Reviews of Xigera Safari Lodge
Wildlife sightings and reviews
35 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Xigera Safari Lodge and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa
Mrs B
Exeter
"Xigera review"
3 nights Arrived 2 May 2018
"great mix of boat and land safaris
super guide in Lesh" See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana
super guide in Lesh" See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Good
Location:
Good
Service:
Good
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Average
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Average
Feedback Response
About a year after these travellers stayed at Xigera Camp, it was sold to new owners: the "Red Carnation Hotel Collection". Since then the camp has been re-built in much grander style, and was re-launched in late 2020 as "Xigera Safari Lodge".
So whilst this review, and those below it, have some great observations on the environment, wildlife and even the experience in this very lovely area of the Okavango, the physical camp, and doubtless the food and service, will have changed immensely since the new lodge opened under its new owners in 2020.
So whilst this review, and those below it, have some great observations on the environment, wildlife and even the experience in this very lovely area of the Okavango, the physical camp, and doubtless the food and service, will have changed immensely since the new lodge opened under its new owners in 2020.
Dr & Mrs T
Kent
"Xigera was our favourite camp"
3 nights Arrived 25 Sep 2017
"Xigera is in a beautiful location offering in dry season both excellent game and fun Mokoro and boat trips.
The camp is very comfortable and the food superb. The staff were great fun and our guide NP was superb with an incredible knowledge. We saw a different leopard every day! and the birds were fantastic.
The highlight was the wild dogs and following them for 1 1/2 hours on a high speed hunt through the bush. Amazingly exciting I have waited 35 years to see this again.
The enviroment was pristine and very quiet, the reason we choose Botswana." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe
The camp is very comfortable and the food superb. The staff were great fun and our guide NP was superb with an incredible knowledge. We saw a different leopard every day! and the birds were fantastic.
The highlight was the wild dogs and following them for 1 1/2 hours on a high speed hunt through the bush. Amazingly exciting I have waited 35 years to see this again.
The enviroment was pristine and very quiet, the reason we choose Botswana." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
P&A
London
"Fantastic camp!"
3 nights Arrived 19 May 2017
"I can't recommend this camp highly enough.
The location and staff are fantastic (special shout out to Onks) and considering where they are, the food and service is also very good.
On our first drive we saw two teenage lions attempt to catch an impala and on the evening drive we saw the whole pride catch and eat an impala. An experience we will never forget.
Top that off with the access to the river, both mokoro and speedboat it really was the highlight of the trip." See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana
The location and staff are fantastic (special shout out to Onks) and considering where they are, the food and service is also very good.
On our first drive we saw two teenage lions attempt to catch an impala and on the evening drive we saw the whole pride catch and eat an impala. An experience we will never forget.
Top that off with the access to the river, both mokoro and speedboat it really was the highlight of the trip." See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Excellent
Mr & Mrs N
Bucks
"Xigera review"
3 nights Arrived 16 May 2017
"Wonderful location and the staff and the service they provided was exemplary. Indeed it was the friendliness. professionalism and hospitality of every single member of staff we met that made our stay at Xigera so memorable and enjoyable. Everyone from the managers downwards worked together to create a very warm and welcoming environment.
The rooms, common areas and food were good and in line with expectations for accommodation at this price point. The outlook and privacy of our rooms were both wonderful. Perhaps the common areas could have been enlivened with a bit more art work and/or local craft pieces. The pool deck area was quite small for the number of guests and while we would have welcomed and enjoyed the opportunity to sit out there in the afternoon, all seats and loungers were invariably fully occupied.
The activities provided were great and the standard of guiding excellent." See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana; 3n in Zimbabwe
The rooms, common areas and food were good and in line with expectations for accommodation at this price point. The outlook and privacy of our rooms were both wonderful. Perhaps the common areas could have been enlivened with a bit more art work and/or local craft pieces. The pool deck area was quite small for the number of guests and while we would have welcomed and enjoyed the opportunity to sit out there in the afternoon, all seats and loungers were invariably fully occupied.
The activities provided were great and the standard of guiding excellent." See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana; 3n in Zimbabwe
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Good
Mrs P
Horsham
"Xigera review"
3 nights Arrived 18 Sep 2016
"Our guide, Lesh, was excellent and we thoroughly enjoyed our visit."
See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
XX
London
"Very enjoyable"
2 nights Arrived 14 Aug 2016
"Great experience but felt substantially more "corporate" than the other places we visited. Fantastic location and very good facilities with beautiful "tents" and excellent food. The best part of the stay however was attributable to our fabulous guide, Wyse, who was exceptionally knowledgeable, skilled and provided exceptional experiences in the delta.
Actually enjoyed the Boma - really enjoyable without being kitsch!
(Found the singing from staff as we arrived rather embarrassing.)" See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana; 3n in Zimbabwe
Actually enjoyed the Boma - really enjoyable without being kitsch!
(Found the singing from staff as we arrived rather embarrassing.)" See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana; 3n in Zimbabwe
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Two Travellers
UK
"Xigera review"
2 nights Arrived 22 Aug 2015
"Although game drives were available while we were at Xigera, we had chosen it so that we could focus on water based activities and it proved a wonderful and tranquil contrast to the land based and slightly more frenetic activities we had enjoyed at Little Kwara and Lebala.
Our guide Dips was unfailingly patient and accommodating of our (extremely amateurish) attempts to photograph at least some of the prolific birdlife we encountered, and thanks to him we were also lucky enough to see a sitatunga during one of our excursions.
The setting and decor of the camp was lovely and the whole operation very polished; one occasionally had the sense of being completely surrounded by staff eager to help and make one feel welcome, but on the whole this wasn't necessarily a very bad thing!" See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana; 3n in Zambia
Our guide Dips was unfailingly patient and accommodating of our (extremely amateurish) attempts to photograph at least some of the prolific birdlife we encountered, and thanks to him we were also lucky enough to see a sitatunga during one of our excursions.
The setting and decor of the camp was lovely and the whole operation very polished; one occasionally had the sense of being completely surrounded by staff eager to help and make one feel welcome, but on the whole this wasn't necessarily a very bad thing!" See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana; 3n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Good
Activities:
Good
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Ms R
Rotherhithe
"Great place for a wet safari"
2 nights Arrived 26 May 2015
"Lovely setting, great people and they've obviously got things running fluidly here. From the airstrip pickup and subsequent boat ride to the lodge, to the food and rooms themselves, it all was top quality and went to plan. Our room was wonderful; a treehouse chalet overlooking the lagoon complete with all mod cons as well as nightly turn downs etc. There's a swimming pool too, lovely place with sun loungers overlooking the river.
Food was plentiful, lovely and in a very scenic restaurant overlooking the small channel. Three course evening meals including local specialities such as Kudu as well as brunches and high tea. Boat trips and Makoros are what it's all about - enjoyed the Okavango and its scenery, it's tiny frogs and wonderful birdlife. With guides Des and Keem we were able to find Pel's Fishjng Owl and they both knew the wildlife and the history of the data very well." See all these reviews: 5n in Botswana; 2n in Zambia
Food was plentiful, lovely and in a very scenic restaurant overlooking the small channel. Three course evening meals including local specialities such as Kudu as well as brunches and high tea. Boat trips and Makoros are what it's all about - enjoyed the Okavango and its scenery, it's tiny frogs and wonderful birdlife. With guides Des and Keem we were able to find Pel's Fishjng Owl and they both knew the wildlife and the history of the data very well." See all these reviews: 5n in Botswana; 2n in Zambia
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Sheffs
USA
"Xigera"
2 nights Arrived 17 May 2015
"We loved it. The cabin was comfortable, and we saw lots of birds, and some game from our back porch.
The staff were very nice, and guides were excellent.
The outdoor Boma dinner our last night was fabulous. Singing and dancing were marvelous." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana
The staff were very nice, and guides were excellent.
The outdoor Boma dinner our last night was fabulous. Singing and dancing were marvelous." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Good
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Excellent
Food:
Good
Facilities:
Excellent
Dr B
Canada
"Mokoro rides at Xigera"
3 nights Arrived 11 Mar 2015
"Surprisingly low water levels as the summer rainfall was very sparse, resulted in no boat rides however the mokoros could still get through the waterways so a partial water camp.
Must be an excellent location when the waters are high, the wildlife was excellent and we saw the elusive Pell’s fishing owl. I would consider returning to see the lodge in it’s watery version." See all these reviews: 14n in Botswana
Must be an excellent location when the waters are high, the wildlife was excellent and we saw the elusive Pell’s fishing owl. I would consider returning to see the lodge in it’s watery version." See all these reviews: 14n in Botswana
Experience Report
Overall Rating:
Excellent
Location:
Excellent
Service:
Excellent
Activities:
Excellent
Rooms:
Good
Food:
Excellent
Facilities:
Excellent
Feedback Response
It does indeed seem that Botswana is in for a particularly interesting year in 2015. As this traveller experienced, there has been significantly lower than average rainfall which has certainly meant that wildlife viewing has been very mixed in some areas. Places where we would expect it to be great at this time of year, aren’t seeing as much as we would expect, and others, where we possibly wouldn’t expect it, seem to be producing some interesting sightings. The camps in the Delta are certainly struggling with very low water levels in the early part of 2015. Hopefully as the flood waters arrive from the Angolan highlands, which are said to have been good this year, unlike Botswana's rain fall, the water levels will hopefully pick up somewhat making these more watery areas more true to form!
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