Chobe Safari Lodge

Chobe National Park: 2 Nights

On the very doorstep of the Chobe National Park, which hosts the largest concentration of elephant in Southern Africa, lies Chobe Safari Lodge. The lodge is set on the banks of the Chobe River at Kasane.

Game drives into the Chobe National Park depart twice daily, or alternatively, guests can choose to go on a full day game drive, including picnic lunch.

Boat cruises, led by expert guides, are available throughout the day to suit your individual needs. These are a wonderful and somewhat different way of viewing the game. During the dry season in particular, the wildlife congregate in their thousands at the water's edge to quench their thirst.

Other activities and lodge facilities include village visits, fishing, a swimming pool, and a curio shop. Guests can relax in either of the two bars - either the Sedudu Bar, which is famous for the most beautiful sunsets, or the Cocktail bar which overlooks the Caprivi floodplains. Dinners are normally served buffet style and feature the rich flavours of Africa.

Guests can also join a dinner cruise and enjoy a succulent buffet dinner under the stars aboard a boat, turning your evening meal into an unforgettable occasion as you sip wine while listening to the hippos grunting and snorting around you in the river.

The lodge has 46 individually decorated Safari Rooms which offer every comfort, including air-conditioning, luxurious en-suite bath and shower facilities, as well as satellite TV. Each room has its own patio offering views of the river from the comfort of your own room.

There are also 22 River Rooms, also air-conditioned, which are attached to the main lodge complex. These rooms lead out onto a riverside garden where you can often see monkeys and mongoose.

Finally, there are 8 traditional thatched rondavels are independently positioned close to the river and the lodge gardens, with ceiling fans and en-suite bathrooms.

Sable Alley

Khwai Private Reserve: 3 Nights

Located in the Khwai Private Reserve, one of Botswana’s best kept secrets, is Sable Alley. Set right on the banks of a lily-covered lagoon, home to hippo and a favourite drinking spot for elephant and buffalo, the big game is plentiful and never far out of sight.

As tempting as it is to stay in camp, you must also venture out, for Khwai offers one of Africa’s greatest and most exclusive safari experiences. Have your binos at the ready for lion, leopard, wild dog, buffalo, elephant and hundreds of dainty antelope as you drive through the diverse landscape, not to mention a multi-coloured array of birdlife. The camp allows a maximum of just 7 guests per game viewing vehicle and only 3 vehicles are allowed at any sighting meaning there’s not an overcrowded game drive in sight.

For the more adventurous head out from camp (with your guide) and enjoy a walk through the wilderness, take a gentle meander in a mokoro or a trip through the channels on a motorboat, or visit one of the viewing hides.

At night, dinner is served either in the indoor dining area, or alfresco on the deck, accompanied by twinkling stars and the rumblings and grumblings of the wildlife.

Each of the 12 canvas-walled suites at Sable Alley are spacious and stylish with Afro-chic décor. Slide open the screen doors at the front for uninterrupted views of the lagoon from your veranda. In your en-suite bathroom, you’ll find 2 basins and a WC and an indoor shower, and if you fancy washing off the dust from the day in the great outdoors, no problem - there’s an outdoor shower with a view too.

The main guest areas are designed around the spectacular vistas. Watch the happenings at the lagoon from the bar, G&T in hand, from the outdoor fire pit, or from a squashy sofa in the lounge. At night, dinner is served either in the indoor dining area, or alfresco on the deck, accompanied by twinkling stars and the rumblings and grumblings of the wildlife. There is also a swimming pool and sun deck, both unique spots from which to watch the hippo pods emerge from the lagoon, or simply for some chill-out time in the heat of the day.

For those looking for a unique way to spend time in the bush, why not spend the night in one of the 3 fabulous Skybeds, deep within the reserve.  Each “room” is actually a 3-storey raised platform, which overlooks a waterhole. Charmingly rustic yet perfectly stylish, you’ll find a bathroom on the first floor, and on the top floor there is an enormous double bed, draped in white linens and a feather duvet, all completely open to the stars.

Oddballs' Camp

Okavango Delta: 2 Nights

Oddballs' Camp is situated on the edge of Chief's Island, deep in the heart of the Okavango Delta. The camp is accessible by light aircraft only, and on arrival you will be met at the airstrip and welcomed to the island by your guide.

Oddballs' caters to the active traveller and undoubtedly represents excellent value for money in the Okavango Delta. Activities are conducted by your own professional guide (a maximum of 2 guests per guide), who is native to the area. He has his own mokoro (dug-out canoe) in which he will take you to nearby islands, where you will walk to view game and the spectacular landscape that is the Okavango. It might also be possible to visit his village, meet the elders and perhaps his family.  The camp also offers overnight camping trails by mokoro for guests staying 4+ nights, and these trails are amongst the most sought-after wilderness experiences in the Delta today.

Walking is an integral and significant part of the experience at any time of year, and the extent of the walks will depend on your tastes and level of fitness. Guests usually go out in the early morning, having a late breakfast on their return, and again in the afternoon after the midday heat has dissipated, but some elect to go out for the whole day with a packed picnic lunch.

Accommodation is in 14 simple but comfortable canvas 3m x 3m tents, set on elevated wooden decks shaded by canvas shelters with views of the surrounding bush. Each tent has it's own rustic en-suite facilities including hot and cold running water for the al fresch bucket shower - in true safari style.

The main bar and lounge areas have comfortable seating, and a raised viewing deck overlooks the sweep of the delta - the perfect place to watch the sun set over the palms, and view whatever wildlife may be visiting. Meals are simple, yet wholesome and enjoyed in the main dining area.