Khwai River Lodge

Nestled on the edge of a leadwood and fig tree forest, overlooking the vast Khwai River floodplains and beyond into the Moremi Wildlife Reserve, lies Khwai River Lodge. Here you are close to Africa's heartbeat, at the centre of a world that has not altered much since life began. You can sense the big game heritage from the moment you arrive.

Activities offered at the lodge include morning and afternoon game drives in open Land cruisers, as well as after-dark spotlight game drives. A cultural visit to the local village can be arranged, as well as guided safari walks along the Khwai River.

The indulgent tented rooms are built for game spotting. Spy wildebeest from the elevated private deck or swing in a hammock as zebra and elephants saunter past. Inside, a netted four-poster bed, elegant bathroom, air conditioning and minibar all provide welcome refreshment after a day’s pursuits.

For a more secluded experience, check in to the private suite. The heated splash pool is a sublime spot to watch an African sunset.

For those wishing to enjoy further pampering, the lodge has a 'Naturally Wild' gym and spa facility. Guests are able to enjoy indulgent massages and body wraps in the spa or in the privacy of their own tent.

Early morning game drives take you out and among a wild landscape dotted with trees. Expect to see a huge range of creatures, from big cats such as lions and leopards, to hippo, rhino, antelope, giraffe and buffalo. Widely acknowledged to be the predator capital of the world, this is the only place in Botswana where the Big Five can be seen.

Equally atmospheric and exciting are evening drives, as the shadows lengthen and the sky turns red. Animals and birds emerge from their siesta, and suddenly the bush is alive with sights and sounds. Return as the first stars start to shine—when the chance for unusual encounters is at its most intense.

About the Moremi Game Reserve

Moremi Game Reserve covers some 4,871 km2, as the eastern section of the Okavango Delta. Moremi is mostly described as one of the most beautiful wildlife reserves in Africa as it combines mopane woodland and acacia forests, floodplains and lagoons.

It is the great diversity of plant and animal life that makes Moremi so well known. The reserve contains within its boundaries approximately twenty per cent of the Okavango Delta.

There are a wide range of habitats in Moremi; from riparian woodland, floodplain, reed beds, permanent wetland through mopane forest to dry savanna woodland. The mainland part forms only about thirty per cent of the reserve and is, in many ways untypical - the remaining area being part of the Okavango Delta.

Birdlife is prolific and varied, ranging from water birds to shy forest dwellers. There are many species of ducks end geese, as well as an amazing variety of heron.

Elephants are numerous, particularly during the dry season, as well as a range of other wildlife species from buffalo, giraffe, lion, leopard, cheetah, wild dog, hyaena, jackal and the full range of antelope, large and small, including the red lechwe.

Wild dog, whose numbers are so rapidly dwindling elsewhere, are regularly sighted in the Moremi and have been subject to a project being run in the area since 1989.

Moremi is best visited in the dry season and game viewing is at its peak from July to October, when seasonal pans dry up and the wildlife concentrates on the permanent water.

At any time of the year, the game is prolific (although what is seen obviously varies with the season).

Mosquitoes are prevalent throughout the reserve and it is strongly recommended that visitors should take an anti-malarial prophylactic.