Botswana Explorer

Named after Dr Livingstone’s faithful friends Sussi & Chuma, this boutique property has been built on a dramatic bend of the Zambezi River, 12km upstream from the mighty Victoria Falls in Zambia. Located in Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park amongst Jackalberry Trees and Phoenix palms, Sussi & Chuma offer an exclusive escape with incredible views. Accommodation is in 12 Sussi tree-houses connected by raised wooden walkways, as well as two private Chuma houses. Rounded and thatched, built on stilts into a canopy of trees, the luxury tree-houses line the banks of the Zambezi River in a riverine setting. They feature open plan bathrooms (separate toilet) with a bath and shower, bathroom amenities, air-conditioning, mosquito nets and a private viewing deck to take in the magnificent views. The two Chuma houses are perfect for families, each with two en-suite bedrooms, a spacious lounge, dining area, private plunge pool, private chef and house staff. The main lodge, built on two levels, has a clean, organic, minimalist feel and large comfortable furniture. The top floor is dominated by the open sided bar; below there is a wine cellar, lounge and open air dining area. A shady path leads you to the river fronted swimming pool with sun loungers and day beds and the superbly located sundowner deck with stunning views onto and across the Zambezi River. Guests staying at Sanctuary Sussi & Chuma are able to indulge in a range of spa treatments – including massages, facials and manicures – while enjoying spectacular views over the Zambezi River. The treatment room has been constructed on stilts on the riverbank, providing guests with up close views of African wildlife while they are being pampered by a trained Africology spa therapist. Facilities include Shower, changing room and indoor and outdoor treatment room. Activities offered at Sussi & Chuma include game drives in the Mosi-Oa-Tunya National Park, a tour of Victoria Falls (one visit per stay, includes Heritage fees), sundowner cruises, canoeing, walking safaris, local school and village tours, and more.

You’ll find the Island Lodge in prime position on the exclusive Katombora Island, protected by the Katombora rapids. A Relais & Châteaux property, and sister to the River Lodge, the Island Lodge offers guests a tranquil, luxurious, and exclusive getaway. The lodge divides itself between four, spacious and magnificent villas, providing guests with the utmost privacy during their stay. Each villa sleeps between four to six people and features private decks and spacious rooms, surrounded by the island’s unique baobabs and two thousand year old Jackalberry trees. Visit the intimate boma area for outdoor evening meals or the dining room for indoor occasions. There’s also an infinity pool, spa facilities, and two lounges for you to enjoy during your stay.

Set on a quiet, secluded spot some distance up the Zambezi river, the Royal Chundu River Lodge oozes sophistication and grace. Overlooking the unspoiled expanse of the Zambezi River and the Zimbabwean savanna of the Matetsi Private Game Reserve, it’s a place to come and relax by the river, watching for the wildlife that pass by. The lodge is a Relais & Châteaux property, only one of two in Zambia. The other is The River Lodge’s sister property, The Island Lodge. Composed of 10 luxurious suites sleeping 20 people in total, River Lodge is the main hub at Royal Chundu and the larger of the two lodges. Each magnificent and spacious river-front suite features thatched roofs and opens on to a private deck for uninterrupted river views. Suites come with double showers and king-size beds. For evening meals, enjoy the unique African experience of the dining outside at the beautiful boma. There’s also a dining room for intimate indoor occasions. Excellent spa facilities will help you unwind while activities are a mix of river-based relaxation and Falls-based adventure.

Located in the heart of the mighty Zambezi River, and spread over two small and untouched islands, this fantastic lodge offers you comfort, beauty and relative privacy while you are visiting the spectacular Victoria Falls. Approximately twenty-four miles from the famous waterfall, you are set away from the buzzing crowds that can frequent Livingstone town and have the chance to simply relax in peace and quiet before and after your excursion to the falls. The lodge only has six luxury chalets and one stunning honeymoon suite, each with unique views of the flowing hippo-filled waters that eventually cascade over the enormous waterfall just down river. All of these colourfully decorated rooms are standalone and pleasingly private, with luxurious furnishings and private viewing decks where you can enjoy unrivalled views over the stretch of water before you. The honeymoon suite is often the highlight of our honeymoon trips, where the romance of your union is optimised in this beautiful Zambian setting.

This owner-run lodge commands a magnificent vantage point and views on a sweeping bend on the Zambezi River. What’s more, this elegant 1940s homestead offer a glimpse into the region’s past with the owner, Peter Jones, and his team of guides helping to bring alive the history of Livingstone. What started as a settler trading post became a destination for Royal travellers and Hollywood stars, and the area is just as popular today. Perhaps the most important point to remember is that The River Club is the place where there are no early 05:30 wake up calls, for here guests are encouraged to lie in and enjoy the surroundings. The ‘Do Nothing Activity’ (DNA) around one of the most magnificent pools we know is very popular indeed, especially at the end of a safari.

Set just a short walk away from the falls themselves on the banks of the Zambezi, one can admire the coil of steam and spray rising from the falls on the horizon. The 173 rooms and suites are set in well manicured gardens along the banks of the river. This is one of just a few hotels from which the falls can be accessed on foot, making it ideal for those who want to be as close as possible. The hotel has been built in a colonial style, harking back to the days of it’s namesake, with grand dining and lounge areas as well as a large outdoor pool and riverside deck.

This is one of the most luxurious camps in Botswana, with nine huge canvas ‘tents’ with thatched roofs set on raised wooden platforms. Each comes equipped with a private plunge pool, four poster bed, indoor and outdoor showers. The camp sits overlooking the Linyanti River and the oxbow lake of King’s Pool from which it derives its name. Communal areas include a lounge dining area, bar and a shared pool. These all sit on raised decking allowing for excellent armchair game viewing of the river and lake. This part of the Linyanti borders the Chobe National Park, meaning that great numbers of elephant frequent the area during the dry months as they visit the lagoon and river. Other game is abundant too during these months including giraffe, lechwe, zebra and impala, all helping to draw the large predators; lion, leopard, cheetah and wild-dog. As well as game drives the camp offers seasonal barge cruises along the river (dependent on the river level) , basic fishing and walking safaris (on request in advance). The camp also has two wildlife hides, excellent for close up observation of game.

Simply one of the most beautiful tented camps in Africa, Zarafa is a triumph of conservation and attention to detail. There are just 4 immense tented suites set on raised wooden platforms overlooking the floodplain of the Zibadianja Lagoon. The tents are decorated in a style befitting of the explorations of the early 20th Century matched with modern comforts and technological surprises. In your separate lounge area, an antique wooden chest contains a top of the range Canon camera and lens for your exclusive use whilst in camp (the camp manager will give you the low-down on how to use it). A polished copper bath tub and fireplace adorn the bedroom. The camp is set inside the 320,000 acre Selinda Private reserve, created to conserve and protect the wildlife of the area and provide corridors for migration around Botswana. This is home to a diverse and rich abundance of species similar to those found in the Savuti and Chobe National Parks but with the exclusivity of a private reserve.

Open, relaxed and resting on the banks of the eastern Selinda Spillway in the heart of the 320 000 acre Selinda Reserve, this safari camp has a prime location within a territory rich with wildlife. Having been recently rebuilt, the camp provides a blend of old colonial elegance, updated with contemporary amenities. This is an old-world luxury experience for the modern-day traveler. Tucked away under its sweeping thatched roof, the camp remains cool in the midday heat, and commands excellent views out over the floodplains and savanna of the Selinda Reserve. The extensive raised decks surrounding both the main lodge and guest tents facilitate wildlife viewing directly from the camp, meaning you can sit back and enjoy a delicious meal and never keep your eye off the local animals. When you want to get more up close and personal, the camp offers both day and night game drives, on which you will be highly likely to see antelope, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, elephant and buffalo. Whether you choose to travel by foot, boat or 4×4, you’ll have a unique experience of the African wilderness.

Set away in a pristine location on the Selinda Spillway’s banks, this camp offers a chance for a different type of safari experience. Getting out of the vehicle, and onto ground and water with guided walks and canoeing, connects you with Africa, the motherland. This is by no means at the expense of wildlife, which remains prolific and regularly spotted. Couple Selinda Explorers with more traditional safari camps, and it’s a stellar combination for all types of travellers. The camp is in the Selinda Reserve whose position in the Selinda Spillway, which flows from east to west through the concession and linking the far reaches of the Okavango Delta in the south with the Linyanti systems in the east, means that you have access to both places and their wildlife with the exclusivity of the reserve to boot. It’s easy to miss the inconspicuous Selinda Explorers Camp. This is not an ostentatious place, but rather somewhere to get back to the nitty-gritty and focus on small details. The camp’s atmosphere of authenticity coupled with a bohemian flair makes it a relaxed place to unwind and stay a while. The canvas main area is simple, but shaded and cool, providing a place to rendezvous, contemplate and have a jolly good laugh. Dinner is served under the stars or in the dining area but always wholesome, tasty and cooked over open fire. It is this same fire that then becomes our nightcap spot – an aperitif, Amarula on ice or a nice herbal tea. Selinda Explorers is an authentic tented camp drawing on traditions of the classic East African safari with beautifully detailed campaign style furniture made from recycled hard woods, and soft furnishings from Zanzibar and the East. Consisting of only four luxury guest tents, each with their own adjoining en-suite, private open air ‘bustani bathroom’ with explorer themed hot water bucket showers and flush porcelain toilets. Each tent overlooks the Selinda Spillway with a private verandah. There will be limited power available. The tents will have individual solar panels to power lights. Charging of batteries can be done in the main area and through an inverter system. Power is supplied to the main area through the main solar power supply.

Little Mombo is the smaller more intimate sister to Mombo Camp, with just three elegant safari suites. Each are nestled under a shady canopy, each with their own en-suite bathrooms, outdoor shower and large deck to enjoy the views over floodplains that host some of the best big game viewing in Africa. The suites are linked together on the raised platform which allows wildlife to pass by underneath. Little Mombo has its own dining room, boma, kitchen, lounge and pool, making it an ideal base for a family or group of friends seeking extra exclusivity. A raised walkway leads back to the main camp’s communal lounge, gym and thatched decking area. Dedicated to conservation, a solar farm powers much of the camp and wastewater is treated above ground. Your rate also contributes to various conservation projects including rhino re-introduction, lion research and elephant monitoring. While you are offered daily morning and afternoon game drives, many choose to stay behind and take in the prolific wildlife surrounding camp. Herbivore densities – especially of red lechwe, plains zebra, giraffe and impala – are extremely high and this supports one of Africa’s highest density lion populations. Spotted hyena and leopard are other frequently seen carnivores, the latter often in camp. Birding is excellent with a great mix of water birds (wattled crane, long-toed plover) and also those species associated with Kalahari thornveld (crimson-breasted shrike, pied babbler).

This atmospheric safari camp offers a remarkable game viewing experience. The camp is made up of nine very spacious and elegantly appointed tents, each built on a raised platform giving fantastic views across the plains. Set deep in the Okavango Delta, the design of the camp perfectly captures the spirit of its wild surroundings while also providing unparalleled luxury. Each tent comes with a private thatched ‘sala’ for observing passing wildlife or enjoying the panoramic sunsets. The suites also have an indoor and outdoor shower, a cosy and beautifully designed lounge and plush king-size bed. The main communal area sits under thatch with a small library and a plunge pool to relax during the afternoons. Enjoy delicious, traditional meals in the dining area that overlooks the plains. The camp is committed to conservation, with much of the power provided by a solar farm and part of your rates go towards preservation projects. There is also no wi-fi, with the promise of helping guests have a deeper connection and immersion in the wilderness.

Benefitting from an unparalleled feeling of intimacy, Sanctuary’s smallest camp in Botswana really prides itself on its relaxed, informal and eco-friendly nature. With only five suites and a main camp building all constructed from commercially grown wood and recycled tin cans perched on the papyrus banks of a Boro river lagoon, you couldn’t get further away from it all. Located on the edges of the Moremi Game Reserve too you will chance upon lion, cheetah, crocodile, elephant and a myriad of bird species on your game drives or canoe safaris. The proximity of your raised suites to the water also means you can sit and spot stealth-like hippos from your own private viewing deck. The inside is decorated comfortably with inviting four-poster beds swathed in white mosquito nets, hardwood floors draped in animal hides and a general feeling of open-plan luxury on the threshold of this wilderness.

Vumbura is one of the most comfortable and stylish lodges in the Okavango Delta. It’s set inside a large private concession of 60,000 hectares in the far north of the Delta. What’s special about this area is the diversity of habitats and species that it encompasses, two of particular note are the Red Lechwe and the Sable antelope, which are particularly rare and beautiful animals. Rooms at the lodge are amongst the biggest in the delta, all open plan, with a sunken seating area, private shaded deck and swimming pool outside as well as indoor and outdoor showers. There is an amazing sense of space here, in keeping with the wide-open plains that the rooms face onto. The rooms are open on three sides (with netting) giving a feeling of being closer to the nature and wildlife whilst still remaining is absolute comfort. Activities here are a mixture of game drives and water activities which will vary according to the level of the water and the time of the year. The lodge is actually set into two almost identical camps of seven rooms each. Both camps (and all rooms) are connected by a wooden walkway that runs north to south. Each of the two camps is served by its own communal lounge and dining area.

Organic and hand-woven, private and intimate, Sandibe is an architecturally unique hideaway deep in the mighty Delta. Dressed in shades of copper and wood, the lodge’s grand and high interiors open out to even grander views, with spacious decks offering a spectacular spot to drink in the resident wildlife. Emerging among riverside trees in a private concession come the eight elegant suites, each exuding a sense of laid-back luxury. Filled with giant king-sized beds, outdoor showers and sparkling private plunge pools, they provide the perfect comfort after a day of spotting the Big Five on exhilarating game drives. An alfresco banquet of Pan-African cuisine is then cooked up by expert chefs, while the relaxed but attentive butlers ensure you enjoy an entirely seamless stay.

Xaranna has a uniquely contemporary style, uncommon in the delta with the use of clean whites and colourful textiles and fittings in its decoration. Set on an island in a private concession of 25,000 hectares There are 9 very spacious tents, each with their own private plunge pool. This is a water-based camp but there is a full range of activities on offer, from the traditional Mokoro rides, to boat safaris, game drives and guided bush walks. The standard of service and guiding here is exceptional. Xaranna is very much a place to come and look for the detail, the smaller animals and birds that live in the delta as well as the beauty of the habitat itself. This means it’s best combined with another lodge that has more big game activity to provide a balanced stay whilst in Botswana.

Xudum has just nine newly decorated suites, located close to permanent river channels that flow year round. These means its a reliable place to come for water based activities. The thicker vegetation brought by the abundance of water also helps to draw a lot of bird life to the area. The smaller creatures and the environment itself are the highlight here, so it works best combined with a lodge that has more prolific big game viewing. The lodge and rooms are all built with two levels, this is quite a unique feature and allows beautiful views out across the delta. Guiding is excellent is outstanding and there are a variety of activities here, from game drives to mokoro and boat trips. Guided bush walks are also available as this is a private concession.

This is a great little camp set up in a concession to the North of the Okavango. The lodge is made up of 8 compact, simple but comfortable tents overlooking a lagoon. This is an area of the delta with permanent waterways as well as large open plains areas, allowing for a good range of activities, terrain and great wildlife viewing. Guiding here is of a great standard with all game drives accompanied by a guide and tracker. You can take morning, afternoon and evening game drives as well as boat trips (by Mokoro or speedboat). Guided bush walks are also available.

Perhaps the most unique camp in Botswana. Inspiringly enigmatic, the camp is named after the original founder and is still run by his family. A tented camp on the pans, Jack’s is chock full of original antique furniture and fittings making for a stay that is both unique and authentic, harking back to the safari expeditions of yesteryear. As this is a harsh, arid landscape game is sparse and the activities therefore focus on exploration of the landscape, archaeology and the very special experience of interacting with the bushmen. Some of the drives and walks are with bushman trackers, allowing for an amazing insight into their skills and traditions. Weather dependent, tremendously fun quad bike expeditions across the pans are also possible.

Set on the edge of the vast Ntwetwe salt pan (an open space the size of Switzerland) San Camp has a wonderful sense of space and freedom. This is the sister camp to Jack’s Camp in the same region and shares the focus on the environment, archaeology and interaction with the bushmen as the game is very sparse here for most of the year. There are some interesting creatures still to observe here, such as a nearby colony of habituated meerkats. When conditions are right, guests can take expeditions on the salt-pans by quad bike exploring archaeological sites and ancient fossil beds. Guiding is often with the bushmen who teach us their amazing survival techniques in this difficult environment. The camp itself mirrors the simplicity and open spaces of the pans. Six elegant spacious pavilion style tents sit each under a cluster of tall palms. Period style pieces adorn the interiors with lovely wooden chests, boxes and brass fittings about. Bathrooms are equipped with bucket showers and a flush toilet. The rooms are lit by the warm glow of old-fashioned spirit lamps. The main communal areas include a tea tent, dining area and small museum.