Views across the Delta
Looking out across the Okavango Delta, settled among the landscape of the Moremi Game Reserve, Xigera Safari Lodge reveals the best of the Botswana wilderness, where luxury, heritage and adventure intertwine.
Of all the big-game safaris in Africa, Xigera Safari Lodge introduces us to something entirely unique when it comes to the wilderness of Botswana. A place where you’re exposed to a shifting mosaic of floodplains, meandering waterways and ancient forests. Where the culture and character of the land is authentically interwoven into every element of your stay.
Harmoniously anchored within this UNESCO World Heritage landscape, on the western edge of the Moremi Game Reserve, Xigera Safari Lodge features twelve expansive, individually curated suites, including an elegant two-bedroom family suite.
An impressive steel structure in the shape of a baobab tree, surrounded by indigenous Croton trees, lends itself as an additional accommodation offering, located a kilometre away from the lodge. All opulent suites deliver breathtaking views of the Okavango Delta.
The lodge is partly concealed beneath towering indigenous trees, with timber decks and pathways escorting you around the living, dining, reclining and entertaining spaces. There’s a spa and wellness area, a wine cellar and bar, a gym and swimming pool, and a romantic boma area.
The lodge is sustainably conceived and 98% solar-powered. It is also a refined expression of African artistry. Its interiors house a pioneering collection of pan-African art and design, showcasing works by over eighty of the continent’s most celebrated creatives.
Papyrus swamps latticed with waterways
Xigera ensures your itineraries are tailored to your safari clocks. There are no set schedules, no urgency to tick everything off the spotting list, and no rules on how many hours you should spend listening to the landscape. Everything unfolds as you choose. Whether you’ve elected to rent the lodge exclusively as a multigenerational gathering for the whole clan, or just as a small group, there’s an offering of remarkable experiences, both on land and on the water. Activities include bush walks and game drives.
Catch-and-release fishing on the Delta. Traditional mokoro excursions – depending on the season – or motorboat gallivanting along the winding papyrus-fringed channels. Bird watching and game viewing around the clock – whether you’re resting at the lodge, or out with the amazing guides.
Bush breakfasts, wonderfully prepared picnics and long, languid lunches beneath the trees. Little spots selected for you to really feel the magic of this magnificent place. There are also art tours, conservation tours, village tours, and elephant sanctuary tours. So that you can learn even more about the efforts the lodge is consciously invested in. And what your participation does, by actively giving back to the land you occupy. There are a plethora of activities to get involved in, it’s up to you to choose when, where, and what you wish to explore.
The rest is all about the mandatory stuff we love to do when on safari. Reading beside the pool, spending time in the spa, and feasting in all of the dining spaces. Enjoying the tranquillity of one’s own suite, as you listen to the birds and let that bush scent engulf your resting space. Stargazing, fireside storytelling, and reconnecting with an ancient culture that’s evident in the ecosystem of Xigera Safari Lodge.
What we love!
- Watching the elephants feed from the trees, beyond the deck of your suite. Listening to the lions call across the water, or heading out for some leopard spotting. The birdlife and the antelope. This is one of the most biodiverse regions of Botswana, where wildlife spotting is an absolute treat.
- The luxury experienced at the lodge is authentically stitched together with the essence of nature, paired up with colour and vibrancy. Every space has been thought about, revealing some of Africa’s most visionary creatives.
- Your dining experiences as Xigera are layered in the heritage and soul of the country. A celebration of the culture of Maun, and its seasonal produce.
- Swinging in the large woven nests, created by renowned South African artist Porky Hefer, on the outdoor decks, as you drift across the landscape with your thoughts.
- There’s something to be said about the structure of the baobab treehouse. A design inspired by an iconic painting by Jacobus Hendrik Pierneef – one of South Africa’s most revered landscape artists. Inside the tree’s ‘trunk’, a winding staircase climbs nearly four metres above ground, offering guests panoramic views of the landscape.
What you need to know…
- The nearest major international airports are Johannesburg and Cape Town. Direct scheduled services land at Botswana’s Maun airport. From Maun, a scenic 25-minute flight by light aircraft will deliver you to the Xigera airstrip, a 10-minute drive from the lodge.
- Xigera Safari Lodge rests in the Okavango Delta, surrounded by the expansive wetlands of the Moremi Game Reserve. The summer months are from October to March, known as the ‘green season’. The landscape is at it most scenic during this time, though it can be extremely hot, with temperatures above 35°C. This is the best time for birding, with the arrival of summer migrant species.
- Together with all of the incredible safari excursions available, the lodge offers guests a number of sustainable experiences too. The Art Tours and The Habu Village Excursion provides insight into how the lodge is driving positive sustainable change, with the help of trusted charities, and indeed your participation.
- The majority of your daily activities are included in your stay, but for any additional tours, fees will be applied, including transport. It is important that you discuss your itineraries with the management team; what is involved, and what the extra costs are.
- Xigera can be exclusively rented should you wish to host a special gathering for a large group. Offering 12 luxurious, air-conditioned suites and an impressive variety of communal spaces.
- If Xigera Safari Lodge is not available on your dates, browse our full collection of exclusive-use holiday houses and lodges in Botswana and the Okavango Delta.
Written by Colleen Ogilivie