10 Best Luxury Okavango Delta Safari Lodges & Camps

By Anthony Ham

The Okavango Delta is one of the best places to watch wildlife in Africa. Here, you can encounter big cats, the Big Five (lion, leopard, buffalo, elephant and rhino) and so many other wildlife treasures, all within the world’s largest inland river delta. The rise and fall of the waters vary each year, creating channels and islands that become a playground for animals and safari travelers alike.

Scattered across these islands and other high ground are Okavango Delta safari lodges and camps that are destinations in their own right. They combine remote, exclusive locations with high levels of luxury and service. To help you decide where to stay, below are 10 of the best lodges and camps.

The accommodations below are not ranked in a specific quality order.

210 Okavango Delta Safaris

1. Boteti Tented Safari Lodge (Okavango Delta)

A cozy open-air lounge with wicker furniture and warm lighting overlooks the bush at Boteti Tented Safari Lodge Boteti Tented Safari Lodge has fine safari tents and views over the Boteti River into Makgadikgadi Pans National Park

Boteti Tented Safari Lodge is an utterly splendid place to stay. Positioned high above the west bank of the Boteti River, it has fabulous views across to Makgadikgadi Pans National Park and to the riverbank that seems to draw the park’s wildlife to drink. The only problem is that with such an incredible view, you’ll never want to leave the lodge and explore the park itself!

The safari tents here have a lovely, intimate feel to them, with private bathrooms and decks that look out onto the surrounding bushland. The pool and other public areas are equally lovely places to relax, and the meals here get good reviews from travelers.

Boteti Tours

2. Pom Pom Camp (Okavango Delta)

Pom Pom Camp guests sitting by the fire at dusk, with Delta in the background Pom Pom Camp is a luxurious tented camp with excellent facilities deep in the Okavango Delta

Pom Pom Camp is a classic Delta experience, the kind of place that captures the wonder of this special place. Deep in the watery world of the Okavango, the camp is like an island oasis, a luxurious refuge from the wonderfully wild world, with large safari tents that come with a private terrace. Whether you’re sitting on the deck, lying in bed at night or bathing in the open-air bathtubs, you never quite know when an elephant will walk past or a lion will roar from somewhere close by.

Pom Pom is like your very own private camp, and there’s everything you need here for a magical stay – a swimming pool with trees all around, a dining tent and gorgeous public areas. And, of course, you’re in one of the world’s most amazing wildlife areas, which you can explore on game drives or in mokoros (dugout canoes).

Pom Pom Camp Tours

3. Kadizora Camp (Okavango Delta)

Kadizora Camp room interior Kadizora has an exclusive wilderness feel, with large safari tents and fine facilities

In a blissfully isolated corner of the northern Delta, Kadizora Camp has large safari tents with big timber decks and wood-themed safari decor. Each tent feels like its own little sanctuary in the African wilderness, and the abundant use of canvas ensures you feel like you’re traveling in one of the storied safari expeditions of old.

The big-sky views from most areas of the camp capture the essence of the Delta’s appeal. There’s plenty of wildlife in the area around Kadizora, and animals very often pass right by your tent. The bar and swimming pool look out over the water where animals also come to drink and to swim. At night, the stars are truly incredible.

Kadizora Camp Tours

4. Kanana Camp (Okavango Delta)

Kanana Camp room interior and terrace Deep in the Delta, Kanana combines old-style safari nostalgia and comfort with a terrific location

Kanana Camp embodies classic safari luxury in a wonderful, wildlife-rich concession of the Okavango Delta. The tents here are furnished with antique wooden desks, leather sofas, four-poster beds and polished wooden floorboards. The only problem might be convincing yourself to go out and explore, as each tent is so plush and gloriously comfortable. The public areas are similar, with a fine-dining restaurant tent, luxurious lounges and an inviting swimming pool. Elevated wooden walkways, lit by lanterns after dark, connect it all like some too-good-to-be-true hideaway in a remote corner of the Delta.

Kanana Camp Tours

5. Camp Okuti (Moremi Game Reserve)

Camp Okuti room interior Surrounded by water, Okuti offers architecturally unique rooms and all-round safari excellence

Designed in a style that is utterly unlike any of the other Okavango Delta lodges and camps, Okuti is a beautiful place. Accommodations are in unique rooms that are swathed in reeds and canvas. Each room has wooden floors, stone bathtubs and a private terrace that seems to hang out over the water. All manner of wildlife wanders or swims by, and you’re in for a real treat if an elephant paddles past your door.

As you’d expect from a Ker & Downey property (they also operate Kanana Camp), everything is just right, from the public areas to the service. The policy of only four guests per safari vehicle means that everyone gets a front-row seat. Boat safaris are a highlight here as well.

Camp Okuti Tours

6. Camp Moremi (Moremi Game Reserve)

Camp Moremi room with a terrace Camp Moremi is an exclusive tented camp in the Okavango Delta, with superb rooms and public areas

Camp Moremi is set on a tree-covered island, surrounded by grassy plains and seasonal river channels. Wildlife roams freely amid the classic Okavango scenery. Don’t be surprised if you open your door in the morning and find an elephant or giraffe feeding just outside, or if a lion roars close by while you’re safely in bed at night. The 12 stylish, spacious tents combine wood and thatch with calming color schemes.

Everything about this place is luxurious, and the feeling is enhanced by the exclusive location, far from other Okavango safari lodges and camps. There’s also a swimming pool.

Camp Moremi Tours

7. Lebala Camp (Kwando Concession)

Lebala Camp room with a terrace Lebala has a wonderful location in the Delta’s north and outstanding amenities

The beautiful wilds of the northern Okavango Delta start right outside the entrance to your safari tent when you stay at Lebala. The large tents, with polished wood floors and soaring canvas ceilings, face out onto the water that surrounds the camp. There’s nothing better than waking in the morning and lying in bed as the sights and sounds of the Delta emerge around you. You can experience the same thing from your dinner table, from the pool, or from any of the chairs in the open-air lounge.

The feeling of awe continues as you set out on a game drive, where you’re likely to encounter lots of wildlife almost immediately. And the distance between Lebala and other safari camps and lodges means that you’re almost guaranteed to enjoy blissfully quiet safari trails.

Lebala Camp Tours

8. Camp Xakanaxa (Moremi Game Reserve)

A rustic thatched-roof deck with a dining table overlooks tall grasses and a serene river beside a small plunge pool, Camp Xakanaxa Camp Xakanaxa is a fine Moremi tented camp with a fantastic location in the Delta

Camp Xakanaxa gets the mix between luxury and rustic charm just right. The safari tents have luxurious furnishings, but the way everything is designed (with big windows in the canvas walls, and bathrooms that feel protected yet part of the surrounding woodlands) makes you feel like you’re a part of nature. The camp looks out over a classic Okavango scene of wildlife-filled waters and floodplains, with stunning views from public areas and the private terraces of each tent.

You can dine with the same view, and enjoy a drink while hippos wallow nearby, or swim in the pool as an elephant family crosses the horizon. And one of the best things about staying here is that the camp is nicely removed from others, leaving you to imagine yourself experiencing your very own private corner of Africa.

Camp Xakanaxa Tours

9. Chitabe Camp (Chitabe Concession)

An elegant open-air lounge with wooden decor and bush views offers a serene retreat at Chitabe Camp Chitabe Camp is an excellent tented camp in an exclusive Okavango Delta concession filled with wildlife

Chitabe Concession has quickly gained a reputation for some of the best wildlife viewing in southern Africa. On a recent visit, we saw a 20-strong pack of wild dogs, seven cheetahs, two leopards and a pride of 15 lions … all in 24 hours. The well-run camp offers classic safari luxury, with experienced guides, great food and stunning safari tents that overlook the water. Chitabe Camp is part of the top-notch Wilderness Safaris collection, and a safari here is one of the best choices you can make.

Chitabe Camp Tours

10. Selinda Camp (Selinda Concession)

Selinda Camp room with a terrace Selinda Camp is one of the Delta’s most luxurious camps, where amazing wildlife is always close by

There are many things to celebrate about Selinda, including the transformation of Selinda Concession from a former hunting zone to one of the richest wildlife areas in southern Africa. Part of the Great Plains Conservation portfolio of uber-luxurious lodges, Selinda Camp is like a fantasy of what a safari lodge or tented camp in the Delta should look like. In addition to the usual luxuries, this place has freestanding brass bathtubs, professional cameras for guest use in each room, and an expertly curated wine list in the restaurant.

Everything here is designed in the best possible taste, and the wildlife is exceptional. It’s so exclusive that any wildlife you see will feel like your own private sighting.