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Includes: meals, local drinks, activities, park fees , laundry and Intermittent WiFi .
Excludes: premium drinks
Activities: day & night game drive, walking, boating and cultural village visit
Muchenje is an intimate and privately owned lodge situated to the west of the famous Chobe National Park. The lodge has stunning panoramic views overlooking the Chobe river and floodplains. It is only 45 minutes from Kasane and two hours from Victoria Falls.
The lodge accommodates a maximum of twenty guests in ten spacious twin-bedded thatched chalets overlooking the Chobe floodplains. Each en-suite room is exquisitely furnished with an African ambience and a private balcony affords stunning panoramic views. Guests may relax in the lounge, bar or lookout platform. The main area also features a dining area, reception, curio shop, game viewing platform and library. The feature swimming pool is built amongst natural rock formations, taking advantage of the African vista.
Activities offered at Muchenje Lodge are walking safaris in the private reserve adjacent to Chobe National Park thus allowing guests to explore the intricacies of the bush, plants, insects and big game. Game drives, both in the reserve surrounding the lodge as well as into the Chobe National Park, are conducted in open 4x4 safari vehicles with qualified professional guides. Alternatively guests experience game viewing by motorboat on the Chobe River past bathing herds of elephant, hippos, crocodiles and amazing bird life. For those on longer stays, fishing and interior drives to the remotest parts of central Chobe can be arranged with the lodge.
Chobe / Ngoma Gate
This property is located near the Ngoma Gate for entry to the Chobe Riverfront. Very few lodges are located on this end of the park and few people utilize this entry point, creating a more remote and exclusive experience than at the properties around Kasane. Although outside the park, this option is located in a bush setting where wildlife frequently passes through.
Airstrip Transfer Time: 45 minutes
2 Beds which can be made up as a Twin or Kingsize , with en-suite bathroom, housing a large walk-in shower, double wash basins, WC. Each room has their own incredible double aspect views of the Chobe River, with private veranda.
Open room, housing a master bedroom, with an upper mezzanine deck that can accommodate two. Walk-in shower with double wash basins, along with a separate bathroom with a bath with bi-fold doors which open out to a private veranda with amazing views.
Property Facilities
24-hour Security, Bar, Battery Charging Facilities, Communal Dining, Internet Access (Complimentary), Laundry Service (Complimentary), Library, Meal on Request, Pool, Private Vehicle (Available), Restaurant, Secure Parking
Room Facilities
Air Conditioning, Balcony / Deck, Dressing Gowns, Electrical Outlets, En-Suite, Fan, Hair Dryer, Heater, Laundry Service (Complimentary), Mini Bar, Mosquito Nets, Pure Cotton Linen, Safe, Shower, Tea / Coffee, Verandah
Available Services
Airport Shuttle (Available), Airport Shuttle (Complimentary), Credit Card Facilities
Activities on Site
Big 5, Bird Watching, Boating, Game Drives, Game Viewing, Game Walks, Mokoro Excursion, Night Drives, Safaris, Walks (Guided), Wildlife Tours
Activities Nearby
Bird Watching, Cultural Tours, Helicopter Rides
After breakfast the drive will leave from Muchenje and drive to the Jetty on the Eastern side of the park. Our small private boat will depart at approximately 11.30 and spend 2,5 hours exploring the river. The guides know where the elephants prefer to congregate, drink and cross to Sedudu island, so they are making their way to those areas, but on the way they will explore the banks, trees and pools to show the guests the other wonderful wildlife that frequent the Chobe River. Once the boat finds a suitable crossing or drinking area, the boat rests and the guests enjoy a delicious picnic whilst witnessing the elephants gathering on the banks. Watching these magnificent animals drinking as the boat gently drifts in the currents is something awe inspiring.
The activity returns to the vehicles later and enjoys a slow drive through the park along the river back to the quieter western banks.
Although the full day out is long and dusty, the guests have an amazing opportunity to break the usual safari cycle and get to enjoy a more holistic experience within this amazing region.
Muchenje is a 5 minutes drive from the Ngoma Gate of the Chobe National Park. Game Drives use this gate to enter and explore the Western side of the Chobe River. The drives explore the river road and woodland areas that are adjacent to the river, which host a myriad of species. The Chobe flood plains provide an important food source for thousands of animals during the winter (June - November) and witnessing this prolific wildlife is a safari goers dream!
Along with the immense diversity of species of plains game, is an impressive number of predators that also rely on this prolific game activity. Game Drives along the Chobe are rarely uneventful, and during our winter months is a wildlife extravaganza!
Even if you have witnessed a thousand elephants, there is nothing like seeing them on foot. Morning walks within the Forest Reserve is wonderfully rewarding. in the early mornings, before the African heat arrives, the guides explore the river frontage and open pans within easy reach of the lodge.
An opportunity to be totally aware of what is around you and the great African outdoors.
As we have to leave the Chobe National Park at sunset, we therefore offer fascinating drives after dinner each night. Leaving the lodge at about 9pm the drives venture onto the river road in front of the lodge. Without fences between the park and forest reserve, there is the full array of species to find. But for the hour or so that the night drive is out, the smaller nocturnal animals are often enjoyed - such as porcupine, genet, civet etc.
On a 3 night stay we are able to invite our guests to visit the local village of Muchenje. Here they are introduced to Esther a local granny, who looks after her grandchildren at her homestead. A wonderful opportunity to be introduced to the real heart of Botswana, the rural community that support this peaceful and beautiful country. Esther like many women, look after the children, whilst her children work away from home. Her humble home is an authentically Motswanan, where you are welcome to see what duties are being seen to on the day you visit. Maybe the clay bricks for the new room are drying in the sun, or the older girls are doing the laundry.
The drive then stops off at the local Mabele Primary School (at break time) to visit the inaugural Pack for a Purpose project. Supporting 160 children is a big job, but Muchenje has been proud of its association and important role that it has been dedicated to for the decades that we have been operational.
Available when the flood waters arrive on the Western Floodplains - usually April - December. The mokoro trips depart from infront of Muchenje and explore the shallow channels and plains. A wonderful Botswana expereience, especially if only visiting the Chobe Region and not continuing onto the Okavango
A private and excluisive activity that is vailable for guests during their stay - particularly wonderful if you are staying a many nights and want to arrange the pace of your stay to for a slightly leisurely day - or if you arrive later at Muchenje and still want to explore the area before dinner.
Muchenje
Muchenje Safari Lodge invites their guests to enjoy wholesome healthy home cooked food. Tasty, healthy meals with the freshest ingredients available are enjoyed at Muchenje. To complement the safari experience a hearty breakfast after the early morning game drive. A light but tasty lunch during the course of the day and a delicious dinner on the deck under the African skies!
During a full day out in the Chobe National Park the kitchen prepares a delicious picnic - an unparalleled experience whilst watching hundreds of animals coming to the river to bathe & drink.
Most dietary requirements happily accommodated.
