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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Ngorongoro Serena - Ngorongoro Crater
The Ngorongoro Serena suffers to a certain extent from its rather obvious styling. The hotel maintains the high standards set by the other hotels in the Serena chain and this is certainly a very good option for people who do not mind sharing the view. All in all this is a good hotel despite the crowds and the best option on the Crater rim after the Ngorongoro Crater lodge. There is a 2 night minimum stay at the Ngorongoro Serena.
Our Rating:
Cost: $700
Ngorongoro Sopa Lodge - Ngorongoro Crater
Ngorongoro Crater - Sopa Lodge.... We really expected that Sopa would be too "touristy" and crowded for us but it was not. It was a really nice place. We had a room with a great view of the crater and of course our welcome champagne from you. It doesn't get better than that! The room was great and the bed had a hot water bottle in it to keep us toasty at night. Nice touch. We went down to the Crater early (left at 6:15) so we could see the sun rise on the Crater. Beautiful. Wildlife highlights were 2 black rhino, lions including a grants gazelle kill, cheetah, hippo, black backed jackal, zebra, buffalo. crowned crane, vultures, buzzards, kites, our only African hare, hyenas and one very lucky wart hog that did not end up as dinner for the hyenas.- J Brewer
Our Rating:
Client Rating:
Cost: $380
Our Rating:
Client Rating:
Cost: $200
Nkwali Camp - South Luangwa
Our View
Nkwali competes with Norman Carr’s Kapani Lodge for title of the best value camp in the Mfuwe area of the Luangwa. This area is a great introduction to the Luangwa due to the quality of game viewing on offer. However the camp is not an example of the bushcamp style that the valley is famous for. As a result we often book clients into Nkwali before a few days in bush camps. Overall, a great camp but one to be used in conjunction with somewhere else.
Our Rating:
Cost: $645
No 5 Boutique Hotel - Uganda
Our View
This is the plushest offering in Entebbe. Either before or after your primate trekking adventure, a night or two at Hotel No 5 can provide a pitstop that’s both practical and luxurious. Entebbe isn’t home to lots of luxury hotels like other African cities, but with Hotel No 5 you get everything you could want from a city stop and more, with a charming boutique feel and excellent rooms.
Our Rating:
Cost: $125
Nomad Kuro - Tarangire
Nomad run some of Tanzania’s best camps, always managing to combine excellent guiding and environmental awareness with the comfort and style you would expect from a high end safari lodge. Kuro is a classic safari focused Nomad camp with incredible guides. Just 6 tasteful and subtle rooms in the beautiful wilderness that is Tarangire.
Our Rating:
Cost: $774
Nomad Lamai Serengeti - Serengeti, North
Amazing rooms, amazing views, amazing pool area, amazing service and great safari and guides.- P. Lang
Our Rating:
Client Rating:
Cost: $1,265
Nomad Nduara - Serengeti, Loliondo
The outcome of this heady mix of culture, style, comfort and wilderness, is one of the most amazing camps you will ever see! Certainly the most attractive of the mobile camps working in the Serengeti Loliondo area, Nduara is a breath of fresh air, offering a unique style yet still focusing on what Nomads do best – authentic safari! The guiding is (as always expected from Nomads) exceptional and with only 6 rooms the remoteness, privacy and exclusivity cannot be beaten. Overall, this is a truly superb camp, especially for those wanting to stay away from the crowds and focus on walking safari and the cultures that live alongside the Serengeti. However, the camp is very seasonal for the migration so must be booked with care if the migration is what you are searching for.
Our Rating:
Cost: $845
Nomad Serengeti Safari Camp - Serengeti, Mobile
Serengeti Safari Camp was the most basic of the accommodations , which is understandable being that it's actually mobile. A couple (from the Isle of Man) with whom we had shared a jeep at the Kuro Camp was disappointed when they first got there. I don't think they understood what a chemical toilet meant. We enjoyed the simplicity of it and found the manager and crew to be especially pleasant. We saw four crossings, one of them lasted for about an hour and a half.- M. Blanco
Our Rating:
Client Rating:
Cost: $947
Norfolk Hotel - Nairobi
Our View
Norfolk House is a good hotel to stay in if you want to be in the centre of town although it can get very booked up should there be a conference in town and suffers slightly from a smallish, overlooked pool.
Our Rating:
Cost: $353
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