Nxamaseri Island Lodge

Nxamaseri Island Lodge offers a unique African safari experience on a private island in the permanent waters of Botswana’s Okavango Panhandle. This small, exclusive lodge is one of the oldest in the Delta boasting a rich history. Nxamaseri has a distinct style and showcases the beauty of the permanent swamp that lies ahead of the lodge. This island lodge subtly expresses its rich vibrancy of the indigenous people.

Nxamaseri boast five chalets, one honeymoon chalet, a triple chalet and a two-bedroom family chalet, each featuring en-suite bathrooms. These thatched, tented chalets are set in a secluded environment within the indigenous forest with a private viewing deck. Teak walkways link the rooms to the main area of the lodge.

There are several ways to make the most out of your stay at Nxamaseri Island Lodge. From mokoro trips, fishing and a visit to the sacred San Site – Tsodilo Hills, a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Take a boat or mokoro trip in the cool Nxamaseri waterways to relax and revitalise your soul. The channels abound with water lilies, fish and wildlife such as crocodiles, hippos, otters, swamp antelope and bird species too numerous to count. Experience the thrill of fishing in the deep waters for tiger fish and bream.

Nxamaseri’s ideal location near the North-Western border makes it perfect for packaging together with stays in Namibia as well as other prime destinations in Botswana. Located on the western side of the Okavango Delta, in the panhandle, Nxamaseri offers a delta experience for self-drive clients entering Botswana through Namibia’s Caprivi Strip or vice versa. Nxamaseri Island Lodge is both easily accessible by road and by air with its own private airstrip.

About the Okavango Delta

The largest inland delta in the world, the Okavango Delta is the most unexpected wonder – water present in a desert. The broad Okavango River sinks into the dry sands of the Kalahari Desert, creating a lush and waterlogged oasis with crystal clear lagoons and channels, reeded islands and fertile floodplains. Dubbed “the river that never finds the sea”, this magical oasis spreads over more than 15 500 km² (almost 6 000 square miles) and yet is so fragile that, if it were denied water for even a decade, it would revert to a semi-desert.

This breath-taking environment constantly adapts and changes with the ebb and flow of the floodwaters that seasonally inundate large portions of the Delta. Although dry for two-thirds of the year, during the winter months the rising floodwaters create a maze of marshes, small wooded islands and shallow lagoons. Water lilies and other aquatic plants flourish in the shallow water, while water birds inhabit the banks of papyrus. As relatively little water can be found elsewhere during this time, the wildlife is drawn to the clear waters of the Delta.

On the edges of the Delta, where land blurs with water, breeding herds of elephant splash gently through shallow channels, the long necks of a family of giraffe materialise slowly out of the Delta skyline and graceful sitatunga antelope hide in the reeds. It is a place where you can wonder at the antics of wild dog in the morning and cast a line for tiger fish in the afternoon, wake in the dappled shade of a forest and enjoy dinner beneath the boughs of a massive baobab at full moon.

Beautiful little reed frogs cling to the water grasses and a variety of incredible bird species make their appearance, from jewelled kingfishers and bee-eaters to ponderous herons and cranes and solemn-looking owls. Red lechwe scamper through the shallows and wild cat, serval and pangolin can be spotted at night, when the moon reflects off the backs of a family of hippo coming out of the water to graze, turning them into slabs of shining silver.

Wildlife
The Okavango Delta is home to a large number of species, including some that are specially adapted to the semi-aquatic lifestyle, like the elegant red lechwe and shy sitatunga antelope. Lion prides, cheetah, leopard and African wild dog may be encountered, while hippo resides in deeper channels and lagoons. Honey badgers are observed during daylight hours. Roan and sable antelope favour taller grass in open woodlands and families of dwarf and banded mongoose occupy large termite mounds.

Graceful giraffe, with their impossibly long necks, and herds of zebra can be encountered on the floodplains. Lion, as well as other predators, can also be found in the area, particularly in the drier areas. Although predominantly nocturnal and difficult to spot, leopard occurs in the dense forest are the water’s edge. The sparkling channels teem with a variety of fish, while hundreds of bird species, frogs and insects inhabit the reeded banks.