and tropical feel to the camp makes for a jumpy and bright atmosphere, predominantly aided by the sheer brilliant design of the open main area. With everything on your doorstep and only 15 minutes from its private airstrip, Pom Pom is an effortless, comfortable camp with everything on offer. It has a great mix of game and terrain and offers a great value camp in a sensible price bracket.
Our Rating:
Cost: $912
Qorokwe - Okavango Delta
Our View
The name Qorokwe means “the place where the buffalo broke through the bush into the water" and is evocative of the high-density game area in which it is situated. Qorokwe in the south-eastern part of the Okavango Delta, reveals diverse habitats supporting a wealth of wildlife, earning the area’s well-deserved reputation as one of the best Botswana safari destinations.
Our Rating:
Cost: $2,023
San Camp - Makgadikgadi Pans
Our View
San Camp is a very special and unique experience; it is not sold for its wildlife focus, (although there is actually quite good game a full days game drive away). San is certainly not a great cat camp but a safari enthusiast can take great pleasure in the general herds and diversity of animals and birds on show, and the guiding, walking and quad biking are superb.
Our Rating:
Cost: $1,480
Sandibe - Okavango Delta
Our View
We visited Sandibe a month before its re-opening in September 2014 and found a brave but successful redesign of an &Beyond lodge we used to dislike because of its concrete foundations. It is one of the best concessions in Botswana for game and it now has a very good lodge to match.
Our Rating:
Cost: $2,560
Savuti - Linyanti
Botswana - both the Chitabi and Savuti Wilderness Safari camps are first rate and pretty luxurious. The staff and service at both camps were outstanding although I would rate the staff at Chitabi somewhat higher. They seemed a bit more at ease and confident. But both were great and no complaints at all. At Chitabi, they brought hot water to the room when they woke us in the morning and we could make coffee or chocolate in the room while getting ready. They did not do so at Savuti and they should. It's a nice touch particularly on cold mornings.Game viewing was better at Chitabi - it's easier to see animals and they seemed more plentiful. We saw lions, a cheetah, 2 leopards, wild dogs with pups, hyenas and pretty much everything else.
We did have some good sightings at Savuti - several herds of elephant coming to the channel to drink in the late morning. At least 100 elephants and the other guests thought many more than that. We also saw 3 leopards (2 with kills) and a huge troop of baboons. Late afternoon game drives were closer to camp and not productive. The mopani scrub around the camp doesn't make for good viewing and there just were not many animals on the other side of the channel adjacent to the camp.
- D Trice
Our Rating:
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Cost: $1,593
Savuti Safari Lodge - Linyanti
Our View
Perched on the banks of the Savuti Channel within the Chobe National Park, Savuti Safari Lodge offers an excellent location from which to explore the nearby Savuti Marsh.
Our Rating:
Cost: $920
Seba - Okavango Delta
Our View
Once used full time as an elephant research facility, Seba Camp sits on a beautiful little lake. Predominantly now used for safari, the camp still offers clients a chance to mingle with the researchers who are working in the area. Alongside this, with access to good game viewing and the water of the lake, Seba is a fantastic option for families and couples alike. Our preferred camp in the Abu concession, Seba is a good option for those wanting wilderness rather than game abundance.Our Rating:
Cost: $1,593
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