Reviews of Savuti Camp

"This is a Camp I would return to should I travel again in Botswana.

The staff turned out to greet me with a song of welcome which felt really special as I was travelling alone. They were very attentive throughout and ensured that I always had company.

Hippos sang to me through the night. Some lullaby!

The accommodation was first class. I appreciated the the provision of drink-making tray and battery charging plugs in tent.

The guide was knowledgable and we shared some special moments, including a leopard killing a warthog.

I was sad to leave." See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana

"This camp was run by the delightful Megan and Sean and was more the type of camp we have been used to from past safaris, giving us more of a feeling of being in Africa in the bush, which is what we prefer.

However this does not mean it was at all downmarket. The quality of the meals was very good and the accommodation excellent.

Our guide Emanuel went out of his way to find our ‘favourites’ in the wildlife world." See all these reviews: 13n in Botswana

"The good: Savuti camp was the most luxurious and beautiful camp of our whole safari and the helpfulness and friendliness of the staff was exceptional. I could not fault the huge, gorgeous rooms and the watering hole and hide was extraordinary. The food was also the best we had anywhere in Africa (thank you to the amazing Antonio!) and my vegan dietary requirements were very well catered for (including vegan pancakes and muffins at breakfast!).

The bad: unfortunately we just didn't gel with our guide (I won't name him as this would be unfair). We found him dry and reserved and he kept driving us around the same area each day so we felt we were in a very small park and didn't get a sense" See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana; 6n in Zambia

"The service at Savuti could not have been better. Our every want and need was accommodated with a smile. They even let me use their office computer to email my teenage son to make sure he returned safely from India.

The rooms were beautiful - impossible to believe you were out in the middle of Africa.

Also, the food was amazing! I had hoped to lose weight on this trip, but gained due to the incredible cooking.

Finally, and most importantly, the wildlife was plentiful. We saw so many different animals on our list, it is impossible to list them all here. One of the highlights was seeing a wild dog hunt and later the wild dog pack taking a nap. The other had to be seeing a magnificent leopard in a tree so close you could practically touch her." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana; 3n in Zimbabwe

"Onz was a great guide and we saw lots - including on one unforgettable day 9 wild dogs "disposing" of an impala, a leopard guarding a kill put up in a tree, two male lions with a giraffe kill, and a lone buffalo. The camp manager Anelle was super efficient.

But as with all the camps we visited the lack of 1) wifi in the rooms, and 2) some form of a gym are major drawbacks when you are away for 2 weeks - getting 1,915 unanswered emails when I reached the BA lounge in Joburg was to say the least somewhat stressful. Wilderness Safaris needs to get with the times...." See all these reviews: 12n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe

"We had an amazing time at Savuti camp--my opinion of the Wilderness camps has really increased.

The staff and managers were accommodating and friendly. We had an awesome guide named Willy. We were really lucky and saw more elephants than anywhere else we have been. I saw my first lion roar up close.

Despite the early rains, there was a fair amount of wildlife diversity. Overall, our best experience at a camp so far." See all these reviews: 12n in Botswana; 2n in South Africa

"Facilities, food and drink v good

Staff lovely and management very good.

Good game drives - good balance of time

Guide (Goodman) simply the best ever. Could not rate him highly enough

Really could not fault this camp at all. Great balance for us between a luxury style camp and one that does the game properly" See all these reviews: 5n in Botswana

"We stayed at three different Wilderness Safari camps, all terrific, but Savuti is the best hands down. Wow, when you arrive and walk in from the arid Mopane landscape and first see the location of the camp on the Savuti channel, it is absolutely jaw droppingly beautiful!!! What a surprise...the food, staff, and tents were spectacular. The fact that the structures have thatched roofs makes them so much more inviting and atmospheric as compared to the all-over canvas tents we experienced in the other camps.

We loved the incredible spaciousness of the tent and magnificent view from our deck. Upon arrival, we were served a private brunch, as the other guests had not yet returned from the morning bush drive. We looked out upon the channel and a group of elephants playing in the water, splashing each other and just having the time of their lives, as were we!!! Any review of Savuti would not be complete without a word or two about Goodman, without question, the finest ranger and guide imaginable. We were so fortunate to share two days with him that we will never forget. His knowledge and genuine passion for Africa, the landscape, the animals and culture, were inspiring and riveting. We will never forget him and everything we shared.

In summary, we have to say that Wilderness Safaris deliver a magnificent overall experience for the price. Even though their classic camps are not cheap, it is a bargain given the quality of the experience that they deliver. The logistics of what they provide are staggering when you think about it and we can't imagine what the premier camps could provide that would warrant the price differential. You can only eat and drink so much fine food and drink in any one day. The staff and accommodations were superb in every respect." See all these reviews: 7n in Botswana; 1n in Zambia

"The staff were lovely. Our guide and the other couple in our Land Rover did not get along. The husband was difficult and demanding, and we had different priorities. I wanted to see as much wildlife as possible, especially large cats. When we had the opportunity to see leopards, he was complaining that we were "driving around too much," and we never made it to the leopard sighting.

I think our guide did not know how to handle this person, which I totally appreciate. Paul and I did tell the managers about the guest's behavior, complaining not only that he was annoying us, but that he was being rude and disrespectful to the guide. It does bring to the fore the problem of being "paired up" with strangers who can positively, or negatively, impact one's visit." See all these reviews: 8n in Namibia; 5n in Botswana

"Savuti was the fourth and last stop on my 11 day safari in Botswana and I thought it would be impossible to have it top the other lodges. But it did. It was overall, the best place I stayed, mainly because of the game viewing, which is at the end of the day, what we are there for!

The lodge was absolutely beautiful, the "tents" were gorgeous, right on the channel (only outdoor showers are missing and I don't really need one), the service was spectacular - my eating safari just continued with 4 meals per day with massive amounts of delicious food. But lilke I said the highlight was the game drives. Because Savuti is part of a 3 camp "team" in the Linyati reserve (the others being Duma Tau and King's Pool), the guides can communicate with each other when game is spotted. But they have a rule of no more than 3 vehicles at a sighting, so you get a great balance of loads of viewings, but still an intimate setting. We had an amazing leopard-in-a-tree veiwing as the sun set on the branch, two other separate leopards and also found a pack of 18 wild dogs devouring an impala. Again, through pure chance, I had a day and a half of private game drives, with just me and my guide Onx in the vehicle!

The camp also organized a dinner in their gorgeous Boma for us, complete with traditional song and dance show that the staff took part in with great skill and energy. What an unexpected treat! All in all, Savuti was just incredible. If this is a "classic" camp, I can't even imagine what a "premiere" camp involves." See all these reviews: 11n in Botswana; 2n in Zambia