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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Alfajiri Villas - Indian Ocean Mainland
Alfajiri from start to finish blew us away, these are the biggest and most impressive beach villa’s we have ever stayed in and we have travelled extensively. This is a first class set up and we were pampered from start to finish, absolutely incredible - F. Knowles
Our Rating:
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Cost: $700
Alila Jabal Akdar - AL Hajar Mountains
Our View
Alila Jabal Akhdar, meaning “The Green Mountain” in Arabic, is part of the Al Hajar mountain range, one of Oman’s most spectacular regions. Perched here 2,000 metres above sea level, Alila Jabal Akhdar overlooks a dramatic gorge, surrounded by awe-inspiring views of the Al Hajar Mountains.
Our Rating:
Cost: $450
Almanara Luxury Villas - Indian Ocean Mainland
Our View
Set on a peaceful stretch of Diani Beach, Almanara is a real find. It’s not on the cutting edge of interior design, but it is luxurious all the same in an old school way. Plus, its location is undeniably luxurious, as are its well-appointed garden villas and brilliant boutique hotel. It’s one of the best in the region for no-fuss luxury and quality experience.
Our Rating:
Cost: $465
Amalinda - Matobo National Park
Our View
Amalinda encapsulates everything that we love about family run lodges. The Matobo Hills are a rarely visited area of Zimbabwe. Not far from Bulawayo, this area is often missed by visitors who focus their attention on Mana Pools, Hwange and Victoria Falls, but we think that everyone should spend time in this pocket of natural beauty.
Our Rating:
Cost: $600
Amani Beach Club - Tanzania Mainland Coast
The Amani resort at the start of our trip was excellent. Again, we were the only ones there one night, and only one other family was there the other nights. The staff walked us to a local village about an hour away where we could see how the locals lived. This was not a tourist venue, and it was the only chance we had on this trip to experience native living conditions. - H. Loeffler
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Cost: $120
Amanzi Camp - Lower Zambezi
Our View
Anabezi's sister Camp, Amanzi is for those travellers who prefer a more rustic feel to their safari camp, then this is definitley the camp for you! Amanzi is situated on the banks of the Zambezi's Ngwenya channel just two kilometers down stream from Anabezi. The name 'Amanzi' means water in the local Tonga language and with the intimate position on the Zambezi proves a very fitting name.
Our Rating:
Cost: $1,425
Amboseli Porini - Amboseli
Our View
Similar to its sister camps in the Mara, Amboseli Porini Camp has kept to the basics of safari and is a real find in what is a growingly expensive marketplace. With simple, but clean and tidy tents, all featuring fully flush loos and spacious dressing and sleeping areas, the accommodation is comfortable. The only apparent drawback to the lodge is its location outside the park…but we actually think that this is its main benefit! Outside the park avoids Amboseli's crowds. The game in the concession is actually very good and a stay just here will definitely give you all that you need without needing to join the mêlée going on nearby. Again, a great choice for those on a limited budget.
Our Rating:
Cost: $515
Anabezi Camp - Lower Zambezi
Anabezi Rather than the boat transfer we were expecting from Jeki to the camp we dived straight into our first game drive with Matt the camp manager. It was spectacular – I actually thought how can this get any better! What an amazing introduction to a really impressive set up. The game viewing was prolific and we were not to be disappointed on any of the drives over the course of our stay. - JE
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Cost: $1,425
Our View
Located in the South Male Atoll just 35 minutes by private speedboat from Male International Airport, Anantara Dhigu is a tropical island paradise and one of the few Maldivian resorts where the beach goes round the whole island.
Our Rating:
Cost: $352
Our View
Located in the Baa Atoll just 35 minutes by seaplane from Male International Airport, Anantara Kihavah is surrounded by coral reefs and a gorgeous blue lagoon.
Our Rating:
Cost: $777
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