The Luxury Travel Bible - LUXURY LODGE: Chobe Game Lodge, Botswana

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LUXURY LODGE: CHOBE GAME LODGE, BOTSWANA

If The Luxury Travel Bible had a Mantra it would be ‘If it's good enough for Elizabeth Taylor it is good enough for us’.

Throughout my stay at Chobe Game Lodge it was clear to see why Elizabeth Taylor chose to remarry Richard Burton while on holiday here in 1975. A beautiful photo of the glamourous couple hangs in the bar area, watching over guests as we enjoyed a round of the local tipple, Makubula following a long, yet satisfying, day on safari.

As we arrived, even after our long journey to get to Botswana, I was no longer feeling tired as we entered the Chobe National Park. I was eager and excited to get to the lodge and out to see some of the Big Five, after all that was why we were here.

Driving through the National Park, before we even reached the gates of the lodge, we had already spotted elephants, giraffes and impalas.

Chobe Game Lodge is the five-star flagship property in the Desert & Delta Safaris collection and it is the only permanent lodge within the Chobe National Park.

The lodge features 40 rooms, all river facing, and four suites which each feature a plunge pool and lounge area.

My room was beautifully decorated and comfortable and I absolutely fell in love with the huge en-suite with deep, roll topped bath – perfect for soaking away the dust from the morning on safari.

Chobe has plenty to keep guests entertained between early morning and late afternoon safaris. The lodge has a large swimming pool, gym, beauticians and curio shop. The Chobe Boardwalk and Deck which runs along the banks of the river was a lovely way to spend some downtime.

A particular favourite of TLTB was the afternoon tea which the lodge hosts each afternoon. It was so relaxing to be enjoying a cup of tea with a homemade slice of cake and a great opportunity to meet fellow guests and discuss which animals everyone had spotted so far.

A major benefit of staying at Chobe Game Lodge is that you can enter the park as soon as it opens and are in the heart of the park before others arrive. It certainly paid off as on our first morning, as the sun was just starting to rise and the colours of the sky were changing in the background, we spotted two lionesses and their playful cubs emerging from the bush and sauntered across our path. It was an honour to be sat in the silence, watching these magnificent creatures and it is to the credit of our guide who used her expertise to locate them for us.

Located on the Chobe River, the lodge operated a fleet of solar- electric powered boats that silently take guests along the river to watch wildlife drink and bathe at the river banks. Seeing herds of Elephants from a different perspective from how we had watched them earlier from a 4x4 game drive vehicle gave a fascinating insight to these gentle giants.

The Chobe National Park has the largest population of Elephants in Africa. Despite seeing an abundance of Elephants I never stopped having my breath taken away by seeing them up close, in the wild where they should be.

One particular moment where a herd of elephants walked past by our parked vehicle is one I will never forget.

We weren’t bothering them and they weren’t bothering us. We were a car of people absolutely transfixed. One of my fellow guests whispered ‘This is truly remarkable, can you believe this?’. All I could do was simple nod in agreement while watching them stroll by, just meters from us.

The iconic property is also has been awarded full eco-grading by Botswana Tourism Board. There are many examples of eco-friendly initiatives throughout Chobe Game Lodge such as their use of electric vehicles for Safari Drives and, in an Eco-Tourism First for Africa, using fully electric, solar-powered boats to explore the Chobe River.

Desert & Delta Safaris’ ethos of ‘Empowering Botswana through Tourism’ is demonstrated at Chobe Game Lodge with their all-female guiding team, all of whom are amazingly dedicated and passionate about the lodge, safari and Botswana.

It is very easy to see why such a glamourous couple as Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor loved the lodge and, if they were still with us, I am sure that they would still approve of all that Chobe Game Lodge continues to offer today.

The Luxury Travel Bible flew Business Class from London to Mahé, via Doha on the award-winning Qatar Airways.
The Airline was named the ‘Airline of the Year’ 2022 at the 2022 World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax.
Qatar Airways are the only airline to be awarded this for a record seventh time.
Qatar Airways flies to more than 160 destinations worldwide, connecting through its Doha hub, Hamad International Airport, which was voted by Skytrax as the ‘World’s Best Airport’ in 2022 for the second year in a row.
They were also named ‘World’s Best Business Class’, ‘World’s Best Business Class Lounge Dining’ and ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’.
Read about their Award Winning Q Suites here.

Luxury Link: www.desertdelta.com

Sarah Bryans, 14/08/2023