Botswana
Botswana’s best safari lodges, from Okavango Delta to Moremi
Head into the wild at these top safari lodges in Botswana
Botswana’s safari lodges are rewriting the script. The country that once built camps with a purist’s focus on wildlife viewing is now flexing a different muscle: design. Structures rise like sculptures from the bush. Interiors are layered with work from African artisans. Suites open onto panoramas that feel like living canvases. Every detail signals a shift toward design-led wilderness stays that carry cultural weight as well as comfort. It’s luxury, yes, but also a cultural statement. One that reflects how Botswana is redefining what a safari stay can look like.
Top photography courtesy of Wilderness Mombo
Overview: Botswana’s best safari lodges
01
Wilderness Mombo
Wilderness Mombo sits beneath mangosteen and fig canopies on Mombo Island in Moremi Game Reserve. Architect Nick Plewman and interior designer Caline Williams-Wynn led its 2018/19 rebuild. They reused original materials, preserved tree cover, elevated suites and kept the same tent footprints for minimal disturbance. Each of its eight suites has an indoor lounge and a bedroom. They also feature indoor and outdoor showers, a copper and brass-finished bathtub, a wrap-around veranda, a private plunge pool, a sunken couch and an outdoor sala. The most recent additions that we love are the fire deck, intimate dining pods and a walk-in wine cellar built by local artists.
Wilderness Mombo
Chief's Island
Moremi Game Reserve
Okavango Delta
Botswana
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Photography courtesy of Wilderness Mombo
02
& Beyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge
& Beyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge is elegance amid wilderness, with just the right amount of local touch. Raised above papyrus and open channels, it sits at the edge of permanent water, so even when floods rise and dry trickles recede elsewhere, you remain connected to life in motion. Sandibe takes its cues from the pangolin, with architecture that curves and coils into sculptural forms. Designed by Michaelis Boyd and Nicholas Plewman Architects, the lodge is almost organic in how it rises from the Delta’s landscape. Interiors use pangolin shells as a motif, weaver bird nests for suite designs and timber shingles “skin” that mimics overlapping scales. For us, the food programme stands out. Kitchens are open and interactive, bread is baked fresh, produce is locally sourced and the experience feels connected to place.
& Beyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge
Okavango Delta
Botswana
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Photography courtesy of & Beyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge
03
Tawana Camp
Tawana Camp opened in 2024 through a partnership with the Batawana people. It lies beside the Gomoti River where floodplains meet forest. The camp combines cinematic storytelling with interiors that showcase African craft and tactile luxury. Its architecture borrows from the terrain: raised walkways (so elephants feel welcome), thatch and natural hues and generous suites with plunge pools and terraces built for silence. The dry season (around May to October) is when Tawana Camp shines most. Low grass, open skies, predator tracking is sharp. In wet months, channels shift, mokoro paths fill and birdlife flourishes. The cultural touchpoints are subtle but meaningful. The naming, the exquisitely curated library with Batawana heritage and fireplaces under ebony trees. This is safari with soul, seen through local eyes.
Tawana Camp
Moremi Game Reserve
Botswana
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Photography courtesy of Tawana Camp
04
Atzaró Okavango
If you want the newest safari gem and the kind of lodge that feels like an insider acquisition, Atzaró is it. Launched in 2024 between Moremi and the Gomoti Plains, on a private concession, it’s built to please the eye and to honour the place. There are eight suites and two villas. There is a lot of emphasis on eco-friendly practices like solar-powered infrastructure and suites designed with materials drawn from local ecology (tree roots, termite-resistant wood). The interiors reflect tones of green, blue and gold against the natural elements like the thatched roofs and river stone sculptures representing native trees. This is a place where safari aligns with wellness, with spa rituals and garden-inspired menus set alongside game drives. Birdsong floods the early morning, while water levels decide if mokoro, boats or walks dominate the day’s rhythm.
Atzaró Okavango
Okavango Delta
Botswana
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Photography courtesy of Atzaró Okavango
05
Xigera Safari Lodge
Xigera Safari Lodge’s design combines art, nature and impact, led by architect Anton de Kock. They avoided using concrete entirely and rely solely on solar power, which is pretty impressive. Inside, the space feels like a living gallery, showcasing the work of 76 African artists in furniture, sculptures and crafts. You’ll find unique pieces like quirky human-scale nests by Porky Hefer, a standout totemic fire pit by Conrad Hicks and benches made from fallen wood by Adam Birch. The fireplace even features a beautiful lily design, with artwork inspired by Sotho and Tsonga literature. The suites are spacious, offering indoor and outdoor spaces that include daybeds, outdoor gazebos, private decks and showers that let you enjoy nature while you wash up. Our favourite is the Baobab Treehouse sleep-out, which sits high above the floodplains with canvas walls that open up to the sky.
Xigera Safari Lodge
Moremi Game Reserve A35
Masarwa
Botswana
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Photography courtesy of Xigera Safari Lodge
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