T+L’s hotel review of Xugana Island Lodge.

Standing under a constant stream of hot, steamy water, I see a bird that makes my jaw drop in a cartoonishly dramatic manner. It’s a majestic African fish-eagle with dark wings that spread out before landing on the nearby tree. I’m standing in the teak-wood outdoor shower of my Safari tent. Xugana Island Lodge, You are surrounded by an array of magnificent birds, African Mangosteen and Ebony trees with the sound of honking Hippos echoing in the distance. This is the Okavango Delta of Botswana.

Chobe National Park is a popular destination for visitors to this landlocked, north African country. They can enjoy game drives in the park with elephants and giraffes. The Okavango Delta is a huge inland wetland that forms when the Okavango River fanns out over the Kalahari Desert. This UNESCO World Heritage site offers its own unparalleled wildlife viewing—from big game to rare antelopes and over 400 bird species—across papyrus-lined waterways and islands. The Delta is a low-impact destination for tourism because it can be reached by small planes, boats or even on foot.

Xugana Island Lodge was the second lodge built in the Xugana Lagoon Delta in 1974. A part of the Desert & Delta Safaris portfolioThe hotel has recently been completely rebuilt and will reopen in April. There are 12 luxurious accommodations, as well as a pool with a view of the lagoon.

Xugana’s central hub is a stylish, open-air dining and reception area. My fellow guests and myself gathered there for meals and to read a book while lying on loungers with cushions overlooking the lagoon. A small bookshop offered books about the Delta ecosystem. Another curio store offered handwoven baskets and jewelry as well as field guides. I regret not buying a carved wood hippo but bought a silver plate with an elephant and colorful bracelets for my two daughters.

Xugana’s genuine hospitality is a huge draw. It goes beyond the idyllic location and newly-renovated amenities. On chilly morning boat trips, we were given hot water bottles. On afternoon excursions, we were treated to cold drinks as well as freshly baked biltong or herb scones. spiced Southern African beef jerky. The staff performed traditional songs at the beginning of each dinner, and greeted guests with warm smiles and cold towels upon their return.

I spent two nights at Xugana Island Lodge just after its reopening—here’s what it was like.

The Rooms

It feels false to call the accommodations of Xugana Island Lodge tents. Technically, the 915 square-foot structures have canvas walls with window screens which open and close using a zipper. The cavernous room felt so much bigger when I entered the space through the heavy wooden doors, stepped on to the hardwood floors covered with woven rugs and switched on the lights. The modern design is inspired by the lagoon’s blue hues, with framed photos and other art hanging on the walls.

Standard accommodations include an upholstered viewing deck, desk, wardrobe, and a king bed that can be made into twins on request. Separate bathroom with double vanity, indoor and outdoor teak showers and eco-friendly bath and sunscreen products.

Food and Drink

The main lodge serves meals in a buffet-style, and the menus change daily. One morning I had an egg roll, a pork sausage, warm blueberry muffins and freshly-cut mango on my plate, along with a custom-made cappuccino. Lunch consisted of a large variety of dishes such as cumin-scented chicken, chickpea and rice salad, roasted beef kofta. Afternoon tea is served daily at 3 pm with sweet and savory treats (I especially liked the lemon cake filled with marmalade) and a variety of teas and espressos.

The dinner menu is a similar set, featuring a selection of meats and fish, as well as side dishes, salads and cheeses. There are also red and white wine pairs from South African wineries. Any night of the week, guests can book a “floating restaurant” to enjoy a private meal in the lagoon. This is except when there are hippos nearby.

The waterfront bar with a thatched roof is open every day. The bar has a variety of spirits but I only drink The Sentinel gin & tonics at night. Okavango Gin. The Botswana distillery uses seeds from the Mopane native tree to infuse the blend, which has a taste similar to juniper. Amarula is another South African spirit made from marula fruit. I added a bit to my evening coffee as a local version of Baileys Irish Coffee.

Each room also has a coffee and tea station stocked with all the accoutrements for a hot cup—even a glass jar of shortbread cookies.

Activities and Experiences

Four main activities come with a stay in Xugana Island Lodge. They are: mokoro rides on the water, guided nature walks and catch-andrelease fishing. A helicopter tour is also available for an additional charge. Birdwatching in the Delta is also possible at any time. There are more than 400 different species.

The boating is done on a flat-bottomed motorized vessel. It zips along the waterways looking for crocodiles and hippos. Birds are also seen occasionally, as well as elephants who come to drink near the water. We saw crocodiles lazing in the sun and hippos swimming early at night.

Another morning we took a boat out to Palm Island in the Delta, for a walking Safari. For my untrained eye, it looked like a green expanse, part of the tropical biome savanna. However, our guides Gee and Metal stopped every few steps to point out hidden treasures: a jaunty family of warthogs (elephants’ favorites), a marula, (hanging fruits that look similar to those in an Italian deli), and a white buffalo skull. We saw a herd running of red lechwes, baboons playing up a tree and the island’s one zebra standing on top of a termite mound, scanning the landscape.

The mokoro canoe is a dugout that is powered by humans. It has a pole similar to a Venetian boatman. The early evening is a particularly peaceful time, as the water lilies still bloom.

The last night of my trip, we enjoyed sundowners at the firepit located on the lodge’s new overwater terrace that protrudes out into the lagoon. The crocodiles slithered by and grunting hippopotamus sang to us before the sun went down and the stars appeared. It was an amazing experience for someone who lives in the city to see the Milky Way, constellations galore and the Southern Cross.

Offers for Families

Xugana Island Lodge is a great place for families with older children. The family accommodation consists of two tents that are connected. A living room with upholstered furniture that can be converted into a bed to accommodate two additional guests is also available. This area can be separated from the main bedroom by a zipper for privacy. All the activities included in Xugana are suitable for children.

Desert & Delta Safaris also offers an Ultimate Family Safari (UFS), and families who book it get a private vehicle and guide at each camp with tailored activities and thoughtful touches. There are also kid-friendly welcome packages, flexible mealtimes and guides that can engage with younger safari-goers through interactive activities such as animal tracking, bush-skills and cookie-making.

Accessibility and sustainability

The camp has wooden ramps for wheelchairs and one tent with a ramp designed to accommodate wheelchairs. All tents are equipped with roll-in rain showers.

Desert & Delta Safaris is an Eco-Certified Resort, Botswana Tourism’s highest status for sustainable tourism initiatives. Xugana operates on solar power and bottled drinking water was replaced by RO-purified water. Rebuilding the lodge was done with an eye towards reducing its environmental impact. Main guest areas were built with environmentally-friendly materials like wood from sustainably-managed forests in Southern Africa, accommodations were designed with high-pitched roofs to cool naturally and avoid the use of air conditioning, while the layouts prioritized protecting existing vegetation.

The property was reopened for guests only a few days after I arrived. Surrounded by lush vegetation and an abundance wildlife, it wasn’t easy to tell there had been recent construction.

Location

The north of Botswana is home to this beautiful city on the OkavangoThe lodge is located on the Xugana Lagoon, in the heart the Delta. Guests arrive via a Safari Air Cessna, often transferring from another one of Desert & Delta’s safari camps located around the country. You can also fly into Botswana from the regional airports in Kasane and Maun.

We landed at a rural airstrip and then walked a short distance to a motorboat that was waiting to take us on an approximately seven-minute journey to the lodge. The boat trip is an experience in itself, as it weaves through waterways lined with papyrus before entering the lagoon, and the lodge can be seen far away.

What to Expect from Your Stay

Desert & Delta Safaris is not part of any loyalty program.

In peak season (May to October), the nightly rate at Xugana Island Lodge starts at $1290 per person, per night. All meals and beverages are included.

Each hotel reviewed by T+L is chosen based on its alignment with our values. core values.