Camp
Selinda, Botswana & the Okavango
Zarafa Camp
An under-canvas camp on the Zibadianja Lagoon in Botswana's Selinda Reserve, noted for leopard and painted dog sightings.
Price on request
Lodge · Okavango Delta, Botswana
Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge
A twelve-suite lodge on the edge of a Delta waterway, its guest area built to resemble a giant pangolin, on a concession bordering the Moremi Game Reserve.
Overview
Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge stands on the edge of a waterway in the heart of the Okavango Delta, on a private concession that borders the Moremi Game Reserve. The lodge holds traversing rights over 22,500 hectares of wildlife land, roughly 55,600 acres, giving guests room to move without crossing paths with other vehicles. The main guest area is built to resemble a giant scaled pangolin at rest, its curl of shingled wood rising through a canopy of wild palms and fig trees. Inside, the design is glassless and copper-toned, with a wooden deck that extends past the roofline and an upstairs bar and lounge that lead along a raised walkway to a viewing platform.
Twelve suites are raised above papyrus-lined banks, each built to resemble the nest of a golden weaver. Every suite is air-conditioned and has a private plunge pool, a fireplace, a walk-in wardrobe and an ensuite bathroom, with king size or twin beds and a private multi-level deck that includes a daybed and an outdoor shower. Suites overlook the Santantadibe Channel and its reed beds. One Family Suite has a covered interleading walkway. Children of all ages are welcome, and childminders can be arranged on request, alongside the lodge's WILDchild programme of activities.
Game drives use customisable vehicles fitted with bucket seats, padded roll bars and charging points, and guests can also explore on foot with a guide or from the air, since Sandibe operates its own helicopter for transfers and scenic flights over the Delta. A small gym, a massage sala and a log boma sit below the main lodge, and an interactive kitchen lets guests join the chefs to make pizza or burgers in a traditional pizza oven. Around 70 per cent of the lodge's energy needs are met by solar power, generated by the first plant of its kind built in the Delta.
- Rooms
- 12
- Minimum stay
- 1 night
- Check in
- 15:00
- Check out
- 12:00
Why we like it
- Traversing rights over 22,500 hectares (55,600 acres) of wildlife land bordering the Moremi Game Reserve
- Main guest area architecturally designed to resemble a giant scaled pangolin at rest
- Twelve suites raised above papyrus-lined banks, each shaped like a golden weaver's nest
- Every suite has a private plunge pool and fireplace
- 70 per cent of the lodge's energy comes from solar power, the first such plant in the Delta
- Placed in the Top 30 Resorts in Africa by Condé Nast Traveler in 2019
Gallery
Rooms & suites
Categories shown for orientation. Your travel advisor will confirm which are available for your dates and recommend the one that suits the trip.
Suite
Each suite overlooks the Santantadibe Channel and its golden reed beds, with large wooden and mesh sliding doors opening onto a private multi-level deck that includes a daybed, an outdoor shower and a rim-flow plunge pool. Inside is a king size or twin beds, a serving hatch, a personal bar, a walk-in wardrobe, an open-plan lounge and an ensuite bathroom.
Up to 2 guestsKing size or twin bedsSantantadibe Channel and reed beds viewFamily Suite
The lodge's single Family Suite has a covered interleading walkway connecting its rooms, and sleeps up to four guests.
Up to 4 guests
Amenities
- Private plunge pools
- Gym
- Spa
- Massage sala
- Signature shop
- Interactive kitchen
- WiFi
- Log boma
Reserving through us
Included when your travel advisor confirms this stay
- Daily breakfast for two
- Room upgrade on arrival, subject to availability
- Property credit or equivalent where the house offers one
- Early check in and late check out on request
- Welcome amenity and your travel agent known to the general manager
Eligible preferred amenities are applied wherever available, subject to the property at the time of stay, and are confirmed in your proposal.
Location
Okavango Delta, Botswana
Water camps in the delta, high game density and very few vehicles.
Questions
- How do I get to Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge?
- SA Airlink runs daily scheduled flights from Johannesburg or Cape Town to Maun. From there, Mack Air offers shared or private charter flights into the Delta, landing at Chitabe airstrip, followed by a game drive transfer to the lodge. Helicopter transfers direct to the lodge are also available through Helicopter Horizons.
- Why visit the Okavango Delta?
- At the heart of the Delta lies a secluded network of waterways and islands where life slows down. The Delta is known as the river that never finds the sea, with permanent and seasonal waterways and floodplains that shift through the year.
- Is Sandibe suitable for families?
- Children of all ages are welcome, and childminders can be arranged on request. The lodge runs a WILDchild programme of activities, and one Family Suite has a covered interleading walkway.
- What is there to do besides game drives?
- Guests can take a guided walking safari, join a scenic helicopter flight over the Delta, or cook alongside the chefs in the lodge's interactive kitchen, which has a traditional pizza oven.
- Is Botswana a malaria area?
- Yes. Botswana is a malaria area and malaria prophylactics are highly recommended. Consult a medical practitioner before travel and take precautions such as insect repellent and long sleeves at night.
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