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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Sausage Tree - Lower Zambezi
Our View
Sausage Tree is certainly in the running for the most opulently luxurious lodge in the Lower Zambezi. Whether this is actually a good thing, we will let you decide! The activities and guiding are set as high as any of the camps in the park and the location is good. To be honest, when compared with other lodges in Africa, Sausage is pretty great. However after the office vote, we have come to agreement that we prefer the slightly less opulent Chiawa Camp and adventurous travellers would certainly prefer the stunning Old Mondoro. But be under no misconception, this is still a great camp.
Our Rating:
Cost: $1,080
Savanna Private Game Reserve | Sabi Sands - Sabi Sands
Our View
Savanna Private Game Reserve is situated on the South Western boundary of the Sabi Sands and is one of the best value options in the area. The lodge overlooks endless grassy plains which is host to an abundance of predator and prey animals. Riverine thickets and rocky outcrops also provide gorgeous landscapes in an area where game viewing is often spectacular.
Our Rating:
Cost: $775
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:
Client Rating:
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
Sayari Camp - Serengeti, North
We loved all the places you recommended, particularly Sayari Camp. The timing was incredible-- there were hardly any tourists and we got to see everything from rhinos to river crossings.- S. Draper
Our Rating:
Client Rating:
Cost: $1,814
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
Selinda - Selinda
Our View
Selinda is part the Great Plains Conservation Group who have some other fantastic camps in the area and operate an incredible service. Although their camps are really luxurious, they are also extremely relaxed. You decide what you want to do - if you want to get up and go for a game drive at 0900 instead of 0530, you can. The area is brilliant, especially since the channels are filling up with water again making the game in the area fantastic. Huge herds of elephant push through in the dry months from May to October.
Our Rating:
Cost: $2,610
Selinda Explorers - Selinda
Our View
There's a saying that small things come in little packages... Selinda Explorers Camp in no exception! With only 3 tents plus a 2 bedroom family tent transports you back to the bygone era of Livingstone and Selous, both of whom wandered right through the area in which the camp is situated. The area is a prime predator habitat, with fantastic lion, leopard, cheetah and wild dog. Good densities of giraffe, buffalo (in the dry season) and all the antelope – including even roan and sable and recently spotted eland – are possible sightings.
Our Rating:
Cost: $1,350
Selous Safari Camp - Selous
Jongomero and Siwandu were nothing short of paradise. Beautiful settings, unimaginably friendly staff, delicious food (and lots of it) and awesome game viewing. I must also add that Mark at Ras Kutani did a fantastic job of making Christmas special for us.We particular liked how jongo, Siwandu and Ras K were all distinct in style and made efforts to add little personalized touches. We have both travelled far and wide but can honestly say that the level of service (and enjoyment) was the best either of us have ever experienced. - R Badenoch
Our Rating:
Client Rating:
Cost: $966
Selous Serena Camp - Selous
Serena was a really great Camp! We loved it… we went to the Serengeti last year to see the migration and the game here in Selous doesn’t have the same numbers but it feels really wild and like you really are in the middle of nowhere. We saw no other vehicles at all on our second day which was amazing, it was just us and the wilderness. We stalked a group of 4 lions all afternoon as they prowled around. The sundowners out on the boat are amazing too, one of the most romantic things I think we did on our honeymoon. - B. Davies
Our Rating:
Client Rating:
Cost: $329
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