FAMILY FLY IN

Here you experience the remoteness of the Okavango Delta and get a bird's eye view of the inaccessible lakes and islands.

Your pilot’s voice is coming through on the headset. “Look to the right where a herd of buffalos is crossing the river. We’re going down for a close-up view.” Next, you’re soaring up again. “We’re heading to a higher altitude. See the formation of the channels and the way in which the water and land mass has evolved over centuries.”

Helicopter flights over Botswana are one of life’s big adventures. Hunting has rarely been done from above and therefore animals are unperturbed by aircraft. Surprisingly, you may hover just a few feet over great herds of zebra as they continue to graze, completely unconcerned.

Even more exciting, you may be able to touch down on an island far away from human habitation and stand in a spot that has not been touched by the modern world. A speed boat may appear bearing coffee or a celebratory glass of sparkling wine: sip at leisure as you gaze on lush, riverine scenery—one of the world’s last great wildernesses.

(Additional rates apply)

We are thrilled to introduce the first helicopter and horseback safari combination in Botswana at the Belmond Eagle Island Lodge.

Combining an aerial safari by private helicopter with a horse-ride through one of the world’s last true remaining wildernesses, the excursion offers a new way to explore the UNESCO world heritage site and its magnificent inhabitants.

This traditional dugout canoe takes you gliding over shallow, clear waters past brilliant water lilies and papyrus grasses to areas inaccessible by boat.

On a walking safari through the Delta you are totally enveloped in nature. You spot amazing things close-up: an insect, animal tracks, big game droppings, swarming termite mounds. These small, unexpected aspects of life often make the biggest impression. If a game drive is like reading a book: a walking safari is like actually becoming a character in that book.

Many people come to Belmond Eagle Island Lodge purely to experience its huge variety of birds. The 400 land and aquatic species drawn to the watery Okavango Delta make for unrivalled bird viewing.

Belmond Eagle Island Lodge is positioned close to Xaxaba village. On request you may visit the village and you may be invited into a private home to experience aspects of their way of life. This is no tourist attraction, but a community of people who have adapted ancient traditions to modern times.

Motorboat safaris up the Delta takes to closer to nature and far of areas not acceptable by foot or vehicle.

Take a slow gently cruise down the Delta for sundowners, you might just see a Fish Eagle taking flight or pods of hippos in the distance through an African sunset.

Morning and afternoon game drives are available in open land cruisers. Night game drives with spotlights and stargazing presentations are also available after dinner. As the lodge is located on a private concession, vehicles are allowed to drive before and after sunset, as well as off road.

It’s dark outside as a cup of steaming coffee and a freshly-baked pastry is brought to your tent. The first rays of sun are sneaking over the horizon as you set out with your guide. As the light intensifies, the scent of wild sage perfumes the air.

Early morning and late afternoon game drives take you out and among Africa’s largest populations of elephants. Big cats are on the prowl, from leopards to lions. Depending on the season you will also experience the great migrations such as zebra and antelope. Rare sightings might include the endangered wild dog, rock-climbing klipspringers and the elegant roan antelope.

Equally atmospheric and exciting are evening drives, as the shadows lengthen and the sky turns red. Animals and birds emerge from their siesta, and suddenly the bush is alive with sights and sounds.

Game viewing vehicles sit up to only 6 guests, allowing all on board to enjoy the wildlife from a window seat.

Head to our new viewing hide to enjoy a front-row seat of the action as elephants, hyenas and leopards gather at the watering hole for their daily drink.

It is a fascinating time to spot birds at Savute as the intermittent Savute Channel, dry for 30 years, is flowing past the camp again. With it has come a host of new bird species. Dry land birds such as bustards and secretary birds have suddenly been joined by more aquatic varieties. Simply sit out on your terrace and watch the show, especially at dawn and sunset, as they come to splash and drink right in front of your eyes.

Keen birders should also take note of the seasons. At certain times of year you may encounter annual migrations such as flocks of carmine bee-eaters on the move. Some ride on the backs of kori bustards—an amazing sight.

Out in the bush, where rocks rear up among stony hills you will find a collection of paintings that take your breath away. These works by Bushmen are thought to be more than 1,500 years old—beautiful images of elephant, giraffe, sable and eland antelope. Normally these types of painting might be found hidden in caves, but here, unusually, they are out in the wide, open landscape. No-one knows what materials the bushmen used, but the paint is thought to be a mixture of snake venom, blood and plant juices.

After viewing these paintings, continue to the amazing baobab grove—a cathedral-like cluster of 13 giant trees that rival the Bushmen’s paintings in age. Stand among these towering columns at sunset, as the evening light bathes them in a russet glow and wonder at this ancient land.

The open skies around Belmond Savute Elephant Lodge make it the perfect place to experience the vast, dark dome of the African night sky. “A jewel box” is how one of our guides describes it, and certainly it is a wealth of riches from the Milky Way to Orion and Venus. Discover how Bushmen used the stars to locate the true south. And, using a powerful telescope, gaze on constellations that visitors from the northern hemisphere may never have seen before, including the Southern Cross.

Gather around the campfire in this circular log hut and exchange your day’s adventures, much as local villagers do in similar buildings throughout Botswana. Flames flicker and lamps glow as drinks are served; a choir sings traditional songs and invites you to a buffet of African specialities.

Then take a comfortable seat and listen as camp guides recount tales of the bush. Musicians strike up traditional songs and the evening often ends with everyone on their feet, dancing to rhythms handed down through generations.

Discover our luxurious new spa tent, inspired by the elephants grazing on the nearby marula trees and traditional African healing practices. In a quiet spot at the edge of the lodge, surrounded by luxuriant bushveld, we invite you to put time on hold and lose yourself in a sense-soothing journey.

We are incredibly proud of the innovations that went in to our Photo Boat! Designed by Aliboats of Maun and ourselves, we believe that we have struck the perfect balance between functionality, usability, space and comfort. Each of our eight seats rotate a full 360 degrees and the mounting, designed and built by our very own Guts, is based on a lightweight machine gun mounting used by the South African army. The mounting design is so simple and effective that guests will master its movement in no time at all. Clients travelling with their own lenses simply attach one of our base plates to their lens collar and they are ready to go. Simple and photography friendly! Please note that you will have to have your own cameras and lens (with a collar) to make the most of the photo boat as we don’t supply cameras onboard the houseboat.

The seats are arranged down the centre of the boat allowing maximum storage space on either side for extra lenses and gear. More importantly, a configuration like this limits any potential obstruction by the adjacent photographer. If, for example, we arranged the seat further towards the edge of the boat, clients would have their field of view dramatically restricted when the subject is one side of the boat. With a configuration like that, only half of the guests would have a clear line of sight half of the time which would be frustrating to say the least.

When designing the boat we agonized whether to have a roof. When we operated in the prime viewing months and the height of the dry season, we are glad that we had one fitted! The African sun can be punishing and there is no greater distraction to a photographer than being baked and sweating profusely while trying to compose an image. The roof is positioned as high as possible and is over 2m at its lowest point inside. This height does not affect our ability to capture birds in flight and as there are only supports at either end it means that there is no obstruction on either side for any client.

Dotted along the Namibian bank of the Chobe you will see several small villages which welcome visitors – especially from far away. Most of the crew from the houseboat were born and raised in these villages and if you would like to pay a visit and learn more about the lives of the local subsistence fishing communities please arrange this with the captain when you arrive onboard. There is no charge for this but there are normally a few curios for sale in the village which contributes to the economy directly.

The Pangolin Voyager boasts a sun-soaked deck area, perfect for the days that you would like to kick back with a good book, or perhaps try a new angle to get that perfect shot.

The Pangolin Voyager relocates to a different mooring each day along the river and the sundeck is a great place to enjoy the cruise.

The fishing in The Chobe is best when there isn’t an “R” in the name of the month (May to August) but even then it can be a little hit and miss due to overfishing further up the Zambezi River, which joins the Chobe. The main fish species are Tiger Fish, Bream and Barbel and fishing is on a strict catch and release policy. Fishing can be arranged at an extra charge and needs to be booked in advance. Please talk to your safari planner to organise this for you.