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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Little Mombo - Moremi
The sequence of the camps…from Royal Livingstone to Kwetsani to Little Mombo to Jack’s was perfect! Note about Jack’s camp: we were lucky enough to be able to do their surprise sleep out on the pans! What an experience…I wasn’t sure about Jack’s camp and was worried it wouldn’t be right. But we’d seen so much wildlife in Mombo, another camp would have been redundant. Keeping the sleep out a surprise is a good thing…I’m glad we didn’t know. Don’t tell people…the surprise is worth it. And, of course, some can’t do it due to sandstorms, etc. And you were right: the kids loved the 4X4s and the meerkats.The surprise birthday party was incredible: message written w/beans on the bed when we returned from afternoon outing…champagne for us…handwritten birthday cards…animal prints from an artist
Guides were all knowledgeable, friendly, patient w/kids (Ronald in Kwetsani…but he’s going off to join his brother’s mobile safari business; Mos in Little Mombo…GREAT!!!! Excellent w/the kids; Chabba in Jack’s…wonderful wonderful. Funny, knowledgeable.) - J Lamattina
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Cost: $3,512
Little Tubu - Okavango Delta
This is a truly delightful place to spend a few days. The camp is small with only three rooms for visitors but we enjoyed exclusivity being the only people staying. This meant that the game drives were tailored exactly to our interest. The driver, Broken, has an amazing knowledge of game. And in the case of birdlife had an encyclopaedic knowledge not only of the birds, but of their habitat, their habits, their flight movements, their colourings in juvenile conditions. Highlights were seeing two lionesses with their 8 cubs (on several occasions), a leopard post impala kill devouring the remnants and oblivious to our presence. My wife who is a very keen "birder" was amazed by the abundance of birds. I think we saw nearly everything on her wish list - amounting to over 80 species - only failing to bump into a red bishop bird! The staff were friendly, courteous, always helpful. The food was excellent - not too much but of a very high standard of preparation and presentation. As with holidays of this nature, it wasn't cheap! But Little Tubu Tree was definitely value for money. Our room (tent) had the added perk of having a tree house built into an adjacent tree. It was shaded but high up and an excellent place to spend the afternoons between lunch and the evening drive and to observe the various herds on the plain below. We visited in November just at the beginning of the rain season so the camp was not surrounded by water, but the water holes were abundant and with that came plenty of sightings. A thoroughly memorable visit. - M Pepper
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Cost: $1,753
Little Vumbura - Okavango Delta
Little Vumbura where we took part in a wild dog hunt, and then later, watched the aftermath of a wild dog kill and a fight with ascavenging hyena. We had a marvellous guide in Little Vumbura too –
easily the best of the trip.
- L Ramsay
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Cost: $2,023
Machaba Camp - Okavango Delta
Our view
Machaba Camp knows how to safari. It brilliantly combines traditional 1950s safari style with a contemporary perks, and sits in one of the Okavango’s best wildlife destinations in the Khwai concession. It’s a brilliant choice for those who want an authentic safari experience with the old school romance that comes with – but without going back to basics (and not forking out an arm and a leg either).
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Meno a Kwena - Makgadikgadi Pans
Our View
Meno a Kwena is a small and intimate lodge that has long been home of the famous David Dugmore! Consisting of 8 simple, yet effective tents the lodge is located on the traditionally dry Boteti River, to the south east of Maun. With great views down to the river bed below, this camp is the perfect place to start or end a trip as a short drive out of Maun and offering very good value for money.
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Cost: $890
Mokete Camp - Mababe
Our View
Botswana is renowned for having some of the most exclusive safari experiences in Africa, yet location is still key for the best experience. Mokete, meaning ‘celebration or feast’ in Sesotho is exactly what is provided. Feast your eyes on some of the best game viewing in the country and celebrate exploring an area only a select few have had the privilege of doing.
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Cost: $1,200
Mokolwane Camp - Okavango Delta
Our View
Mokolwane is an intimate but relaxed Okavango Delta camp set in a brilliant leopard-viewing, 200,000-hectre concession. This is an ideal base for small groups looking for an exclusive Okavango experience without breaking the bank. It’s also just a really barefoot luxury existence here - but the food, guiding and experience is top notch.
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Cost: $785
Mombo - Moremi
I wanted to drop you a note and tell you what an absolutely fantastic trip I had to Mombo and Vumbura Plains. I walked away with 2900 photos and am, by no means, a serious photographer. Thank you again for all your wonderful suggestions. They really paid off for me. You can be certain this is not my last trip there.- A Luchechko
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Cost: $3,512
Mombo Trails - Moremi
We stayed at Mombo Trails which is the temporary luxury camp available while they rebuild Mombo Camp. My wife and I simply loved the camp and the whole Botswana safari experience. Frankly, I do not know how the new camp will greatly improve on the temporary camp. First and foremost, the density and diversity of animals in the Mombo concession is fantastic. Simply unbeatable game viewing. Our guide, Tebla, was the best. He is a walking talking naturalist with a wonderful and kind heart. Tebla, entertained and educated us for six hours a day. We learned so very much about the Bush and the animals and gained a new respect and love for them. We saw almost everything except for Rhinos. If you demand the best game sightseeing, go to Mombo. The accommodations were just fine, the food was over the top, and the hospitality from management and the large welcoming staff was wonderful. I highly recommend Mombo Camp. You will not be disappointed with any aspect of this experience.- A Walker
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Cost: $2,725
Moremi Crossing - Okavango Delta
Our View
This is a new style of camp to the delta. It has 16 rooms, not the usual 9 rooms, but what a great value accommodation to experience, at its best, what the delta is famous for: its waterways. The location is superb with excellent views and it is lovely place to relax and soak up the bush.
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Cost: $724
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