BELMOND Belmond Safaris (Belmond Savute Elephant Lodge)
Twelve luxury tents perched above a permanent waterhole in Chobe National Park, where elephants, buffalo, and the occasional lion arrive at your deck unprompted. Belmond Savute Elephant Lodge trades on location more than polish — the wildlife theater here is arguably unmatched in Botswana. In a category dominated by Wilderness Safaris (Mombo, Vumbura) and &Beyond (Sandibe), Belmond Savute Elephant Lodge sits in the entry tier of ultra-luxury, closer in feel to Belmond's own Eagle Island than to the Singita benchmark.
Couples on a first African safari, milestone anniversaries, and families who want luxury tents with air conditioning and a guaranteed elephant show from the deck. Ideal for travelers prioritizing Chobe's game density and a reliable, warm-service lodge over culinary theater or design drama.
You expect Singita- or Mombo-level food and polish at a similar price point, or if private-concession flexibility — off-roading, night drives, walking safaris — is non-negotiable. Foodies and design purists will find Belmond Savute Elephant Lodge merely good where they want exceptional.
Genuinely warm, first-name hospitality from a staff that most guests remember by name long after leaving. Guides — particularly Mighty, Robert, Richard, Watch, and OB — draw consistent praise for tracking skill and knowledge. The occasional lapse appears around arrivals and orientations, but it's not systemic.
The weakest category, and where the lodge trails its price tier. Breakfast, afternoon tea, and the boma dinner land well; main dinners are inconsistent — sometimes very good, sometimes ordinary for the rate. Dietary restrictions are handled capably.
Fully refurbished in 2018, the tents are air-conditioned, well-lit, and smartly furnished, with indoor and outdoor showers and a private deck over the waterhole. Rooms 1–5 offer the best sightlines. Smaller than Eagle Island's tents, but comfortable.
The headline asset. The permanent waterhole draws elephants, buffalo, and predators day and night, and Chobe delivers dense game — lions, leopards, wild dogs, cheetah. Drives can feel crowded at marquee sightings, and no night drives are permitted inside the park.
Reasonable at the lower end of ultra-luxury, questionable against Mombo or Sandibe at comparable rates. You pay for the waterhole and the wildlife, not for culinary ambition.
Post-refurbishment interiors are clean, modern, neutral-toned — polarizing for guests expecting richer safari character. The open-air main deck and hide beneath the pool are the strongest design moves.
Genuinely warm, first-name hospitality from a staff that most guests remember by name long after leaving. Guides — particularly Mighty, Robert, Richard, Watch, and OB — draw consistent praise for tracking skill and knowledge. The occasional lapse appears around arrivals and orientations, but it's not systemic.
The weakest category, and where the lodge trails its price tier. Breakfast, afternoon tea, and the boma dinner land well; main dinners are inconsistent — sometimes very good, sometimes ordinary for the rate. Dietary restrictions are handled capably.
Fully refurbished in 2018, the tents are air-conditioned, well-lit, and smartly furnished, with indoor and outdoor showers and a private deck over the waterhole. Rooms 1–5 offer the best sightlines. Smaller than Eagle Island's tents, but comfortable.
The headline asset. The permanent waterhole draws elephants, buffalo, and predators day and night, and Chobe delivers dense game — lions, leopards, wild dogs, cheetah. Drives can feel crowded at marquee sightings, and no night drives are permitted inside the park.
Reasonable at the lower end of ultra-luxury, questionable against Mombo or Sandibe at comparable rates. You pay for the waterhole and the wildlife, not for culinary ambition.
Post-refurbishment interiors are clean, modern, neutral-toned — polarizing for guests expecting richer safari character. The open-air main deck and hide beneath the pool are the strongest design moves.
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