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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Somalisa Expeditions - Hwange
Our View
Somalisa Expeditions, owned and run by African Bush Camps is an incredible small tented camp set deep within one of the best parks in Southern Africa. This old school style camp offers an authentic safari set in a quiet area of the park amongst a grove of acacia trees on a small floodplain with a small waterhole in front of the camp that is regularly visited by roaming elephants.
Our Rating:
Cost: $667
Our View
The Soneva Fushi Resort is located in the Baa Atoll just a short 30 minutes by seaplane from Male International Airport, Soneva Fushi is an eco-friendly ‘no news, no shoes’, understated luxury type of resort.
Our Rating:
Cost: $960
Sossusvlei Desert Lodge - Sossusvlei
Our View
&Beyond Sossusvlei Desert Lodge is a fantastic property that carries the high standards we have come to expect from any &Beyond property. Located a couple of hours drive from the famous Sossusvlei dunes, Sossusvlei Desert Lodge is located outside of the busier Sossusvlei area and is a great choice for people looking for a quieter experience. The lodges main selling point however is that it is home to the countries best Observatory – nights here are absolutely stunning. A recent refurbishment in 2011 has meant this lodge is looking better than ever.
Our Rating:
Cost: $500
Spekes Camp - Masai Mara Reserve
Our View
Speke’s Camp is situated on the edge of the Maasai Mara Reserve, surrounded by fabulous indigenous trees overhanging the Olare Orok River. Small, intimate and very reasonably priced this is a no frills camp that really delivers well and is fantastic value for money.
Our Rating:
Cost: $490
Splash - Okavango Delta
Our View
A new Kwando Safaris camp, Splash Camp opened in June 2018. Within the private Kwara Reserve, this camp hosts a very friendly, authentic and relaxed atmosphere in a fantastic animal dense area. Kwando have always put customer experience at the heart of everything they do and the new Splash Camp is no exception to this.
Our Rating:
Cost: $1,350
Stanley Safari Lodge - Livingstone and Victoria Falls
Our View
Unique due to the fact that it is the only lodge in Livingstone that has a view of the actual Falls, Stanley Safari Lodge lacks the atmosphere of other lodges in the area simply due to the fact that it is not on the water. In a nutshell, the Zambezi is the reason to come to this area, and when staying at Stanley Safari Lodge you are absolutely miles from it! It is fairly good value and has recently been done up really nicely however the location puts the nail in the coffin and for that reason alone we recommend elsewhere.
Our Rating:
Cost: $540
Stanleys Camp - Okavango Delta
Our View
Overall we love this camp but question the real quality of the safari on offer. Yes the area is beautiful but in our experience the resident game has been somewhat poor. With all that said, the elephant experience is just superb….but for the camps we actually prefer Stanleys to its more expensive sister Baines! Yes the camp is twice the size but it is still not big and seems to house a much more attractive character. The activities on offer at Stanleys are exactly the same as at Baines, with the superb elephant activities with ‘Elephant Guardian’ Douglas Alan Groves a must do! So, in summary, a great camp for 2 nights, not 3….come here for the elephants, go elsewhere for the game!
Our Rating:
Cost: $960
Sun Boat III - River Nile
Our View
We love the idea of cruising down the Nile, seeing the best of Egypt's sights on the way, but we don't like big cruise boats, crowds or any kind of tacky discomfort. Sanctuary Sun Boat is ideal; comfortable, small and completely the right vibe. Hooray for the less showy and altogether more attractive options... with small pool, loungers, library and restaurant to write home about...
Our Rating:
Cost: $150
Sungani Lodge - Sungani Lodge
Our View
Sungani Lodge is an exciting addition to the South Luangwa National Park, and is all about luxury, relaxation and untouched wilderness. It’s got all the facilities you could think of, but with enough authenticity that it doesn’t feel like a plush hotel in the bush. A fabulous option for honeymooners and those who prefer a sprinkling of opulence in their wilderness adventures.
Our Rating:
Cost: $1,250
Sunshine Hotel - Zanzibar, East Coast
Over on Zanzibar then, again, Sunshine, was a really great choice. We didn't quite work out that the half board nature of it meant that our evening meal was included! On the first night we headed off to a local restaurant. It was only a small matter as the second night we dined in and I was very delighted when the mega valentines seafood buffet bill arrived at about a tenner each which incuded our wine and drinks etc... It's a lovely hotel and the local feel was excellent as well. Snorkelling was brill as well.- Darbourn
Our Rating:
Client Rating:
Cost: $181
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