Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge

OVERVIEW:

Within a vast 22,500-hectare terrain bordering the Okavango Delta’s Moremi Game Reserve, &Beyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge is a uniquely designed, contemporary lodge providing high-standard accommodation, service, dining, and wildlife viewing. The landscape supports a combination of floodplains and forests and promises some fantastic game-viewing opportunities led by excellent guides. Since activities are land based, we suggest combining a stay here with one of the more watery camps for a full Delta experience, including boating. Accommodation is booked on a full-board basis, including all meals, a selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, all safari activities, park fees, transfers between the lodge and the local airstrip, and a laundry service.

ACCESS & LOCATION:

&Beyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge is situated in a private concession within the Chitabe region of northern Botswana, close to the wildlife-rich Moremi Game Reserve. It’s surrounded by wild palms and fig trees, with a backdrop of floodplains and views over the Santantadibe Channel from each suite. Scheduled flights are available from Johannesburg or Cape Town to Maun and Jo’burg to Kasane, followed by a light aircraft flight to Chitabe airstrip. The final part of the journey is made via a game drive transfer, which takes approximately 45 minutes.

ACCOMMODATION & FACILITIES AT SANDIBE OKAVANGO SAFARI LODGE:

Guest accommodation at &Beyond Okavango Safari Lodge consists of 12 air-conditioned suites, including a two-bedroom family unit uniquely designed to resemble golden weaver nests. Overlooking the Santantadibe Channel with its papyrus-edged banks, each suite is elevated with a private deck that leads to its own plunge pool a few steps down from the bedroom level. Sliding mesh-covered doors separate the interior and exterior spaces, allowing plenty of light and airflow, while shutters across the front keep the bedrooms warm at night. Inside, deck-facing king-size or twin beds have overhead aircon units, ceiling fans, bedside lighting, and large adjacent vanity units with twin mirrors, and the lounge area features comfy seating, a cosy fireplace, and a mini-bar. En-suite facilities include a separate toilet, an open shower with a skylight, and an outdoor shower on the deck, and the walk-in wardrobe is stocked with dressing gowns, slippers, insect spray, a hairdryer, an umbrella, and a safe. Something we really like about the suites is the nifty hatch from the bedroom, where staff can place a tray of tea or coffee every morning. The family unit comprises two interconnecting suites, accommodating a maximum of two adults and three children. Each suite comes with a complimentary pair of Swarovski Optik EL range 10×42 binoculars for your use throughout your stay and a take-home guide’s journal featuring wildlife illustrations and maps.

Accessed from the guest suites by sandy pathways, the open-fronted, multi-level communal lodge at Sandibe is modelled on the rarely seen pangolin with a curved roof and cedarwood tiles slotted together to resemble its armour-like scales. Inside, the lodge’s wooden support beams and open front give the general feeling of being on a ship! On the top level, there’s a warmly lit lounge and bar area with a fireplace and an outdoor viewing deck ideal for admiring passing wildlife. A level down, you’ll find the main dining area where guests dine at individual tables, a comfortable smaller lounge, and an interactive kitchen for participating in making your own gourmet pizza and burger if you wish! Guests are also invited to sample a moonlit al fresco dinner around the open fire in the lodge’s traditional boma. In the central area, there’s a small library, a safari shop, a gym, and a spa. Keep-fit fans will appreciate the range of equipment in the gym, including a treadmill, rowing machine, stationary bicycle, and weights.

ACTIVITIES AT SANDIBE OKAVANGO SAFARI LODGE:

Sandibe offers a terrific variety of activities – game drives, bush walks, helicopter flights, and &Beyond’s WILDChild programme. Please note that a private vehicle must be booked for families with children below 6; the minimum age for bush walks is 16.

• Expertly guided game drives

  – Expertly guided game drives are taken in the morning and afternoon into the evening. The lodge’s private concession covers some 22,500 hectares of floodplains, woodlands, and islands within rivers. Among the wildlife species you can expect to see are four of the Big Five – lion, leopard, elephant, and buffalo – as well as cheetah, hyena, wild dog, hippo, giraffe, zebra, and antelopes such as sitatunga and red lechwe. Come nightfall, you might glimpse a serval or even a rarely seen pangolin if you’re lucky!

• Birding

  – Birding across the concession is thrilling, featuring a number of specials – white-backed vulture, grey go-away bird, and the vibrant lilac-breasted roller. 

• Bush walks

  – Bush walks from the lodge offer amazing opportunities to explore the smaller lives of the concession in the company of a specialist walking guide.

• Helicopter flights

  – For a bird’s-eye view over the Delta, take to the skies in a helicopter and marvel at the region’s network of plains, lagoons, and islands.

• WILDChild Programme

  – There are plenty of things for kids to do thanks to this exciting programme. Tracking, arts and crafts, even making bows and arrows… if you come here as a family, you can be sure the little ones will be happily occupied!

*This property is unfenced and located in a wildlife area, so large and potentially dangerous animals do pass through. If you opt to stay here, always be alert when walking around the camp and request for a member of staff to escort you if you have any concerns. Any guest is escorted after dark as a matter of course.