Nambwa Tented Lodge

Departing on foot along raised timber boardwalks threaded through the canopy, guests move between the lodge's ten tented suites without interrupting the elephants that pass beneath. The property sits inside Bwabwata National Park within the KAZA transfrontier conservation area, where suites rest four to six metres above ground among jackalberry, sausage, and knobthorn trees. Each 110-square-metre suite opens completely along canvas walls, holds a double bed beneath mosquito netting, and includes a private lounge, an en-suite bathroom with shower and bath, a viewing deck, and a laptop safe. Natural-colour fabrics and teak furnishings anchor the interiors.

Guided drives depart at dawn and in the late afternoon to track lion, leopard, buffalo, and elephant through the park. Walking safaris led by local guides cover medicinal flora and ancestral knowledge of the land. Morning and afternoon boat cruises drift down the Kwando River, a system similar in character to the Okavango Delta. Night drives reveal nocturnal species after a sundowner stop at Horseshoe Lagoon, where herds of elephant gather at dusk. You can arrange catch-and-release fishing for tilapia, catfish, and tigerfish, bush breakfasts on a private island, and visits to the Sijwa Project—a community-led recycling, permaculture, and skills-training initiative that receives twelve per cent of lodge revenue. The open-sky restaurant sources ingredients from local subsistence farmers. Laundry service, wireless internet, and sherry in each suite are complimentary.