Discovering Botswana's Okavango Delta with andBeyond

After our wonderful exploration of Cape Town, South Africa — also with andBeyond — we continued our journey north to the Okavango Delta, Botswana. This included assistance with our luggage and navigating the Cape Town International Airport for our 2.5-hour flight to Maun, Botswana. Our travels included andBeyond representatives at every step helping us navigate the airports, customs and immigration, and onto our next 11-person aircraft for our 25-minute flight to the Xaranna Airstrip. As seen throughout Africa, an airstrip means a literal dirt runway where lodge staff meet you with their safari vehicles!

We were greeted at the airstrip by our driver Action, tracker Atty and concierge Effy, among other staff members waiting for us with fresh snacks and many drink options. We toasted to the start of our safari portion of the trip. The nine of us hopped in one open safari vehicle while another transported our luggage to the andBeyond Xaranna Okavango Delta Camp for our two-night stay. The 45-minute ride to our tented safari camp exposed us to our first taste of safari with plenty of game viewing. We even got chased by a mother elephant when her playful, trumpeting baby got a little too close! We stopped along the way, watching animals and learning from our guides and concierge.

The andBeyond Xaranna Okavango Delta Camp is a romantic and intimate camp with just nine ensuite safari tents nestled in the bush and surrounded by a seasonal lagoon. Upon our arrival at the camp, we were greeted by many staff members smiling, waving and singing a welcoming song. The beautiful sight brought happy, warm tears to my eyes. Others waited inside with a platter of fresh drinks in the open-air lobby and dining area, providing the perfect spot for more game viewing while a cool breeze blew by. With little rainfall recently, the delta remains mostly dry except for a medium-sized watering hole full of hippos right off the dock of our camp. After settling into our tents and an alfresco shower, we departed for our first evening game drive. The sun set quickly behind the storm clouds, providing the most magnificent backdrop for our incredible photos of animals throughout the delta. We even experienced the beautifully tragic scene of four lionesses taking down a baby buffalo for their supper. Back at the camp, we were treated to a candlelit dinner on our deck, the best meal I’d had thus far.

Our next day consisted of a 5 am coffee delivery and wake-up knock, followed by our 5:30 am escort from our guides in the dark from our room down the path to the lobby for breakfast. Walking in the dark without a staff escort anywhere around the property was strictly prohibited for safety reasons!

The hippos in our lagoon enjoyed the cool morning by talking to us and each other and being much more active than we’d seen the afternoon before. We were also treated by an elephant who passed just steps from our breakfast table as the sun rose in the distance. Our morning game drive blessed us with a double rainbow, a lion, elephants, zebras, giraffes, ostriches, baboons and every kind of antelope imaginable.

Next, a surprise champagne lunch was set up and served by the friendly staff beneath the trees of the delta while the wildlife was observed from a distance. Mid-afternoon back at the camp left time for an open-door helicopter ride watching the animals roam from above and a massage on my outdoor sala as an elephant passed by my private plunge pool. The evening safari ride proved successful with the usual suspects as well as following a leopard rise from his afternoon nap and wandering around our camp, including a long drink of water from one of the tent’s plunge pools! Even our guides had never seen this.

Our dinner experience included an outdoor barbecue served family-style in the open-air boma with African specialties from the area and songs sung by the staff beneath the stars of the southern hemisphere. The setting was intimate and romantic and highlighted the Xaranna Camp as a beautiful place to reconnect with nature, as well as your family and friends.

After a farewell song from the Xaranna staff, a safari ride to our closest airstrip and a flight on the 11-passenger aircraft, stopping once along the way to drop off other guests, we arrived at the Chitabe airstrip. Two hyenas greeted our arrival as well as our new guide and driver KD, tracker Joel and our accompanying concierge, Effy. We were once again welcomed by the staff at our next lodge, andBeyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge, who were singing and waving.

Sandibe is an architectural marvel inspired by nature and made to resemble the endangered pangolin with its paneled armor-like curved shell. Surrounded by a canopy of trees and papyrus-lined banks, the views from the open-air white-washed lobby and dining area provided exceptional views of the golden-grassed floodplains of the delta and its variety of wildlife. The lodge is also home to the first solar power plant in the delta. Each of the 12 individual raised suites is made to resemble the nest of a golden weaver, which also provides the best views from a safe distance.

More luxurious than the last, Sandibe seemed to have more staff catering to our every need. Lunch on our first day provided multiple options, including build-your-own wood-fired pizza with accompanying local African specialties. Like Xaranna, the outdoor shower was an experience in and of itself — a true luxury on a warm afternoon. The evening safari game drive was full of wildlife including zebras, baboons and giraffes, landscapes that could have been in Arizona or California and a sunset that could have been the inspiration for many paintings or magazine covers — the colors were extraordinary. One of the highlights of the evening drive was a surprise pop-up sundowner with chairs set up, lanterns, a full bar and a table of appetizers all waiting for us to stretch our legs and marvel at the setting sun in the distance. The peaceful drive back to our lodge was interrupted by three leopards playing in the road. We enjoyed this rare sight for a while before making it back for our candlelit dinner under the trees strung with lanterns. Chef Theo presented our delightful menu options, which we enjoyed thoroughly while reminiscing about our amazing day.

Our second day at Sandibe began with a 5 am delivery of coffee, placed from the outside and accessed by me through a little cubby near the minibar area. No need to get dressed for this room service! This lovely wake-up call was soon followed by an escort to breakfast in the lobby while watching the fog clear and the day begin. Our morning safari game drive began with a lion’s roar in the distance, a sound I couldn’t quite put my finger on early this morning! Our skilled guide and tracker drove us straight to the location of the male lion rising with the sun. This, of course, made for a perfect photo opportunity.

After watching this Big Five giant, we continued to the location of our walking safari. We walked in the more desert-like landscape, observing the smaller creatures of the delta as well as the flora and fauna, while the larger game kept their distance. After this full morning, we were surprised yet again with a picnic lunch of barbecued kabobs, quiche, salads and pitas with homemade relish. The andBeyond team never disappoints when it comes to food and makes sure you never go hungry!

Our evening safari was equally impressive, watching the animals and another sundowner surprise: watching the beautiful sunset while hyenas poked their way around our spot to see what we had to offer. The guides showed off their skills at pointing out many of the southern hemisphere’s constellations as the Milky Way felt so close it seemed as if we could touch it. Our last dinner at this special place was held in the wine cellar with another meal on par with any Michelin-starred restaurant. We surprised our concierge, Effy, with a homemade cake, which the staff delivered along with their celebration song. There wasn’t a dry eye in the room.

Our departure day blessed me with a little later wake-up call, with coffee once again being delivered to my room via the secret cubby, while I watched the sunrise through my mosquito net out the screened wall of my room. We were serenaded again upon our departure from this lovely lodge. I wish we’d had another day here. We said goodbye to people who felt like friends we’d known for a lifetime. The ride to the airstrip provided a multitude of game viewing, a special send-off from even the wildlife of Botswana.

I left Botswana with a feeling of ubuntu, an ancient African word we’d learned meaning the belief in a universal bond of sharing that connects all humanity. This shared experience has forever connected me to this beautiful country of Botswana and the African continent.

Traveling with andBeyond is a fantastic way to leave the details up to the real professionals. Every detail is taken care of, and little surprises are sprinkled in along the way. Clients will not be disappointed. Having our andBeyond concierge, Effy, with us proved helpful and made everything more interesting. Her sing-song voice greeted us every morning, as she subtly directed other staff to meet our needs we didn’t even know we had. She joined us for all our meals and game drives, answering our multitude of questions about Botswana, the Okavango Delta,and all things andBeyond.

Concierge services are an add-on to andBeyond experiences, mostly reserved for VIP clients, including FAMs, and clients who may appreciate a little more individual attention. For groups and families wanting to reconnect more on a trip like this, the concierge service would not be necessary. Representatives from andBeyond are still available to help meet and guide guests through the airports and in between lodges and are included when booking with andBeyond.

A safari to the Botswana Okavango Delta is perfect for couples, families and friends. There are discounts for honeymoons and milestone celebrations like big anniversaries and birthdays. Many of the andBeyond lodges have family rooms and Wild Child kids' clubs to safely entertain the little ones until they are old enough to ride along in a safari vehicle. This would make for a fantastic multigenerational family trip.

This trip report is part of our ongoing series on travel to Botswana. In need of further inspiration? Check out my trip reports, Discovering Cape Town, South Africa with andBeyond and Exploring Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe with andBeyond