The Chobe River at Chobe Riverfront, Botswana, where Chobe Game Lodge stands. Photo: Joachim Huber, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Is Desert & Delta Safaris a good company to book a safari with? The facts for 2026
By Richard Jasinski·Updated 20 October 2026
Desert & Delta Safaris is a camp owner based in Maun, established in 1982 and owned by Chobe Holdings since 1992. It owns nine lodges: eight in Botswana (Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve, Chobe National Park and the Boteti River by Makgadikgadi Pans National Park) and Chobe Savanna Lodge on the Namibian bank of the Chobe River. Its Google listing for Savute Safari Lodge shows 4.8 from 96 reviews (read 20 October 2026); no Trustpilot or SafariBookings profile was found on 19 October 2026.
Is Desert & Delta Safaris a good company to book a safari with?
Desert & Delta Safaris has run lodges in Botswana since 1982, owns nine (eight in Botswana and one in Namibia) and publishes a written deposit and cancellation scale, but the pages read on 19 October 2026 give no current nightly rates and no statement on how guest payments are protected.
The about page says Jessie Neil built Camp Okavango on Nxaragha Island in 1980 and Camp Moremi in 1982, when the two camps were registered as Desert & Delta Safaris. Chobe Holdings bought the company in 1992. The terms name the contracting company as Desert & Delta Safaris (Proprietary) Limited, registration number 2872, incorporated in Botswana, at Plot 851, Sir Seretse Khama Road, Maun. Its press page says it is "based, owned and operated in Botswana". It is a camp owner: its itineraries combine its own lodges, linked by light aircraft from Safari Air, which it calls a sister company. A 2024 press release gives about 320 staff.
Reviews: Google shows 4.8 from 96 reviews for the Savute Safari Lodge listing, read 20 October 2026; its other lodges are listed separately and are not added here. No Trustpilot or SafariBookings profile was found on 19 October 2026. Tripadvisor and Feefo could not be read. No award dated 2024 to 2026 with a named publisher was on the pages read on 19 October 2026; the nearest is a 2020 silver award in Responsible Business for Chobe Game Lodge at the WTM Africa Responsible Tourism Awards. Chobe Game Lodge has "full eco-grading by Botswana Tourism Board". The pages read give no tourism licence number or association membership and do not say how guest payments are protected.
It suits families and travellers who want a multi-lodge Botswana trip run by one company, with flights between its own lodges.
Desert & Delta SafarisBotswana and Namibia · founded 1982
- Best for
- Multi-lodge Botswana trips by light aircraft
- Why choose them
- Nine lodges, eight in Botswana and one on the Namibian bank of the Chobe River, linked by light aircraft from its sister company Safari Air. Google: 4.8 from 96 reviews (Savute Safari Lodge listing), read 20 October 2026.
- Ask for
- Nightly rates per lodge and season in writing, since none were on the pages read; whether park fees and Safari Air flights are in the quote; how your deposit is protected, since the pages read do not say.
- Not the fit if
- You have children under six outside the two Chobe lodges, want published nightly rates before enquiring, want game drives at Camp Okavango or need a single supplement figure in advance.
- Published price
- No current nightly rates on the pages read. The one per-night figure is an expired 2021 special: US$300 per person per night sharing at Chobe Savanna Lodge, all-inclusive. The FAQ says programmes are all-inclusive; park fees are not stated. Read 19 October 2026.
How much does a safari with Desert & Delta Safaris cost?
No current nightly rates for Desert & Delta Safaris were on the pages read on 19 October 2026; the one per-night figure on its site is a 2021 reopening special of US$300 per person per night sharing at Chobe Savanna Lodge.
No rate card was on the pages read on 19 October 2026. The terms refer to a "Nett rate sheet" for agents, which was not among them, so ask for a quote. The FAQ says "our programs are all-inclusive": meals and drinks, twice-daily scheduled activities and daily laundry. Extras named on the site are helicopter flights, private activities, specialist guiding, the Camp Okavango Sleep-Out Deck, spa treatments at Chobe Game Lodge, curios and tips (the site suggests about US$10 per guest per day). Park fees and any conservation levy are not stated. Luggage on the light aircraft is limited to 20 kg in soft bags.
Published figures, read 19 October 2026:
- Chobe Savanna Lodge: US$300 per person per night sharing, all-inclusive, a reopening special for travel in 2021 (an old offer, not a current rate).
- Child rates at Chobe Game Lodge and Chobe Savanna Lodge: 10% of the adult rate for ages 0 to 2, 50% for 3 to 11 and 75% for 12 to 15.
- Child rates at Camp Moremi: 50% for ages 6 to 11, 75% for 12 to 15, adult rate at 16.
- Included with three nights or more: the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans Sleep-Out from Leroo La Tau (15 June to 31 October) and the Tsodilo Hills Sleep-Out from Nxamaseri (no extra charge).
Ask for an itemised quote in US dollars showing the nightly rate per lodge and season, park fees and what the Safari Air flights cost.
Where are Desert & Delta Safaris' camps?
Desert & Delta Safaris has lodges in the Okavango Delta, Moremi Game Reserve, the Khwai Concession, Chobe National Park and on the Boteti River in Botswana, plus Chobe Savanna Lodge on the Namibian side of the Chobe River.
- Okavango Delta: Camp Okavango on Nxaragha Island, a private concession (11 suites plus a family suite, 24 guests); Xugana Island Lodge on a private concession (10 tents plus a family tent, 22 guests; its accommodation text says 12 suites); Nxamaseri Island Lodge in the Okavango Panhandle (9 chalets; the text also says eight).
- Moremi Game Reserve: Camp Moremi and Camp Xakanaxa (each 11 tents plus a family tent, 24 guests).
- Khwai Concession: Sediba Sa Rona, opened 16 March 2026 and run in partnership with Savanna Expeditions (15 tents, 30 guests).
- Chobe National Park: Savute Safari Lodge on the Savute Channel (11 chalets plus a family chalet, 24 guests) and Chobe Game Lodge on the Chobe Riverfront (44 rooms, 94 guests).
- Makgadikgadi: Leroo La Tau on the Boteti River, on the boundary of Makgadikgadi Pans National Park (11 rooms plus a family suite, 24 guests).
- Namibia: Chobe Savanna Lodge on the Namibian bank of the Chobe River, in the Eastern Zambezi Region (13 chalets).
- Opening 1 March 2027: Mapula in the private Mapula and Sekwana Concession (NG12), 12 suites planned, co-owned with the Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund.
Night drives are offered at Sediba Sa Rona (within the Khwai Concession) and Mapula, not in Moremi. No mobile camps are listed. Seasonal sleep-outs run at Camp Okavango (1 April to 31 October, extra fee), from Leroo La Tau on the salt pans (15 June to 31 October) and at the Tsodilo Hills Sleep-Out Camp from Nxamaseri, opened 15 September 2024.
Who is Desert & Delta Safaris best for?
Desert & Delta Safaris fits families with children aged six and over, travellers planning a multi-lodge Botswana trip by light aircraft, photographers and guests with limited mobility, at named lodges.
- Families with children aged six and over: seven of its nine lodges accept children from six (Mapula will too when it opens on 1 March 2027), Chobe Game Lodge and Chobe Savanna Lodge accept all ages and an Eight Night Ultimate Family Safari Package links Leroo La Tau, Camp Xakanaxa, Camp Okavango and Chobe Game Lodge.
- Multi-lodge trips: all its lodges are linked by light aircraft operated by Safari Air, which it calls a sister company.
- Honeymooners: Chobe Game Lodge has a Honeymoon Suite; Chobe Savanna Lodge offers a private riverbank dinner. No honeymoon price was on the pages read.
- Photographers: Savute Safari Lodge has a sunken photographic hide, Leroo La Tau a river-level hide and Isaac Mpuchane is a specialist photographic guide.
- Guests with limited mobility: Xugana has one wheelchair-friendly tent, Chobe Game Lodge "caters for travellers with disabilities" and Camp Okavango has raised walkways with ramps.
- Self-drivers: the site calls Nxamaseri Island Lodge "the perfect Okavango Delta inclusion for self-drive travellers", with road access.
Not the fit if you have children under six and want to stay beyond the two Chobe lodges, you want published nightly rates before you enquire, you want game drives at Camp Okavango (it offers water activities and walks) or you need a single supplement figure in advance.
What are the best alternatives to Desert & Delta Safaris for a luxury safari?
Bush Ways Safaris, Ker & Downey Botswana, Kwando Safaris, Machaba Safaris and Ultimate Safaris are the alternatives because each owns camps in Botswana or Namibia, four of them in or beside the Okavango Delta. We chose them from the camp owners in the safari camp owners table with camps in the same area; the table lists others. They are listed alphabetically, each with the fact that sets it apart.
- Bush Ways Safaris: Founded in 1996 by Marc Germiquet, with camps in Khwai, Chobe, the Kalahari and on the Boteti River, plus mobile camping safaris. It publishes nightly rates in "$": Boteti River Camp $280 to $340 and Sango $435 to $760 by season; the year and whether rates are per person are not stated, read 20 October 2026.
- Ker & Downey Botswana: Okavango Delta camps including Okuti at Xakanaxa in Moremi Game Reserve, with published 2027 rates of US$740 to US$2,480 per adult per night sharing for stays of 1 to 4 nights, read 19 October 2026. Its privacy policy points to Chobe Holdings for its group of companies and its Maun office is in the Chobe Holdings Complex.
- Kwando Safaris: A "proudly 100% citizen owned Botswana company", its home page says, with Kwara and Splash in the Kwara concession and Mma Dinare and Rra Dinare in the Dinare Private Reserve, which borders Moremi. No nightly rates were on the pages read on 19 October 2026.
- Machaba Safaris: Owner-run since 2012, with Machaba Camp and Little Machaba in the Khwai Concession and Ngoma Safari Lodge in the Chobe Forest Reserve. It publishes package prices, for example $7,438 per person sharing for Classic Delta, 9 nights, 11 January to 31 March 2027, read 19 October 2026.
- Ultimate Safaris: Namibia only, with seven retreats including Camp Sossus near Sossusvlei, which publishes fully inclusive rates per person, from NAD 7,385 in shoulder season and NAD 8,754 in high season; the page does not say per night or give the year, read 19 October 2026.
How do you book Desert & Delta Safaris?
Book direct in writing or through the website (reservations +267 680 1494), or through a travel agent; a 20% non-refundable deposit is due once the 14-day hold ends (read 19 October 2026).
Desert & Delta Safaris sells direct and through the travel trade: the terms say bookings "must be made in writing to the Company or through the Company's website", the home page links to an Agent Portal and specialist guiding is booked through a travel agent. The pages read give no promised reply time and name no individual reservations contact; regional representatives are named for North America, Latin America, France, Germany (with Austria and Switzerland) and Australia (with New Zealand). Resident rates were extended to SADC residents in October 2020 for new bookings from 1 December 2020 to 31 March 2021; no current resident rates were on the pages read. They do not say whether booking direct costs the same as booking through an agent.
The terms, read 19 October 2026: individual bookings are held for 14 days, then a 20% non-refundable deposit is due (within 5 working days if another booking is waiting). The balance is due 30 days before arrival. Written cancellation 61 days or more before arrival forfeits the 20%; 60 to 31 days costs 50% of the total; 30 days or less, or a no-show, forfeits 95%. Groups of 10 or more people or 5 or more rooms have their own scale. The pages read on 19 October 2026 give no trust account or bonding for guest payments and no 24-hour emergency number; the FAQ says each camp has a satellite phone and radio. Before you pay, ask them to itemise:
- the nightly rate per lodge and season and what it includes
- park fees and any conservation levy per person per night
- Safari Air flights between lodges and any helicopter surcharge
- private vehicle or specialist guide costs, since amounts were not on the pages read
- how your deposit is held and who to call in an emergency
Desert & Delta Safaris: the facts on record, read 19 and 20 October 2026
59 facts about Desert & Delta Safaris were read from its own website and the review platforms on 19 and 20 October 2026; every one below says who stated it and when; where there is a page to link, it links the page it was read from. “Not stated on their website” means the pages read did not give it; “Could not access” means the page would not open or could not be read; “No profile found” means the platform has no listing under this name. None of the three means the company does not have it. The same 59-fact form is kept for every safari camp owner on this site, in the same order, so each line can be set beside another camp owner’s.
Who they are
Trading name and legal entity
Trading name: Desert & Delta Safaris. The terms define 'the Company' as Desert & Delta Safaris (Proprietary) Limited, registration number 2872, incorporated under the laws of the Republic of Botswana, together with its Affiliates. Physical address: Sir Seretse Khama Road, Plot 851, Opposite Nhabe Museum, Maun, Botswana. Postal address: Private Bag 310, Maun, Botswana.
Source: Company · terms conditions, contact · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Where it is based
Head office in Maun, Botswana: 'from the company's base in Maun'. Other offices listed on the contact page: South Africa (+27 108 001 361), North America (Andrea Hugo), Mexico and Argentina (Mauricio Menendez), Brazil (Mayra Iguchi), France (Soledad Melgarejo), Germany, Austria and Switzerland (Jochen Reinhold), Australia and New Zealand (Robert Gurr). The FAQ also mentions the Maun office for luggage storage.
Source: Company · about us, contact, information faq · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Year founded
1982. The home page says 'Established in 1982'. The about page says Jessie Neil, a wealthy Californian, took a lease on Nxaragha Island in 1980 and built Camp Okavango, then in 1982 built Camp Moremi; the two camps were formally registered as Desert & Delta Safaris and 'the brand was born'. She exited the Botswana safari industry and Chobe Holdings bought the company in 1992.
Owner or parent
Owned by Chobe Holdings, which purchased Desert & Delta Safaris in 1992. The about page says Jonathan Gibson and Ian Green bought Chobe Game Lodge in 1984, Sun International took 50% in 1985 and Gibson formed Chobe Holdings Ltd in 1989 to acquire Sun International's shareholding. The press page says the company is 'based, owned and operated in Botswana'. Mapula is co-owned with the Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund. Sediba Sa Rona is run in partnership with Savanna Expeditions. Current shareholders are not named.
Source: Company · about us, desert delta safaris increases its portfolio with the acquisition of nxamaseri island lodge, camps mapula, sediba sa rona · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
What it is (camp owner / planner / both)
Camp owner. The home page says 'we own nine premier safari properties' and the itineraries (for example the Eight Night Ultimate Family Safari Package) and Epic Experiences combine only its own lodges, with light aircraft transfers. No other company's camps are sold on the pages read.
Source: Company · home page, eight night ultimate family safari package, introducing our epic experiences · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Team
Team size: 'approximately 337 staff members within the eight safari lodges' (acquisition press release, 2021) and 'approximately 320' (Tsodilo press release, 2024). In 2019 the company had 37 guides, including polers and trackers. Named management: Matthew Johnson (Managing Director), James Wilson (Marketing Director), Walter Smith (Operations Director, 2020 page), Ishmael Mogamisi (head of guide training, with the company over 28 years in the 2019 article). Founder Jessie Neil left in the early 1990s.
Source: Company · desert delta safaris increases its portfolio with the acquisition of nxamaseri island lodge, embark on a transcendent journey tsodilo hills brand new sleep out experience is unveiled by desert delta safaris opening september 15 2024, guiding is not only about guiding, reimagining luxury safari savute safari lodges spectacular rebirth in the heart of botswana, camp updates october 2020, about us · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Where it sells
Sold direct and through trade. Bookings 'must be made in writing to the Company or through the Company's website'; the contact page gives a reservations email and telephone (+267 680 1494). The home page has an Agent Portal link, the terms refer to booking agents and a 'Nett rate sheet' and the specialist guiding page says 'Ask your travel agent to enquire'. Resident rates: in 2020 Botswana Resident rates were extended to SADC residents (see Resident and regional rates).
Source: Company · home page, terms conditions, contact, introducing specialist guiding an extra special safari experience, the newly renovated savute safari lodge is now open, camp updates october 2020 · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
In its own words
Home page headline: 'Empowering Botswana Through Tourism'. 'Established in 1982, Desert & Delta Safaris is one of the most successful safari operators in Botswana. Today we own nine premier safari properties all managed by local citizens.' Other lines: 'A Journey to Write Home About'; 'Botswana's most established luxury safari company'; 'one of the original safari operators in Botswana, founded in 1982'; 'Botswana's Most Complete Safari Circuit'.
Source: Company · home page, reimagining luxury safari savute safari lodges spectacular rebirth in the heart of botswana, desert delta safaris increases its portfolio with the acquisition of nxamaseri island lodge, the camp okavango sleep out deck experience · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Response time and named contact
No promised reply time is stated. Contact: reservations email (hidden in the page read) and +267 680 1494; marketing +267 686 1559. No individual reservations contact is named; named regional representatives are listed for North America, Latin America, France, Germany/Austria/Switzerland and Australia/New Zealand.
Source: Company · contact · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Reviews, by platform
4.8 out of 5 from 96 reviews on the Google listing 'Savute Safari Lodge desert and delta' (indoor lodging), C3P4+7XC, Savuti, Botswana. This is Savute Safari Lodge's listing, which carries the company name; other camps' listings are not added in.
Source: Independent source · Google Maps · crawl · 20 Oct 2026
Trustpilot
No profile found: no Trustpilot listing for the company was found on 19 October 2026.
Source: Independent source · checked at trustpilot.com/review/desertdelta.com · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Tripadvisor
Could not access: Tripadvisor could not be read automatically on 19 October 2026.
Source: Independent source · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Feefo
Could not access: Feefo could not be read automatically on 19 October 2026.
Source: Independent source · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
SafariBookings
No profile found: no SafariBookings listing for the company was found on 19 October 2026.
Source: Independent source · checked on SafariBookings · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Travelstride
Could not access: Travelstride could not be read automatically on 19 October 2026.
Source: Independent source · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Trustindex
Could not access: Trustindex could not be read automatically on 19 October 2026.
Source: Independent source · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Any other independent platform
Not stated on their website: no Booking.com, Google, Expedia or Tripadvisor links or ratings appear on the home, contact or camp pages read.
Source: Company · home page, contact, camp okavango, chobe game lodge · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Where it asks guests to leave reviews
Not stated on their website: no page asks guests to leave a review or links to a review platform. The home page offers a newsletter sign-up only.
Source: Company · home page, contact, information faq · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Awards and recognition, as the company lists them
Every award, 2024 to 2026
Not stated on their website: no award dated 2024 to 2026 with a publisher is given on the pages read. Nearest: Chobe Game Lodge won silver in Responsible Business at the WTM Africa Responsible Tourism Awards in 2020 (the company's third award there). A page headed 'Travel + Leisure Top 100' for Xugana Island Lodge carries no text or year. Two staff won We Are Africa Innovation awards (Rise Africa, Shape Africa), with no year on the page. The home page links to an 'Accolades & Press Features' page that was not read.
Source: Company · wtm africas responsible tourism awards, travel leisure top 100 xugana island lodge, celebrating we are africa awards one month on, home page · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Camps on named lists
Travel + Leisure Top 100: the page 'Travel + Leisure Top 100 Xugana Island Lodge' names Xugana Island Lodge, but the page as read has no list text, year or rank. No Condé Nast, Tatler or Tripadvisor list is named on the pages read.
Source: Company · travel leisure top 100 xugana island lodge · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Certifications
Chobe Game Lodge: 'This five-star Lodge has full eco-grading by Botswana Tourism Board'. No B Corp, Fair Trade Tourism, Travelife, Long Run or other certification is named on the pages read. The WTM Africa Responsible Tourism silver award (2020) is an award, not a certification.
Source: Company · chobe game lodge, wtm africas responsible tourism awards · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Money and booking terms
Prices published
No standard rate card appears on the pages read. Prices on the site are rare and one-off: US$300 per person per night sharing (Chobe Savanna Lodge all-inclusive reopening special, new bookings for 2021 travel); COVID test US$80 per person (2021); a 15% runner discount on the Salt Pans Ultra 2025 safari package. The terms refer to a 'Nett rate sheet' that is not among the pages read.
Source: Company · chobe savanna lodge reopening special, desert delta safaris teams up with salt pans ultra 2025 for an epic experience, terms conditions · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Rates per person per night by season
Not stated on their website: no rates per camp or season are published on the pages read. The only per-night price is the Chobe Savanna Lodge reopening special, US$300 per person per night sharing, all-inclusive, for new bookings travelling in 2021 (lodge reopening 15 June 2021).
Source: Company · chobe savanna lodge reopening special, terms conditions, home page · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Price per person per day
Not stated on their website: no lowest or highest nightly rate across the camps is on the pages read. The only figure is US$300 per person per night sharing at Chobe Savanna Lodge in the 2021 reopening special.
Source: Company · chobe savanna lodge reopening special, home page · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Minimum stay
Not stated on their website: no minimum stay is given for any camp. Nearest: the Camp Okavango Sleep-Out Deck page 'encourage[s] a minimum of three nights' and several add-ons (Salt Pans Sleep-Out, Nxai Pan day trip, Okavango sleep-out deck, Tsodilo sleep-out) are included only for stays of three nights or more.
Source: Company · the camp okavango sleep out deck experience, makgadikgadi salt pans experiences, embark on a transcendent journey tsodilo hills brand new sleep out experience is unveiled by desert delta safaris opening september 15 2024, camp okavango · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
What the rate includes
The FAQ says 'our programs are all-inclusive'. Stated inclusions: meals and drinks (Chobe Savanna: 'all-inclusive meals and drinks'; complimentary mini bar at Chobe Game Lodge), twice-daily scheduled activities, daily laundry. Extras: helicopter flights, private activities, specialist guiding and the Camp Okavango sleep-out (additional fee), spa treatments at Chobe Game Lodge, curios, tips. Park fees and any conservation levy are not stated; the terms say extras must be settled before departure.
Source: Company · information faq, chobe savanna lodge, camps mapula, chobe game lodge, camp okavango, the camp okavango sleep out deck experience, camp moremi, terms conditions · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Deposit
20% non-refundable advance payment of the total cost. Individual bookings are held for 14 days, after which the 20% is required. If another booking is waiting, the deposit is due within 5 working days or the reservation is cancelled automatically. Group bookings (10 or more people or 5 or more rooms) are held for 30 days, then 20%. Chobe Game Lodge conference and incentive bookings (15 or more rooms): 20% after 30 days.
Source: Company · terms conditions · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Balance due
Individual bookings: balance due no later than 30 days before the Services start; a booking made 30 days or less before arrival is paid in full when made. Chobe Game Lodge conference and incentive bookings: 60 days. Ordinary group balance dates are left to the Group Booking Contract.
Source: Company · terms conditions · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Cancellation charges
Individual bookings, written cancellation only: 61 days or more before arrival, the 20% advance payment is forfeited; 60 to 31 days, 50% of the total payment is due; 30 days or less, including no-shows, 95% is forfeited. Group bookings: 60 days or more, the 20% is forfeited; 59 to 46 days, 50%; 45 days or less, 95%. Individuals within a group follow the individual scale.
Source: Company · terms conditions · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
How guest payments are protected
Not stated on their website: no trust account, bonding or payment protection statement. The terms ask guests to give medical and travel insurance details, which is not payment protection.
Source: Company · terms conditions, information faq · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Currencies and card fees
FAQ: 'Most major currencies are accepted throughout Botswana' and 'Credit cards can be used (Master or Visa cards)'. Curio shops accept cash and credit card. The currency for paying a booking and any card surcharge are not stated. Tips are quoted in US dollars (about $10 per guest per day).
Source: Company · information faq, camp okavango, chobe game lodge · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
24-hour contact while travelling
Not stated on their website: no 24-hour emergency telephone number. Nearest: the FAQ asks guests to leave the Maun office contact details with family so they can be reached in camp by radio in an emergency and says each camp has a satellite phone and radio for emergencies.
Source: Company · information faq, contact · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
How it is paid
Direct bookings are taken by email, in writing or through the website. Booking agents are named on group bookings and the tour leader policy refers to a 'Nett rate sheet'. No agent commission percentage or trade rate is published on the pages read.
Source: Company · terms conditions, home page, contact · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Price against booking through a planner
Not stated on their website: no statement on direct price parity or a direct-booking benefit.
Source: Company · terms conditions, home page · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Licences and registrations
Not stated on their website: no tourism licence number or association membership (ATTA, SATSA, HATAB or similar) is given. Nearest: company registration number 2872 (Botswana), Chobe Game Lodge's eco-grading by Botswana Tourism Board and a mention of 'licensed guides' at Camp Xakanaxa.
Source: Company · terms conditions, chobe game lodge, camp xakanaxa · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
The camps: where they are and how they work
Countries with camps
Botswana and Namibia. Eight of the nine lodges are in Botswana; Chobe Savanna Lodge is on the Namibian bank of the Chobe River (Eastern Zambezi Region, formerly Caprivi).
Source: Company · chobe savanna lodge, desert delta safaris increases its portfolio with the acquisition of nxamaseri island lodge, about us · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Number of camps and lodges
Nine: 'Today we own nine premier safari properties' (home page): Camp Okavango, Camp Moremi, Camp Xakanaxa, Savute Safari Lodge, Chobe Game Lodge, Chobe Savanna Lodge, Xugana Island Lodge, Leroo La Tau, Nxamaseri Island Lodge. The camps pages also list Sediba Sa Rona (opened 16 March 2026, run in partnership with Savanna Expeditions) and Mapula (opening 1 March 2027, co-owned with the Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund), which would make eleven.
Source: Company · home page, desert delta safaris increases its portfolio with the acquisition of nxamaseri island lodge, sediba sa rona, camps mapula · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Camps and where they are
Camp Okavango: Nxaragha Island, Okavango Delta. Camp Xakanaxa and Camp Moremi: Moremi Game Reserve. Savute Safari Lodge: Savute Channel, Chobe National Park. Chobe Game Lodge: Chobe Riverfront, Chobe National Park. Chobe Savanna Lodge: Namibian bank of the Chobe River. Xugana Island Lodge: Okavango Delta. Nxamaseri Island Lodge: Okavango Panhandle. Leroo La Tau: Boteti River, Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. Sediba Sa Rona: Khwai Concession. Mapula: Mapula and Sekwana Concession (NG12).
Source: Company · camp okavango, camp xakanaxa, camp moremi, savute safari lodge, chobe game lodge, chobe savanna lodge, xugana island lodge, nxamaseri island lodge, leroo la tau, sediba sa rona, camps mapula · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Camp sizes
Camp Okavango 11 suites plus 1 family suite (24 guests). Camp Moremi 11 tents plus 1 family (24). Camp Xakanaxa 11 plus 1 family (24). Savute 11 chalets plus 1 family (24). Leroo La Tau 11 plus 1 family suite (24). Xugana 10 tents plus 1 family (22; accommodation text says 12 suites). Nxamaseri 9 chalets (the accommodation text says eight). Chobe Game Lodge 44 rooms (94 guests). Chobe Savanna 13 chalets. Sediba Sa Rona 15 tents (30 guests). Mapula 12 suites planned. Smallest: Nxamaseri; largest: Chobe Game Lodge.
Source: Company · camp okavango, camp moremi, camp xakanaxa, savute safari lodge, leroo la tau, xugana island lodge, nxamaseri island lodge, chobe game lodge, chobe savanna lodge, sediba sa rona, camps mapula · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Land and traversing
Camp Okavango is on 'a private concession in the heart of the Okavango Delta' (Nxaragha Island lease). Xugana Island Lodge is on a private concession. Mapula is in the private Mapula and Sekwana Concession (NG12). Sediba Sa Rona is in the Khwai Concession. Camp Moremi and Camp Xakanaxa are in Moremi Game Reserve, Savute and Chobe Game Lodge in Chobe National Park and Leroo La Tau on the boundary of Makgadikgadi Pans National Park. Sediba night drives are 'strictly within the Khwai Concession'; no night drives in Moremi. Sole traversing is not otherwise stated.
Source: Company · eight night ultimate family safari package, old soul new look xugana island lodge returns, camps mapula, sediba sa rona, camp moremi, savute safari lodge, chobe game lodge, leroo la tau, about us · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Mobile and seasonal camps
No mobile camps are listed. Seasonal sleep-outs: Camp Okavango Sleep-Out Deck (1 April to 31 October, extra fee); Makgadikgadi Salt Pans Sleep-Out from Leroo La Tau (15 June to 31 October, included for stays of three nights or more); Tsodilo Hills Sleep-Out Camp (opened 15 September 2024, from Nxamaseri, four pods on raised platforms, no extra charge).
Source: Company · the camp okavango sleep out deck experience, makgadikgadi salt pans experiences, embark on a transcendent journey tsodilo hills brand new sleep out experience is unveiled by desert delta safaris opening september 15 2024 · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Gorilla and primate trekking
Not stated on their website: all camps are in Botswana and Namibia and no gorilla or chimpanzee trekking is offered on the pages read.
Source: Company · home page, introducing our epic experiences, chobe game lodge · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Beach and city add-ons
No own beach or city properties are listed; the portfolio is lodges and camps. The Salt Pans Ultra package includes one night in Maun (property not named) and the family itinerary suggests extra days at Victoria Falls (no property named).
Source: Company · home page, desert delta safaris teams up with salt pans ultra 2025 for an epic experience, eight night ultimate family safari package · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Own air and transfers
All camps are connected by light aircraft transfers operated by Safari Air, described as a 'sister company'; flight charter rates to Nxamaseri's airstrip are offered through Safari Air. Itineraries include light aircraft transfers between camps; road or boat transfers are included at Chobe Savanna Lodge. Luggage is limited to 20 kg in soft bags. Helicopter transfers and flights carry surcharges.
Source: Company · information faq, desert delta safaris increases its portfolio with the acquisition of nxamaseri island lodge, eight night ultimate family safari package, chobe savanna lodge reopening special, makgadikgadi salt pans experiences · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Resident and regional rates
Time-limited only: in October 2020 the company extended its Botswana Resident rates to SADC residents for new bookings from 1 December 2020 to 31 March 2021. No current resident or regional rates, or amounts, are on the pages read.
Source: Company · camp updates october 2020 · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Who it suits and how it travels
Family and child policy
Terms table: Chobe Game Lodge and Chobe Savanna Lodge accept all ages (0-2 years 10% of adult rate, 3-11 years 50%, 12-15 years 75%); Camp Moremi 6-11 years 50%, 12-15 years 75%, 16+ adult rate. Camp pages: Okavango, Xakanaxa, Moremi, Savute, Nxamaseri, Leroo La Tau, Xugana and Mapula accept children from six. Family rooms: Chobe lodges, Moremi, Savute, Leroo La Tau, Okavango (table also says Xakanaxa and Xugana have none, but their camp pages show a family tent). Private activities are needed for younger children.
Source: Company · terms conditions, camp okavango, camp xakanaxa, camp moremi, savute safari lodge, nxamaseri island lodge, leroo la tau, xugana island lodge, camps mapula, chobe game lodge, chobe savanna lodge · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Teenagers and multigenerational
Eight Night Ultimate Family Safari Package (Leroo La Tau, Camp Xakanaxa, Camp Okavango, Chobe Game Lodge) with two-bedroom family rooms and community contact. Interleading rooms at Savute, Xugana, Mapula, Sediba and Chobe Savanna. Private activities are required for children under 6 at the Chobe lodges and under 12 at Camp Moremi. The Camp Okavango sleep-out deck can take a second bed for two children aged 6 to 12. Teenager-specific activities are not stated.
Source: Company · eight night ultimate family safari package, terms conditions, sleep under the stars at camp okavango, introducing specialist guiding an extra special safari experience, sediba sa rona · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Honeymoon
Chobe Game Lodge has a Honeymoon Suite. Chobe Savanna Lodge promotes honeymoons, a private riverbank dinner and a romantic sunset cruise. Xugana, Chobe Savanna and Sediba offer private dining on request. No honeymoon offer or price is on the pages read.
Source: Company · chobe game lodge, chobe savanna lodge (2), xugana island lodge, sediba sa rona · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Solo travellers
Not stated on their website: no single supplement policy or solo offer is on the pages read. Nearest: the Salt Pans Ultra 2025 package is priced for two sharing 'with a single supplement option for solo travellers'.
Source: Company · desert delta safaris teams up with salt pans ultra 2025 for an epic experience, terms conditions · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Older travellers and limited mobility
FAQ: safari is 'soft adventure' and not strenuous; the hardest parts are getting into vehicles and light aircraft and some walking; guests with a back problem should advise in advance. Xugana has 1 wheelchair-friendly tent. Chobe Game Lodge 'caters for travellers with disabilities' and recent additions give easy access. Mapula offers private activities for guests with specific mobility needs. Camp Okavango is on raised walkways with ramps. No medical facility is stated.
Source: Company · information faq, xugana island lodge, chobe game lodge, camps mapula, camp okavango · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Private guide and vehicle
Private activities are available (booking and surcharge apply): Mapula, Sediba Sa Rona, Camp Moremi, Chobe Game Lodge and Chobe Savanna Lodge, Leroo La Tau (private pans sleep-out). Specialist Guiding gives a dedicated guide for the whole circuit (Isaac Mpuchane, photography; Londani 'King' Stayfree, walking; Mathale 'Metal' Mosheti, birding), booked through a travel agent with costs given on enquiry. Amounts are not on the pages read.
Source: Company · camps mapula, sediba sa rona, terms conditions, introducing specialist guiding an extra special safari experience, makgadikgadi salt pans experiences · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Exclusive-use camps and villas
Not stated on their website: no whole-camp buy-out or sole-use rate for the lodges. Nearest: exclusive-use bookings of the Tsodilo Hills Sleep-Out Camp for a surcharge; a Private Pans Sleep-Out; Epic Experiences sold as fully private; and group terms for 10 or more people or 5 or more rooms, with Chobe Game Lodge conference and incentive bookings of 15 or more rooms.
Source: Company · embark on a transcendent journey tsodilo hills brand new sleep out experience is unveiled by desert delta safaris opening september 15 2024, makgadikgadi salt pans experiences, camps mapula, terms conditions · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Guides
Guides are recruited from nearby villages and trained in-house by a head of guide training (Ishmael Mogamisi) with outside instructors where needed, including weapons training; camp pages say 'licensed guides'. Specialist guide Londani 'King' Stayfree holds a Lead Trails guide qualification from the Botswana Qualification Authority (BQA). Chobe Game Lodge has Africa's first all-female guiding team (20 female guides in 2019). FGASA or KPSGA are not named.
Source: Company · guiding is not only about guiding, desert delta safaris increases its portfolio with the acquisition of nxamaseri island lodge, camp xakanaxa, introducing specialist guiding an extra special safari experience, celebrating international womens day with chobe game lodge · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Activities
Okavango: motorboat, mokoro, bush walks, bream fishing, sleep-out, helicopter (no game drives). Xakanaxa and Moremi: game drives, motorboat, birding. Savute: game drives, Gubatsa Hills rock art, sunken hide. Nxamaseri: boat, mokoro, walks, tiger fishing, Tsodilo Hills. Leroo La Tau: drives, seasonal boats, salt pans sleep-out, hide. Xugana: boat, mokoro, walks, fishing, birding, helicopter. Chobe Game Lodge: electric river safaris and drives. Chobe Savanna: boat, skimmer cruises, fishing, walks on request. Mapula and Sediba: night drives; Sediba also mokoro. Horseback is not stated.
Source: Company · camp okavango, camp xakanaxa, camp moremi, savute safari lodge, nxamaseri island lodge, leroo la tau, xugana island lodge, chobe game lodge, chobe savanna lodge, camps mapula, sediba sa rona · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Self-drive access
Nxamaseri Island Lodge, with relatively easy road access, is called 'the perfect Okavango Delta inclusion for self-drive travellers'. Chobe Savanna Lodge: self-drivers may leave their vehicle at Kasane Airport secure parking; self-drivers in Namibia can reach the lodge depending on Chobe River levels (2021 page). The other camps are served by light aircraft.
Source: Company · nxamaseri island lodge, chobe savanna lodge reopening special, information faq · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Photography
Toyota Landcruisers 'specially built for game viewing and photography', open seating, normally six or fewer guests. Savute has a sunken photographic hide and a sunken bench for low-angle photography; Leroo La Tau has a river-level hide. Doors-off helicopter flights are pitched at photographers (Xugana, Sediba). Specialist guide Isaac Mpuchane is a photographic guide. 220V plugs for charging camera gear are in rooms.
Source: Company · information faq, savute safari lodge, the newly renovated savute safari lodge is now open, leroo la tau, xugana island lodge, introducing specialist guiding an extra special safari experience · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Conservation model
CARES philosophy (including Equality) and 'Empowering Botswana Through Tourism'; guides recruited locally. 2020 CARES Movement raised US$20,000 for the EleSenses project of Elephants Without Borders. Chobe Game Lodge supported a WildCRU camera-trap predator survey. Mapula is co-owned with the Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund. Sediba Sa Rona keeps its original footprint. Also listed: a visit to Kazungula Children's Ark (4-night stays). A per-night amount is not stated.
Source: Company · camp updates october 2020, celebrating international womens day with chobe game lodge, resident brown hyena spotted near chobe game lodge, camps mapula, sediba sa rona, chobe game lodge, desert delta safaris increases its portfolio with the acquisition of nxamaseri island lodge · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Sustainability
Chobe Game Lodge introduced the country's first electric game drive vehicle and boat in 2014; half the game drive fleet is electric and all boats are solar-electric. Camp Okavango (2016) was the first lodge converted to 100% solar; Savute and Okavango run 24-hour solar with generator back-up. Xugana is to run off the grid. Camps use reverse osmosis drinking water and biodegradable bathroom products. Chobe Game Lodge has Botswana Tourism Board eco-grading and WTM Africa silver (2020).
Source: Company · about us, chobe game lodge, camp okavango, savute safari lodge, new renders new chapter a glimpse of xugana island lodge 2025, wtm africas responsible tourism awards · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Trade and planner partnerships
An Agent Portal link is on the home page; travel trade can reach the full Savute image library through the Agent Portal. The terms refer to booking agents and a 'Nett rate sheet'. The specialist guiding page tells guests to ask their travel agent. No preferred-partner or commission statement is made.
Source: Company · home page, the newly renovated savute safari lodge is now open, terms conditions, introducing specialist guiding an extra special safari experience · crawl · 19 Oct 2026
Facts are from the company’s own pages unless marked Independent source or Official register. A company can correct any line through the contact page; a correction changes the line and its source, never anything else on the page.
Desert & Delta Safaris: questions people ask
Is Desert & Delta Safaris a good company to book a safari with?
It has run lodges in Botswana since 1982, has been owned by Chobe Holdings since 1992 and owns nine lodges in Botswana and Namibia. Its Google listing for Savute Safari Lodge shows 4.8 from 96 reviews, read 20 October 2026. No Trustpilot or SafariBookings profile was found on 19 October 2026. It publishes deposit and cancellation terms; the pages read on 19 October 2026 give no current nightly rates or payment protection statement.
What are the best alternatives to Desert & Delta Safaris for a luxury safari?
Bush Ways Safaris, Ker & Downey Botswana, Kwando Safaris, Machaba Safaris and Ultimate Safaris. Each owns camps in Botswana or Namibia. Four of them have camps in or beside the Okavango Delta. They were chosen from the camp owners in the safari camp owners table with camps in Botswana or Namibia; the table lists others.
How much does a safari with Desert & Delta Safaris cost?
No current nightly rates were on the pages read on 19 October 2026. The one per-night figure on its site is an expired 2021 special of US$300 per person per night sharing at Chobe Savanna Lodge, read 19 October 2026. The FAQ says programmes are all-inclusive; park fees are not stated, so ask for an itemised quote.
What are Desert & Delta Safaris' deposit and cancellation terms?
A 20% non-refundable deposit is due after a 14-day hold and the balance 30 days before arrival. Cancelling 61 days or more out forfeits the 20%, 60 to 31 days costs 50% and 30 days or less forfeits 95%, as read on 19 October 2026.
What is the minimum age for children at Desert & Delta Safaris?
Six at seven of its nine lodges, including Camp Okavango, Camp Moremi and Savute Safari Lodge; Mapula will also take children from six when it opens on 1 March 2027. Chobe Game Lodge and Chobe Savanna Lodge accept all ages, with private activities needed for children under six there.
Who owns Desert & Delta Safaris and where is it based?
Chobe Holdings, which bought the company in 1992. The contracting company is Desert & Delta Safaris (Proprietary) Limited, registered in Botswana, with its head office on Sir Seretse Khama Road in Maun.
Can you have a private guide with Desert & Delta Safaris?
Yes. Private activities can be booked at several lodges for a surcharge. Its Specialist Guiding gives a dedicated guide for the whole trip, for photography, walking or birding. Amounts were not on the pages read and specialist guiding is booked through a travel agent.
Does Desert & Delta Safaris have a honeymoon suite?
Chobe Game Lodge has a Honeymoon Suite and Chobe Savanna Lodge offers a private riverbank dinner and a sunset cruise. No honeymoon offer or price was on the pages read on 19 October 2026.
Does Desert & Delta Safaris charge a single supplement?
No single supplement policy was on the pages read on 19 October 2026. The Salt Pans Ultra 2025 package mentioned a single supplement option for solo travellers, so ask for the figure with your quote.
What does the Desert & Delta Safaris rate include?
The FAQ says its programmes are all-inclusive: meals and drinks, twice-daily scheduled activities and daily laundry. Helicopter flights, private activities, specialist guiding, spa treatments and tips are extra. Park fees are not stated.
How do you travel between Desert & Delta Safaris lodges?
By light aircraft operated by Safari Air, which the company calls a sister company. Luggage is limited to 20 kg in soft bags. Road or boat transfers are used at Chobe Savanna Lodge.
Read next
This page contains no paid placement. Desert & Delta Safaris is not a partner of Uncompromised Travel, paid nothing to appear and had no input into this page. Its alternatives were chosen by us from the camp owners in the table with camps in the same area (the table lists others) and are listed alphabetically. Facts read 19 and 20 October 2026 from Desert & Delta Safaris' own website and Google Maps, with Trustpilot and SafariBookings searched for review profiles, kept in the safari camp owners table with the source and date of every line. How this site earns · How we work.