It was uncomfortably hot with hardly any respite for the entire duration of our stay. Daytime temperatures reached 45 Celsius (113 Fahrenheit). The property relied on daytime generator power as its sole source of energy, and was not equipped for the intense heatwave that blanketed the region.
We might return to Savute Safari Lodge in a cooler shoulder season in search of quality game viewing and fewer crowds.
The waterscapes, water settings and sunset views of the Okavango Delta, spacious common area deck with lagoon views, friendly management staff, buffet meals, and birding opportunities made the visit worthwhile. We also appreciated the well appointed (if very hot) luxury tents, curio shop, computer with slow internet connection for guest use, and refreshing outdoor pool. We would return in a cooler season.
Indoors, our rooms, sealed during out absence for game drives, were super heated, making every surface hot to the touch and causing what little ice we had to melt within minutes. Several fellow guests became unwell with heat stroke and dehydration, often failing to recognize the signs until they were forced to stay in from the twice daily safari activities.
We would return in a cooler season.
We liked the newly renovated modern rooms, the property’s easy river access and views of the river from its elevated walkway, where welcome bubbly drinks, tea and lunch were sometimes served. The main building had a cozy bar and ample space to spread out as well as an inviting outdoor swimming pool, a fitness room and a spa room with several treatment options.
My visit to Xaranna began with a quintessential Delta experience, an exhilarating boat ride through a watery labyrinth of papyrus-bordered channels and floating islands of water lily pads. Secluded in the pristine wilderness of a 62,000 acre (25,000 hectare) wildlife concession in the southern Okavango, Xaranna can only be reached by boat most of the year. Birds soared as we went by and tiny painted frogs clung to their reeds; bulbous eyes emerged at water level, attached to a large bull hippo unflinchingly claiming right of way. We detoured. Across the lagoon, pale pavilions materialized among the trees. We landed to the warmest of welcomes from the management and staff.
This was my first experience in the Okavango Delta. I couldn’t have wished for a better introduction to this unique landscape of papyrus-lined channels and water lily-filled lagoons weaving through shady glades and rich savannah grasslands than Nxabega Okavango Tented Camp. Set under a lush canopy of massive ebony trees in a remote 19,800 acre (8,000 hectare) concession, Nxabega (“place of the giraffe” in Basarwa, the language of the river bushmen) was an oasis of elegance and comfort in the heart of the Delta. From the instant the Cessna touched down, it was obvious that a fascinating adventure had begun. Exceptional rains had recently flooded the camp’s own airstrip; we had landed on a nearby, higher ground landing strip, my guide informed me in the course of his warm welcome. We would now drive a few miles to Nxabega; and by the way, a leopard guarding his freshly killed impala had been sighted earlier this morning near our route; would I care to make a short detour to look for it?
