Chobe Game Lodge

Set inside Chobe National Park on the river bank, Chobe Game Lodge was founded in 1973 as Botswana's first luxury safari property. The lodge occupies the only permanent site within the park, allowing game drives to leave at first light before other operators arrive. Forty rooms and four suites face the Chobe River from private terraces. Standard rooms hold en-suite bathrooms with separate baths and showers, air-conditioning, and overhead fans. Four luxury suites each add a private infinity plunge pool on the terrace. The honeymoon suite — where Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton married in 1975 — sits in the most secluded position. Triple rooms and family suites hold two bathrooms and convert to accommodate children. The lodge runs a 250-metre elevated boardwalk along the river for unobstructed wildlife viewing.

Guided game drives track elephant, buffalo, giraffe, lion, leopard, and wild dog along the park's northern riverfront. Boat safaris depart on twelve-seat skimmer boats with adjustable deck chairs and level platforms for photography. The lodge pioneered electric safari vehicles and solar-powered boats in 2014; four boats now run silent. An all-female guiding team — professionally qualified since 2010 — leads all drives and boat safaris. Spa Kwa Maningi offers treatments using marula oil, shea butter, and rooibos. A gym, lap pool, and riverside boma occupy the main lodge areas. Back-of-house eco tours visit recycling workshops and the solar installations. Between sixty thousand and seventy thousand elephant inhabit the park. You can watch them from the boardwalk at dusk. Laundry and wireless internet are complimentary.