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Savute Elephant Lodge, A Belmond Safari, Botswana
Chobe National Park, Botswana · Belmond · High Luxury
When David Livingstone traversed the Savute area in 1851 he described it as a marsh; the Savute Channel has since alternated between flowing freely and lying completely dry for decades at a stretch, with no predictable pattern. The lodge was first established as part of the original Gametrackers operation — one of two adjacent camps one of which was run by legendary hunter Harry Selby, immortalised in Robert Ruark's 1953 book 'Horn of the Hunter' — before Orient-Express acquired the business in 1993. Belmond's 2018 redesign by Inge Moore of Muza Lab runs on 95% solar power.
- 12 rooms
- Opened 1993
- Rooms from 538 sq ft (50 m²)
- Interiors: Inge Moore of Muza Lab
About Savute Elephant Lodge, A Belmond Safari, Botswana
- The Savute Channel is a geophysical anomaly: it flows and dries independently of local rainfall, behaviour scientists tentatively attribute to tectonic plate shifts. After running dry for nearly 30 years it sprang back to life in 2011, transforming the area into a wetland and drawing the BBC and National Geographic to film some of their most celebrated wildlife documentary footage here.
- One of the site's predecessor camps was run by Harry Selby, the legendary professional hunter immortalised by Robert Ruark in 'Horn of the Hunter' (1953); Selby eventually moved on and the twin camps were merged by Gametrackers before Orient-Express acquired them in 1993.
- Botswana now holds an estimated 200,000 elephants — roughly a third of Africa's total savanna elephant population — with the highest concentrations in and around Chobe National Park, directly visible from the lodge's waterhole hide.
- Chobe was Botswana's first national park; the government declared much of the Savute area off-limits to human access in 1975, preserving the lodge's location as one of very few permitted points of access in this section of the reserve.
- Entry-level rooms start at 538 sq ft (50 m²).
History
Established in 1993 as part of Orient-Express Hotels' acquisition of Gametrackers, Savute Elephant Lodge sits in the Savute Channel area of Chobe National Park — territory first traversed by David Livingstone in 1851 and named in the notes of the Belmond press kit as an explorer's camp tribute. The lodge was comprehensively redesigned in 2018 by Inge Moore of Muza Lab with an eco-conscious design inspired by great explorers, using locally crafted furniture from native materials. The Savute marsh and channel attract Africa's densest concentrations of elephant.
The setting
Located in Chobe National Park's Savute area, near the Savute Channel and marsh — home to vast elephant herds, lion, wild dog, and cheetah. Accessible by light aircraft from Maun or Kasane.
Restaurants and bars
- Dining Tent — Restaurant · Regional delicacies · Chef Matanta Thajane
- Boma — Restaurant · Local dishes
Experiences
- Boma dining — Dining around the fire with local dishes, singers and musicians, and a staff choir greeting guests on arrival.
- Private dinners on the tented room deck — Romantic dinners served on guests' private decks, watching elephants, lions and other animals.
- Wildlife viewing hide — Hide overlooking the watering hole where elephants, cheetahs, hyenas and antelope gather at first light and dusk.
- Morning and afternoon game drives — Inclusive game drives with a gourmet picnic served during the drive, led by expert guides in special 4x4s.
- Stargazing — Informal fireside sessions with powerful telescopes; learn how Bushmen used the stars to locate the true south.
- San Bushman paintings — Inclusive outing to discover the San Bushman paintings.
Amenities
- Wildlife viewing hide
- Spa
- Pool
- Game drives (day and night)
- Walking safaris
- Stargazing platform
- Solar-powered eco design
- All-inclusive
Awards
- Conde Nast Traveller recommended
- Travel + Leisure World's Best Safaris
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