Chobe Safari Lodges

We have recently returned from a Safari holiday in Zimbabwe & Botswana. Our stay at the Chobe Safari Lodge will be one to remember... it was fab!

Chobe safari lodge need to update their photos etc on trip advisor… We arrived early December, and having been in touch with the lodge since our initial booking in August last year when we requested a specific rondavel, nobody thought to tell us that the lodge is currently “under renovation” and is therefore a building site! The picture on your page showing the lovely big pool, restaurant area, reception area, nope, it’s a building site, and if we had decided to stick with our original plan of rondavel no 35, we would have had a JCB as our neighbour. However, to be fair, Daniel was a star! After we explained our story, and lack of updates, he showed us our original requested room, which was now a long walk from the bush lodge where everything has now relocated. He showed us a bush lodge room and gave us the choice. We chose the bush lodge, and the room was lovely. We were also compensated with a free sunset cruise. Although originally cross and disappointed, Daniel went the extra mile. We had stayed there on many occasions previously, and everything else about our stay was fine, and yes, I would certainly go back again on my next trip back to my second home.

The lodge features a main building with a soaring entryway and open-air galleries. The lobby is bright and breezy (welcome in the Botswana heat) featuring beautiful artwork and sculptures, a large restaurant, small gift shop and seating areas, overlooking the swimming pool. The lodge is on the banks of the Chobe River, with a variety of room options in numerous buildings scattered throughout the grounds. We chose a River View Room on the second floor - while the view of the river is obscured by the trees, we were highly entertained by the wildlife viewing - a resident group of warthogs frolicking in their mudhole and lots of vervet monkeys and baboons (heed the warning on the balcony doors - keep them locked to keep primates out!) The open plan rooms are spacious and full of historical artifacts, plus a towel twisted into an welcoming elephant on your bed to greet you. The lobby restaurant is great for all meals, but the buffet (dinner only) and Sedudu Bar near the dock (lunch and snacks) are equally good). Hint - there is a larger and better-priced gift shop near the eagle statue that welcomes you at the hotel drive entry than the lobby gift shop. Game drives and wildlife-viewing river cruises leave from the docks on the property. Tesh (at the activities desk) was especially helpful in planning our outings - and request Tsogo as your guide on the cruises (he's the best). The wildlife viewing on the river and Sedudu Island is amazing (especially in the evening if you are able to catch an elephant crossing - wow! A fabulous experience.