Savute Elephant Lodge, a Belmond Safari | Luxury in Botswana's Chobe National Park (4K tour)

Savute Elephant Lodge, a Belmond Safari | Luxury in Botswana's Chobe National Park (4K tour)

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Our journey to Belmond Savute Elephant Lodge starts at its sister hotel Belmond Eagle Island Lodge in the Okavango Delta It’s a 50 min flight between both lodges onboard a bush aircraft which is operated by Mack Air, a third party used by Belmond Since its launch in 1994, Mack Air has grown to become one of the most advanced air charter companies in Southern Africa The current fleet of Mack Air is quite modern and consists of 19 Cessna Grand Caravan EXs and 3 Cessna 206 Stationairs Belmond Savute Elephant Lodge is located in the heart of Chobe National Park, the oldest National Park in Botswana Chobe boasts Africa’s biggest concentration of wildlife and is known for its mega-herds of elephants and buffalos Chobe is also Botswana’s most accessible National Park to self-drive around for an adventurous safari It’s a 30 min drive from Chobe’s air strip to the lodge Welcome to Belmond Savute Elephant Lodge, the most luxurious lodge in Chobe National Park Let’s first explore the communal areas of Savute Elephant Lodge, a Belmond Safari At the heart of the lodge is a lounge, TV room and dining room under a large canvas roof with open sides for waterhole viewing The Chobe Game Reserve was officially created in 1960 and became the country’s first National Park in 1967 In 1975, Botswana’s government decided to limit human access to Chobe, apart from the area around the current lodge At the time, two camps operated at Savute, one run by Harry Selby, who was immortalised in the book Horn of the Hunter Selby eventually moved on and the twin camps were taken over and merged by Gametrackers In 1993 Belmond acquired Gametrackers and in 2014 the camp was renamed Belmond Savute Elephant Lodge The lodge's name emphasizes its location in the heart of what is known as the "Elephant Kingdom of Africa" The lodge is managed by the Belmond Hotel Group,  formerly known as Orient Express until its rebranding in 2014 Since the acquisition of Hotel Cipriani in Venice in 1976, Belmond has continued to perpetuate the legendary art of travel Belmond's portfolio extends across 24 countries with 50 remarkable properties (hotels, trains and boats) Belmond is part of the world’s leading luxury group LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton The public area features a fire-pit overlooking a waterhole In front of the main lodge is a 20 m (65 ft) pool, a popular place to relax between the morning and evening safari drive The lodge is set on the banks of the Savute River, a ghost river that appears intermittently, regardless of rainfall Despite theories about the shifting of tectonic plates affecting the water, no one knows when the channel will be full or dry The Savute Channel near the the lodge continues to come & go, but a water hole in front of the lodge attracts wildlife at all times The Savute area is where the BBC and National Geographic have captured some of their best wildlife documentary footage Have you ever stayed at Belmond Savute Elephant Lodge? If so, what was your experience? Leave a comment Belmond Savute Elephant Lodge boasts 12 tented rooms, which are shaded by thatched roofs and built on wooden platforms Each tent has a large private deck with day beds along with a table and chairs where private dinners can be served The interior of each tent includes wooden floorboards, a four poster bed with mosquito netting, chairs and a writing desk Welcome amenities: cookies and limonade The bathroom is equipped with two wash basins, indoor & outdoor showers, and a dressing room with robes and slippers Plenty of wildife passes in front of the rooms, day and night The mini bar in each room is stocked with complimentary beverages Each day at the lodge starts with an early morning breakfast A morning game drive is offered after breakfast Our first sighting of the day is incredible: two leopards mating! Leopards are solitary and territorial creatures, and males and females will only come together briefly during mating Leopards mate every 15 minutes for up to 5 days; this means that they can mate more than 250 times A light breakfast is offered during the morning safari We've spotted a large pride of lions, with a big male, who feel like doing an insane photoshoot on a trunk Lunch is served upon return at Belmond Savute Elephant Lodge A shop next to the dining room supports local artisans by selling locally made gifts, souvenirs, as well as books and videos It's easy to spot wildlife at the lodge in between safari drives One floor below the pool deck is a hide from where the animals visiting the nearby water hole can be observed at close range Afternoon tea is served at 3:30 pm, followed by another exciting game drive We've spotted a pack of wild dogs with their puppies (an incredibly rare and thrilling safari moment) At first glance, wild dogs don't look that scary but these intelligent, vicious predators are Africa's most brutal killers Hunting in large packs, wild dogs (or painted wolves) are the most efficient hunters in Africa, with a kill rate of 80% The wild dog is one of the world's most endangered mammals, and spotting these animals during a safari is a rare privilige According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, there are only around 6,600 wild dogs remaining in Africa Dinner is served upon return at the lodge On selected nights, a barbecue is offered at the lodge’s boma, while one of the guides explains Botswana’s history The waterhole is lit at night, so guests can keep observing the many elephants that visit the lodge

2025-01-19 15:04

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