Reviews of Savute Safari Lodge
Wildlife sightings and reviews
36 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Savute Safari Lodge and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa
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"Savute Safari Lodge review"
food to a high standard and all staff friendly and helpful." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana; 3n in Namibia; 2n in Zimbabwe
"Great lodge and safari"
Safaris very good with lots of wild life and good radio contact with everyone else including film makers so we saw a leopard and wild dogs.
Wondeful sights of elephants, waterhogs, impala outside the lodge when eating.
The savuti canal has dried up but they have water holes" See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana; 3n in Zimbabwe
"D&DS never fail to impress"
Excellent location, well laid out, frontline room, good size, well appointed, overlooking the waterhole where elephants and other wild life, gather throughout the day and night.
Plenty of game including the well documented (BBC + others) Savute Marsh lion pride which has developed hunting skills to bring down elephant." See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana; 8n in Zambia
"Savute Safari Lodge review"
Throughout this and the subsequent two evenings/nights, probably 300-400 elephants would appear (no doubt having traveled significant distances in the very dry spring conditions) and argue amongst themselves, especially the matriarchs shepherding the young, to try to secure the dwindling resources at the waterholes.
Savute showed another angle of the safari experience to the 'newbies' in our party, that of those camps that are located within the national parks of Botswana. The 'old lags' found the necessary restrictions, (no night drives, no off-roading while tracking) somewhat frustrating, especially when members of the Marsh pride were on the hunt. Again however, this was made up by the camp's in-house leopard stalking guinea fowl on our lodge's roof!
The staff at Savute were without exception charming and efficient and the rooms and food excellent. Setch and his team provided all the requirements for a wonderful three days, albeit in a slightly more cloistered environment." See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana; 6n in South Africa; 2n in Zimbabwe
"Dry and hot Savute"
The lodge has 12 comfortable and spacious chalets - all facing a dry river bed. There used to be 3 artificial waterholes but during our stay only 1 was still running (in front of chalet #5). Fortunately we stayed in #5 & #6 and had a perfect view: during our whole stay we saw elephants every time at the waterhole: at noon just 1-3, at evening/night up to 40-50 and a continual coming and going and lot of action!!! Around the lodge are many different species of birds, lots of dwarf mongooses and a large spotted genet visiting at dinner time!
There is also nice pool perfect for cooling down during the siesta and watching the passing elephants. The food was good and varied. The management and staff was very friendly and helpful but all in all it was more professional and not with that personal touch we had in other lodges.
Our guide Coca was good and tried to show us as much as possible: so our vehicle mostly was the first leaving the lodge and thereby in two cases we were lucky to see lions close-by before other vehicles came or before the lions moved (and because of being in a National Park it was not permitted to follow them off-road!!). In addition to the lions and many, many elephants we've seen one leopard, a pack of (resting) wild dogs, some hyenas, rare roan antelopes, some giraffes, buffaloes, wildebeests and ..... all in all not too many animals but more than you would expect in that hostile area!" See all these reviews: 15n in Botswana
"Leopard catching fish in dried up channel"
Our guide, Baba, was the most charismatic of all we had met. He had an encyclopaedic knowledge of flora and fauna even to the point of knowing in advance which page in the bird guide the latest sighting was on! Bruce enjoyed reading Baba's plant guide books and we learnt more from him about the culture and lifestyle of the delta residents than from anyone else.
The camp was extremely well managed and the staff always interacted fully with visitors at the communal dinners. The manager Setch led by example, always taking an active part in making our stay an enjoyable social experience.
The food in all the camps was of a good quality and here it was on a par with Machaba in being excellent." See all these reviews: 15n in Botswana
"Savute Safari Lodge"
We loved the singing before each evening meal. Metal was an excellent guide, adding to our previous knowledge gained in the last two camps. They tried very hard with my dietary needs (gluten free, dairy free) but there was never any food for me at coffee time or with sundowners." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana
"Savute Safari Lodge review"
All the staff were friendly and warm, making every effort to make our stay enjoyable.
We had 2 days private guiding with Chief, who worked very hard to maximize the range of animals we were able to see. The encounters with the Savuti pride of lions encircling a herd of buffalo, the mother leopard returning to her 2 month old cubs on Leopard Rock, and finally the discovery of the airport pride of lions on our departure were highlights." See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana; 2n in Zambia
"Leopards and Elephants at Savuti"
The camp is in Chobe National Park, so there are more vehicles than on a private concession, so the guide worked hard and skilfully to get us into good positions to see lion, leopard and cubs, elephants and many antelope.
Good sightings of elephant at the water hole in front of the camp. Great sightings of large herds of elephants drinking and bathing." See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana; 3n in Namibia
"Very comfortable lodge in Savuti."
Our expectations of large elephant numbers were not met due to weather conditions allowing them to be widely dispersed. Our guide struggled to understand at times and did not fully engage with information having to be extracted from him.
We did see lots of lions and a leopard also," See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana
Holiday styles & special interests in Botswana
From birdwatching breaks to walking holidays, find great ideas for your trip in Botswana.
Other lodges in Chobe National Park
Alternative places to stay in this same area.
Muchenje Safari Lodge
One of our favourites in the area, Muchenje is a small, welcoming lodge at the quieter, western end of the Chobe Riverfront.
Chobe River Lodge
Overlooking the Chobe River, the intimate Chobe River Lodge is a haven of tranquillity away from the bustle of Kasane.
Savute Under Canvas
A mobile camp with the comforts of a semi-permanent tented camp, Savute Under Canvas offers guided game drives within the Savuti region of Chobe National Park.
Chobe Under Canvas
This is a typical location for Chobe under Canvas, a small, semi-permanent camp in the Chobe Riverfront area that offers good value for money and high standards of care.
Chobe Safari Lodge
Chobe Safari Lodge is a good value, hotel-style lodge in the heart of Kasane offering game drives, boat cruises and fishing trips.
Chobe Elephant Camp
Located in one of our favorite areas of Chobe National Park, Chobe Elephant Camp is a simple but well-appointed camp with a strong bush feel.
Chobe Game Lodge
Chobe Game Lodge occupies an enviable riverfront location within Chobe National Park and boasts well-earned 'eco' credentials, as well as an excellent all-female guiding team.
Ngoma Safari Lodge
With sweeping views across the floodplains of the Chobe River, Ngoma offers superb food and flexible safari activities.
Chobe Chilwero
On the periphery of Chobe National Park, Chobe Chilwero offers luxurious surroundings and excellent food, which complement superb game viewing on game drives and boat trips.
Camp Kuzuma
Camp Kuzuma sits in the Kazuma Forest Reserve and is an excellent place to see elephant in particular. Away from the busier riverfront area of Chobe National Park this camp offers a luxurious base form which to explore this less visited region of northern Botswana.
Savute Elephant Lodge
Savute Elephant Lodge is a luxurious camp on the banks of the now flowing Savuti Channel. This is a classic big-game area, although its location within Chobe National Park does limit the activities which are possible here.
Elephant Valley Lodge
Elephant Valley Lodge is a lovely camp in a beautiful setting – sit in its hide and watch the wildlife come to drink at the waterhole. Activities focus on boating and drives in Chobe which - although very busy, and a long drive from the lodge – is very rich in wildlife.
