The best Okavango Delta lodges: Botswana safari camps & luxury safari lodges

The Okavango Delta offers a range of accommodation options, from rustic mobile tented camps to some of the most sought after luxury lodges on the African safari circuit. Botswana’s low-density tourism model means that most safari experiences in the Delta are relatively private and away from the crowds. In terms of rates, a fully inclusive safari package can vary from $450 per person per night, right up to $5000, depending on the style of lodge & safari experience chosen. Here is a list of our top 10 absolute favourite lodges in the Okavango Delta:

Water Camps

Sitatunga Private Island Camp

Sitatunga Private Island is an extraordinary private island and is one of the few locations where one can still see sitatunga, the rare aquatic antelope from camp and by boat. It is located deep Okavango Delta and, as such, is rich in birding. This is barefoot luxury, but not far from the crocodiles and hippos in the deep reed bed lined channels of one of the greatest rivers on Earth. With a maximum of just 4 guests, Sitatunga Private Island offers complete flexibility. The nearby Sitatunga Private Island Suite can accommodate another 4 guests.

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Xigera Safari Lodge

The story of Xigera Safari Lodge is one of renewal. Of rebirth and family legacy, and of the pioneering spirit that drives us to seek out Africa’s wild spaces. The same spirit that inspired this remarkable reimagining, perhaps a complete reinvention, of an Okavango Delta safari. This is Xigera (pronounced ‘kee-jera’), named for the Pied Kingfisher that makes its home amid the watery channels of Botswana’s Moremi Game Reserve. Every aspect is handcrafted to beguile a guest's senses and stir their souls – from the evocative interiors to one-of-a-kind encounters.

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Land Camps

Mombo

Elevated on wooden decks beneath towering shade trees, Mombo overlooks a floodplain teeming with game. Elegant, expansive guest suites celebrate the history and traditions of the camp, while a large deck and plunge pool are ideal vantage points from which to observe the passing wildlife.

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Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge

In the heart of the Delta, on the edge of a waterway, you’ll find Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge. Situated on a diverse, wildlife-rich, private concession, Sandibe has exclusive traversing rights over a vast 22,500 hectares (55,600 acres) of wildlife land bordering the Moremi Game Reserve.

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Chitabe Camp

Situated on a beautiful old tree-island in a prime wilderness locale in the southeast of the Okavango Delta, Chitabe Camp is built on elevated decks to provide superb views across an expansive floodplain. Chitabe's commitment to the Wilderness Purpose includes providing financial and logistical support for a variety of projects ranging from research and monitoring programmes to education and social upliftment projects

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Mixed Camps

Jao Camp

In the heart of the Okavango, luxurious Jao is set amongst islands fringed with riverine forests and vast floodplains with prolific wildlife. The fresh and contemporary design continues the sense of adventure that Jao has always prized, adding an element of surprise and delight in ever-evolving sculptural and architectural language.

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Duma Tau

Duma Tau, meaning ‘roar of the lion,’ is a luxury tented camp located in the private Linyanti Wildlife Reserve on the western boundary of Chobe National Park. The area is famed for large herds of elephants and exceptional game viewing along the Savuti Channel.

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Vumbura Plains

Luxurious Vumbura Plains lies in an area that is a mix of water and dry land. The wildlife is diverse, so that both land and water activities on vehicles, mekoro and boats deliver an all-round African safari experience.

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Duke's Camp‍

Duke’s Camp is situated on a 220,000 acre (89,000 ha) concession in the northern sector of the Okavango Delta, located just north of the iconic Vumbura and Duba Plains, and adjoining the renowned Moremi Game Reserve. The unusually large size of the concession, coupled with limited human impact and a vast abundance of wildlife, ensures a stay at Duke’s Camp is a rare opportunity to enjoy a truly wild and untouched corner of the Delta. The camp itself is pitched on an island along the shores of a permanent lagoon, all but hidden amid the boughs of indigenous leadwood and ebony trees.

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Mobile Tented Camps

Barclay Stenner

Most travelers opt for a permanent camp, lovely but not what we like to call a real safari, we very fondly call these types of safari a ‘SPAfari’. Private canvas safaris are mobile, more reminiscent of the overland expeditions led by John’s great great grandfather to escort princess Eugenie to see her son’s grave after the Zulu wars. Private canvas safaris are designed to make the most of seasonal conditions and wildlife moments, not being geographically restricted to one area or camp concession.

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Wondering where to go and what to do in the Okavango Delta? Click to read all about it!

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Chat to an Expert

Are you interested in travelling to the Okavango Delta? Peruse our Okavango Delta Itinerary Inspiration: Wetlands and Waterfalls. Let us help you find the lodge that best suits your interests, budget and travel dates! Send us an email or book a call. 

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Written by Michelle Pengilly.