Muchenje Safari Lodge

Muchenje Safari Lodge sits inside the Chobe Forest Reserve, five minutes from Ngoma Gate — the entry point into the less-trafficked western section of Chobe National Park, where river roads and woodland see fewer vehicles than the busier eastern reaches. Twelve chalets face the floodplains, each with a private veranda and double-aspect views of the river. The honeymoon room adds a lounge and a second veranda; the family room has a mezzanine deck above the master bedroom and a separate bath that opens on bi-fold doors to the outside.

Game drives enter the park through Ngoma Gate and work the river road and woodland, where elephant, lion, leopard, and buffalo move through regularly. Because vehicles must leave the national park at sunset, night drives run after dinner on the river road directly in front of the lodge, where no fence separates the forest reserve from the park. Guided walks go out in the early morning through the forest reserve, covering the river frontage and open pans close to the lodge. When the floodwaters arrive on the western plains — usually April through December — mokoro trips depart from in front of the lodge and explore the shallow channels.

A full-day excursion combines a game drive with a boat trip on the eastern river, and on stays of three nights or more, guests can visit the nearby village of Muchenje. Meals are cooked on-site; breakfast follows the morning drive, a light lunch comes during the day, and dinner is served on the deck.