A lodge of curved timber shingles on a private concession next to Moremi, with walks, night drives and a welcome for children of every age.
Sandibe is the Delta lodge I reach for when a family wants solid walls, air conditioning and a proper welcome for young children. The main building is a sweep of wooden shingles shaped like a pangolin at rest, and the 12 suites sit under the trees on stilts above the papyrus, each with a plunge pool and a fireplace for cold winter evenings.
The lodge has 22,500 hectares of private concession to itself on the edge of Moremi, so drives run by day and after dark, and guided walks are part of the routine. Children can make their own pizzas in the wood oven with the chefs, and childminders can be arranged so parents get a quiet drive.
This is a land camp first. If gliding through channels by mokoro is the reason you are coming to the Okavango, pair Sandibe with a water camp further north. It also has a more polished, hotel-like feel than a small tented camp, which is a plus for some people and not for others.
Air-conditioned suites raised above the papyrus banks, designed to echo a weaver bird nest, each with a private plunge pool and a fireplace.
A family suite of two rooms joined by a covered walkway, so parents and children are close without sharing a room.
Meals are served in the open central dining area and on the long deck over the Delta, with a bar and lounge upstairs and a log boma below. The interactive kitchen runs cooking sessions, including pizzas from the wood-fired oven and build-your-own burgers.
There is a small gym and a private massage sala on the decks below the main area, and every suite has its own plunge pool.
Children of all ages are welcome. Childminders are available on request, there is a family suite with a covered walkway between rooms, and there are activities designed for younger guests.
| Suites | 12 air-conditioned suites, and a family suite |
|---|---|
| Concession | 22,500 hectares bordering Moremi Game Reserve |
| Activities | Day and night drives, guided walks, scenic helicopter flights |
| Getting there | Light aircraft from Maun to Chitabe airstrip, then a game drive; or helicopter |
| Children | All ages welcome, childminders on request |
| Power | About 70% solar |
Private concession bordering Moremi Game Reserve, Okavango Delta, Botswana
A few of the things we plan for guests in Botswana.
A mokoro is a shallow dugout, poled by a guide standing at the stern. You sit at water level among lilies and papyrus, watching for painted reed frogs, malachite kingfishers and hippos to give a wide berth. It works best from a water camp between June and September, when the flood is high. Ask for an early outing, when the channels are glassy.
The eastern edge of the Delta, where Moremi Game Reserve meets the Khwai River, is some of the most reliable predator country in Africa: lion, leopard and wild dog, which often den here mid-year. Camps in the Khwai community area can drive at night and off-road, which Moremi itself does not allow.
In the late dry season, elephants come down to the Chobe River in their hundreds each afternoon to drink, swim and cross to the islands. A small boat out of Kasane puts you at eye level. The park is busy, so we favour private boats, and Victoria Falls is a short drive away.
Three camps and one waterfall: Chief's Island for big game, the Duba Plains for lion and buffalo, the Chobe riverfront for elephants, and two nights above the Zambezi to see Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwe side.
Tell us your dates and who is travelling. We will check availability, suggest the right room and send a price.
