5 Most Luxurious Safari Camps and Lodges in Botswana

At first light, a thin mist tugs at the tall grasses as the Okavango Delta’s waters reflect the pink sky. In the hush, the only sounds are distant lion calls and the soft rustle of an elephant passing invisible in the reeds. Botswana does not do mass luxury. 

It does privacy, space, and time properly. These luxurious safari camps and lodges below are not only pricey places to sleep. They are carefully positioned in prime wildlife areas, limited to a small number of guests, and built to make you feel part of the landscape rather than above it. So, if you’re looking for the ultimate safari experience in Botswana, these five stand at the very top.

Mombo Camp

Location

Chief’s Island, Moremi Game Reserve, Okavango Delta.

Why it stands out

Just after sunrise, lions emerge from shimmering grasses, pausing as red lechwe bound through sunlit floodplains while herds of buffalo graze in the distance. 

At Mombo Camp, abundance is not a promise but a daily reality,  where every game drive might bring a leopard stretched along a branch or wild dogs coursing after prey through thick reeds. 

This concentration of wildlife has led to the camp being called the “Place of Plenty,” a reputation earned through extraordinary sightings, especially of big cats, time and again. It is frequently ranked among Africa’s best safari camps not for marketing flair, but because the game viewing genuinely delivers.

Accommodation and facilities

Step from your suite into the cool dawn, wrapping yourself in steam as you sink into a deep bathtub, the mist beyond your window blending with your own, the line between comfort and wilderness blurring away. 

One guest described it: “I watched zebras sip from the floodplain while soaking in the tub, so close I could count their stripes.” Slide open the canvas to a private veranda where floodplains stretch into forever, wildlife just footsteps beyond the deck. 

Every detail here invites you closer to the land, with open, natural materials and quiet spaces made for watching, listening, and feeling part of the wild. The main area offers intimate niches for reading, unwinding in the shade, or letting the hush of a nearby wildlife corridor serve as your backdrop.

Wildlife and activities

Botswana is a predator country, and each game drive is charged with much anticipation. Imagine setting out at dawn, the air crisp as your guide follows the tracks of a lion pride through dew-damp grass. 

Every turn in the road could reveal a leopard draped on a branch or wild dogs materializing silently from the bush. The crescendo: your first sighting of a silent, powerful predator stepping into view, heart pounding as it locks eyes with you before disappearing into the reeds. 

The memory lingers long after the vehicle has moved on. Activities are centered on expertly guided game drives in open vehicles throughout the day, with night drives offering the thrill of spotting elusive hunters under the stars, if conditions allow.

Dining experience

Elegant yet relaxed. Meals are served communally or privately, with a strong emphasis on fresh ingredients and thoughtful presentation. One evening, you might taste Okavango Delta bream, caught only 10 kilometers upstream by local fishermen, delicately scented with wild sage foraged just beyond camp, or savor a salad brightened by marula oil pressed by a women’s cooperative in a nearby village, using marulas gathered from the trees that dot the surrounding floodplain. 

These hyper-local flavors not only enliven the palate but also honor the landscape and sustainability at the camp’s core. Bush breakfasts on game drives, perhaps a warm muffin infused with delta honey collected from traditional hives just outside camp and fresh sage, are a highlight.

Sustainability and conservation

Operated by Wilderness, Mombo supports low-impact tourism, extensive conservation research, and community employment programs across northern Botswana. 

The camp helps protect over 120,000 hectares of pristine wildlife habitat and directly contributes to more than a dozen long-term scientific studies, including big cat monitoring and anti-poaching initiatives. 

Your stay here is not just an experience, but a real contribution: a typical three-night visit funds two weeks of anti-poaching patrols or supports a month of wildlife research in the surrounding delta. By partnering with local communities, Mombo also provides sustainable jobs, with over 80 percent of staff recruited from surrounding villages.

Ideal for

Serious wildlife enthusiasts, photographers, and travelers who value sightings over spectacle.

Practical details

• Price range: From USD 2,000 to 2,500 per person per night
• Best time: Year-round, with peak game density from June to October
• Access: Light aircraft transfer to Mombo airstrip, followed by a short game drive

Zarafa Camp

Location

Zarafa Camp is located in the Selinda Reserve, linking the Okavango Delta and Chobe ecosystems.

Why it stands out

Zarafa Camp redefined safari luxury in Botswana by setting a new standard for both design and sustainability. Its custom-built tents are crafted entirely from recycled hardwoods, demonstrating how eco-conscious construction can also feel deeply indulgent and welcoming. 

This innovative approach, together with just four guest suites, means Zarafa offers not only exclusivity but also a tangible commitment to both comfort and the environment. Here, staying in a tent is elevated to the experience of a private bush home, where every element serves both elegance and conservation.

Accommodation and facilities

Massive tented villas with polished wood floors, copper bathtubs, plunge pools, fireplaces, and expansive decks overlooking the Zibadianja Lagoon. 

Every detail is deliberate and quietly indulgent. In each suite, a reclaimed-teak writing desk, once the deck of a traditional dhow, anchors the space, a single, storied object that embodies Zarafa’s commitment to sustainable luxury and the art of giving new life to the materials of the bush.

Wildlife and activities

Game drives, walking safaris, boating when water levels allow, and seasonal canoeing. The area is known for elephants, lions, and wild dogs, as well as dramatic predator-prey interactions.

Dining experience

Highly personalized dining, often tailored to guest preferences. Meals may be served under the stars, on private decks, or beside the lagoon with lantern light and silence as the soundtrack.

Sustainability and conservation

Great Plains Conservation channels tourism revenue into habitat protection, anti-poaching units, and large-scale community projects across Botswana. 

In 2022 alone, over $1.2 million was directed to fund village schools, healthcare clinics, and anti-poaching patrols in Okavango Delta communities, providing tangible improvements for more than 5,000 local residents and ensuring long-term support for both people and wildlife.

Ideal for

Honeymooners, couples, and travelers seeking total privacy and architectural elegance.

Practical details

• Price range: From USD 2,200 to 2,800 per person per night
• Best time: May to October for game viewing, with lush scenery earlier in the year

Access: Light aircraft to Selinda airstrip, then a short transfer

Xigera Safari Lodge

Location

Western Moremi Game Reserve, Okavango Delta.

Why it stands out

Xigera is where contemporary African design meets deep ecological thinking. Every suite is individually styled by African artists and designers, making the lodge feel like a living gallery in the floodplains. 

For example, one suite features a sculpted metal mokoro canoe suspended above the bed, inspired by the traditional boats used to navigate the Okavango’s winding channels just outside your door. 

Woven motifs echo the rippling patterns of papyrus reeds, seamlessly connecting the artwork within to the life and movement of the delta beyond. These creative choices mean the beauty of the land is not only glimpsed through the window, but surrounds you in every detail of the lodge.

Accommodation and facilities

Twelve expansive suites with climate control, private decks, plunge pools, and floor-to-ceiling views. Facilities include a spa, gym, wine cellar, and a serene communal pool area shaded by trees. 

Here, silence is intentional, not accidental: staff lowers music volume at sunset so the haunting cry of a fish eagle or the soft chorus of frogs can fill the space. 

The soundscape is curated to let the wilderness speak. Guests might find that the only soundtrack is the gentle ripple of water as someone slips into the pool, or the call of a fish eagle drifting in through open doors, reminding you that you are still deep in the delta wilderness.

Wildlife and activities

Mokoro excursions, boating, walking safaris, and game drives, depending on water levels. Close your eyes for a moment and imagine the gentle sway as a mokoro glides beneath you, the paddle dipping quietly into mirrored water, and the hum of the delta surrounding you. 

Drift over glassy channels at sunrise as a fishing owl lifts off soundlessly from a papyrus perch, the only ripples created by your guide’s pole. Some days bring quiet paddles alongside a herd of red lechwe, while others follow leopard tracks on foot or reward you with hippos surfacing in golden afternoon light. Expect elephants, lechwe, hippos, lions, and abundant birdlife.

Dining experience

Creative, seasonal menus with strong regional influences. Dining locations vary, from open decks to candlelit interiors, always paired with a carefully curated wine selection.

Sustainability and conservation

Xigera Safari Lodge runs entirely on solar power and is one of the most environmentally advanced lodges in Africa, setting new standards for low-impact luxury.

Ideal for

Design lovers, slow travelers, and guests who value aesthetics as much as wildlife.

Practical details

• Price range: From USD 1,900 to 2,400 per person per night
• Best time: June to September for water-based activities
• Access: Light aircraft to Xigera airstrip, followed by a short boat or vehicle transfer

Savute Elephant Lodge

Location

Savuti Channel, Chobe National Park.

Why it stands out

Overlooking a natural elephant corridor, this lodge places you at eye level with the giants of Savuti. Picture an early morning as a massive bull elephant strides past, just meters from the viewing deck, his ancient tusks gleaming in the sunlight, every footfall heavy on the sand, the air humming with possibility. 

This is not a distant spectacle, but an immediate encounter: the raw, dramatic presence of these herds is felt in your chest as much as seen with your eyes. The Savuti region delivers wildness and reward with an intensity you won’t forget.

Accommodation and facilities

Twelve luxury tented rooms with private decks, open-air bathrooms, and uninterrupted views over the channel. The main lodge includes a pool, a lounge, and shaded viewing areas.

Wildlife and activities

Renowned for elephants, lions, hyenas, and seasonal zebra migrations. Activities center on game drives and guided bush walks when conditions permit.

Dining experience

Comfort-focused cuisine with generous portions, often enjoyed while elephants move silently past the lodge.

Sustainability and conservation

Belmond, the owner of Savute Elephant Lodge, supports conservation partnerships in Chobe and invests heavily in staff training and local employment.

Ideal for

Wildlife lovers who prefer authentic wilderness over polished perfection.

Practical details

• Price range: From USD 1,400 to 1,900 per person per night
• Best time: July to October for peak elephant activity

Access: Light aircraft to Savuti airstrip, followed by a game drive transfer

Jack’s Camp

Location

Makgadikgadi Salt Pans.

Why it stands out

Jack’s Camp is unlike any other safari lodge in Africa. It is theatrical, nostalgic, and deliberately eccentric, set against the vast emptiness of the salt pans.

Accommodation and facilities

Large 1940s-style canvas tents with Persian rugs, antique furniture, and ensuite bathrooms. Facilities include a swimming pool, tea tent, and natural history museum.

Wildlife and activities

Seasonal zebra and wildebeest migrations, meerkat encounters, quad biking on the pans, and guided walks with San Bushmen trackers.

Dining experience

Formal yet warm, with long-table dinners and silver service that echo a bygone safari era.

Sustainability and conservation

Operated by Uncharted Africa Safari Co., Jack’s supports cultural preservation and conservation across the Makgadikgadi ecosystem.

Ideal for

Experienced safari travelers, creatives, and those drawn to remote, unconventional places.

Practical details

• Price range: From USD 1,300 to 1,800 per person per night
• Best time: April to October for varied activities, January to March for migration
• Access: Light aircraft to Jack’s Camp airstrip

Final thoughts from the field

Luxury in Botswana is not about gold taps or marble floors. It is about silence, space, expert guiding, and knowing that the land around you remains wild long after you leave. 

Choose your camp based on the experience you want, not just the thread count. In Botswana, the real luxury is how deeply the wilderness still breathes.

Now, imagine the morning mist cooling your skin as you set foot on the Delta’s soft sand or savor the quiet hush after lions call in the distance. Which rhythm of wilderness calls you most loudly? The adventure is yours to begin.

Frequently Asked Questions