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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Our View
Located in the North Male Atoll a short 20-minute speedboat ride from Male International Airport, Gili Lankanfushi is a five star deluxe resort , ideal for honeymooners.
Our Rating:
Cost: $816
Giraffe Manor - Nairobi
Our stay at Giraffe Manor really made our time in Nairobi; the children were thrilled, and in truth, so were we. We were made to feel so welcome, and the relaxed ‘house party’ feeling was great after all the nights we had spent in hotels. We thought the staff were wonderful, and the fun of feeding the giraffes dispelled all our misgivings about adding extra nights to our trip - A Hope
Our Rating:
Client Rating:
Cost: $795
Gold Zanzibar - Zanzibar, West Coast
Gold Zanzibar is a strange property. Its beach is head and shoulders above anything else on Zanzibar. Enormous, a beautiful white and, most importantly, not affected by the tides, this is Gold Zanzibar’s ace-in-the-hand. But there are some slight oddities that prevent it from realising its full potential. Loud music blares out across the pool and beach area, while the Italian-themed luxury villa has some of the least attractive interior decoration on the island. That said, the normal rooms are large and comfortable, the pool is enormous and the hotel has 5 star amenities.
Our Rating:
Cost: $460
Our View
Set in the south eastern area of the Okavango Delta, Gomoti Plains is a classic safari camp with lots to offer in terms of intimacy, and it really captures the authentic safari spirit. Its ethos is eco-luxury, so it’s not a place for travellers who want all the bells and whistles, but will blow you away if you’re after simple luxury in a marvellous slice of wilderness, surrounded by the Delta’s famed wildlife.
Our Rating:
Cost: $
Gorilla Forest Lodge - Uganda
Our View
Sanctuary Lodge’s Gorilla Forest Lodge, is actually run by the luxury travel company Abercrombie and Kent. The lodge has a fabulous location with the local gorilla group literally looking into clients rooms on a number of occasions. Gorilla’s peeping into your rooms cannot be guaranteed to every client, but the guarantee of A&K’s excellent service is there. A great lodge to explore the area from and a great lodge for clients who, after a potentially long gorilla trek, do not want to face climbing up the hills to Clouds lodge, the only other top end gorilla lodge in the park.
Our Rating:
Cost: $640
Governors Camp - Masai Mara Reserve
Governors, what can I say. I loved it there. Service was excellent and I loved the hot water bottles in my bed at night. So many animals and our guides were amazing. We so enjoyed the balloon ride and have excellent pictures. - J Cole
Our Rating:
Client Rating:
Cost: $710
Governors Private Camp - Masai Mara Reserve
Our View
Governors Private Camp is a very niche product and so one that we occasionally recommend for clients. The main feature of the camp is that, for a group of 4 or more who are looking for a smaller camp in the Mara, it suits perfectly. Consisting of 6 or more tents, the camp offers a private experience throughout with views out onto the lovely Mara River, exclusive use of the vehicles and guides in camp and access to what must be one of the best areas for game in the whole of Africa….what more can you ask for!
Our Rating:
Cost: $702
Great Plains Expeditions - Botswana - Selinda
Our View
The new Great Plains Expeditions - Botswana will be beginning new in 2022.
Our Rating:
Cost: $2,985
Green and Blue - Zanzibar, East Coast
Green & Blue Ocean Beach resort was also excellent. Loved the garden and the flowers, the beach view from the restaurant and infinity pool were all amazing. Food was also excellent and their menu changes everyday and they always have a local dish on the menu, which was fantastic. Enjoyed watching the village life on the beach: the local fishermen bringing back their catch of the day, mending boats, 3-4 cows on the beach being chased by cheerful village children in their colourful dresses, boys playing football, and all different boats passing through. - M Evans
Our Rating:
Client Rating:
Cost: $218
Greystoke Mahale - Mahale Mountains
Kudos also to all the staff at Mahale – especially Sacha. He was the camp host extraordinaire! All the staff, especially Mwiga the guide were friendly and knowledgeable. - D. Green
Our Rating:
Client Rating:
Cost: $1,370
We create fabulous safari itineraries and honeymoons throughout Africa and the islands of the Indian Ocean. Our knowledge and experience will guarantee you the very best possible itinerary for
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