Botswana classic Chobe Game Lodge hits major milestone in style
It’s been 50 years since the timeless and iconic Chobe Game Lodge opened in Chobe National Park – how have things changed? Jane Memmler heads to Botswana to find out more
Lauded the world over, Chobe Game Lodge is the only permanent structure within Botswana’s sprawling Chobe National Park, and has become synonymous with high-end accommodations, pioneering sustainable initiatives – and its sprinkling of Hollywood stardust.
To celebrate its milestone 50th anniversary, local dignitaries, key travel suppliers and past employees gathered recently to toast its success. Its most salubrious guests, Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor, famously re-married there in 1975, staying for over a month, and a photo of them at the property hangs in the downstairs bar.
Should travellers be keen to embrace a little of the Hollywood spirit themselves, they should be directed towards Room 210, also known as the Elizabeth Taylor Suite, which sits at the end of the west wing, a place where Richard Burton spent many hours strumming his guitar on the balcony in between ordering drinks from the bar.
The lodge sits in a unique location, right on the edge of the meandering Chobe River, a 30-minute drive from Kasane airport and 8km inside the 11,200 sq km Chobe National Park.
Run by Desert & Delta Safaris, the lodge includes 40 rooms and four standalone suites sharing a private pool, with decor that’s distinctly Moroccan with richly-coloured soft furnishings, Persian rugs and heavily-carved furniture. Long cool verandas overlook exceptional gardens of mahogany trees, towering palms, sloping lawns, giant boulders and a large swimming pool.
Jonathan Gibson, chief executive of Desert & Delta Safaris’ owner Chobe Holdings, says things have naturally changed a lot since those early days.
“Back then, more attention was paid to having the right safari gear and people also dressed for dinner,” he says. “And there were no guides: we now have a pioneering, all-girl guiding team, The Chobe Angels.”
The safari experience largely remains the same however: Botswana is home to Africa’s largest elephant population at 120,000, which roam among lion, hippos, baboons, impala and 450 species of birdlife.
As well as the traditional jeep experience, guests can also enjoy a safari on the Chobe River where they may well encounter giant crocodiles against a background of a noisy baboons chasing away potential infiltrators. And just when least expected, hippos will raise their gigantic heads, spurting water from their noses as they rise.
Desert & Delta’s unsurpassed commitment to sustainable tourism is clearly visible, having pioneered Botswana’s first electric powered safari vehicles in 2014, enabling guests to get closer to the animals without alarming them. These sit alongside a fleet of virtually-silent electric boats.
Guests can also learn more on a “back of house” eco tour with Albert Ndereki. He offers a fascinating insight into some of the innovative recycling practices at the lodge such as recycling glass into glistening paving stones. A far cry from the glamorous ‘70s, but a modern evolution of a traditional classic.
How to book it
African Pride offers a seven-night stay at Chobe Game Lodge from £4,429pp (based on two sharing), travelling in March. The price includes British Airways flights from Heathrow; return Kasane Airport transfers to/from scheduled flights; all meals and local brand drinks (excluding premium brand drinks); laundry; and lodge activities such as morning and afternoon game drives, river cruises and eco tours. For more information on Botswana, go to botswanatourism.co.bw
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