The Best of the Okavango Delta: Sandibe Lodge
by Dr Fumblefinger (guest blogger)
The three days at Sandibe in the Okavango Delta are the most memorable travel days I’ve ever experienced!
Sandibe Lodge
Sandibe is in the Okavango Delta, just south of the Moremi Game Reserve. It’s a large private concession—a former game hunting preserve but now a photo-safari destination—in a much drier part of the delta than Xudum. While there are still many channels and pools, many large dry stretches of land lend themselves well to game watching and where you’ll find large numbers of animals.
The Guides
We grew to love our excursions on our rugged Land Cruiser. Our guide/ranger, Gee and a young game tracker, Goms, did a masterful job finding wildlife and positioning us so that we were close to the animals (without actually bothering them—they almost wholly ignored us (though they were aware of us).
The Schedule
Each day at Sandibe started with Gee’s dawn wake-up call/song/drumming. After that, we’d grab a quick coffee and a small breakfast and then head out for a game drive, lasting about three hours. We’d return to the lodge for “brunch,” then have a four-hour break (time for a nap, swim, whatever) before we were served High Tea and then off again for a three or so-hour late afternoon game drive until dark.
Nocturnal Touring
One night, we went on an evening game drive, using a spotlight to find animals (e.g., an owl eating a mouse or a hyena cub). We returned to the lodge after dark for drinks and dinner.
At the Lodge
The food was always of gourmet quality and carefully prepared (no one got sick). The staff was sweet and very attentive. Our guides and all the staff at the lodge did a fantastic job of taking good care of us. I haven’t been so well cared for since my mother took care of me as a child. The animal viewing at Sandibe was superb. We were treated to not only a wide assortment of large animals but often, these were extremely close (because it’s not a national park, the rangers are allowed to drive off-road and position the vehicle to maximize our exposure to the animals. This was a beneficial feature and allowed us to get some fabulous photos. We saw most of the big animals of Africa here (except rhinos and cheetahs).
A Boat Trip
One evening, just before dusk, we went on a motorized boat ride up the permanent channel adjoining Sandibe and tried our hand at fishing. Our guide, Gee, was the son of a delta fisherman and an accomplished fisher himself. We didn’t have much luck, though Gee did, reeling in one tilapia after another. Still, being among the reeds, papyrus and kingfishers was pleasant. But you will see little more than birds and plants while on the water. And you need to be wary of hippos, which can be very dangerous if they are startled. We didn’t see any hippos during our boat ride (the motor probably scared them away), but you must take a land safari to see animals other than birds.
The Lodge
Sandibe Lodge consists of the main building with a great open view (and monkeys, birds and bats that like to hang about it). The architecture of the lodge and guest huts/cabins are designed to blend in well with the forest; it harmonizes with rather than distracts from the delta.
The lodge is on a permanent water channel that is very popular with hippos, whom you’ll hear chuckling and grunting, especially after the sunsets. Like all And Beyond lodges, the complex is entirely open, and animals (including some as large as elephants) wander through the place at will (besides an elephant, we also saw monkeys, baboons and kudu on the lodge property). So after dark, you’ll always be accompanied by a staff person. For nervous clients, there’s an air horn in your room to summon help if you should feel threatened by anything. The rooms were beautiful, and each had an elevated sitting area where you could watch the birds over the channel
Sandibe is a special place. If I ever get back near Botswana, I want to return here and recommend it to everyone without any reservations.
Links
Sandibe Lodge Sandibe is one of the “And Beyond” lodges.