Never A Dull Moment at Savute Safari Lodge

Written by Assistant Manager Action Kehusitswe -

It was late afternoon around 1830 last week, Action and Banaki were in the office doing their usual duties at Savute and waiting for the guests to return from their game drive when Lodge Manageress Banaki started screaming! As Action turned around he saw a pack of wild dogs chasing a fully grown female kudu close to the office! It then sprinted through the dining room and bar and down the pathway to Room number one hotly pursued by four wild dogs. The kill took place behind the deck of number one and three of the wild dogs left one behind to go and collect the other pack of four. They fed on it all night and then stayed around the lodge for two days – what an amazing experience for our guests!

We are seeing an amazing increase of Wild Dog activity in and artound Savute Safari Lodge and if this is an indicator to the quality of game viewing so early in the season, we are very excited about what the dry months will deliver this year.

Once before a kudu was chased by wild dog right into the office and it was slipping on the smooth floor tiles – (now at Chobe Game Lodge) Manageress, Tania Bruwer, was trapped inside for a couple of minutes until the Kudu managed to get up and escape!

Camp Okavango - A Few New Changes and Two New Faces

Camp Okavango recently opened again, after a month of refurbishment and clean-up, to welcome guests for the 2008 season. During closure time, our new Lodge Managers, MC and Michelle, who have moved to the heart of the Okavango Delta from Camp Moremi, used this opportunity to settle in to their new environment, familiarise themselves with the set-up of the camp and oversee the refurbishment. We welcome them to Camp Okavango!

MC, the Nephew to John Khata, who has been at Camp Okavango for almost 30 years already, is no stranger to the Desert and Delta Safaris family. MC worked for many years at Camp Moremi and Xugana Island Lodge, and has excelled from his early days as a waiter and Barman at Camp Moremi and Guide, Assistant Manager and Manager at Xugana Island Lodge. Just over two years ago, MC spent a year at Disneyworld on a cultural exchange program and honed his skills in Tourism Management. He returned to Desert and Delta Safaris at the end of 2006. It was during this time that he met Michelle, who hails from Kwazulu-Natal. Michelle joined Desert and Delta Safaris in 2007 and spent the year as an Assistant Manager at Camp Moremi. We are confident that their great zest for life and positive approach to Tourism Management are going to ensure that guests to Camp Okavango leave with incredibly fond memories of their Okavango experiences.

Apart from various soft changes to the lodge, we have replaced the entrances to all the tents with new glass and mosquito netting sliding doors. This is a welcome change to the old zip-up doors and we are confident that our visitors are going to enjoy our new tents.

Camp Okavango guest accommodation is in eleven safari tents, with en-suite bathrooms. All rooms are raised above the ground on wooden decks ....... and now boast brand new glass sliding doors as entrances. Each room deck allows for guests to relax and enjoy the views of the Okavango Delta wilderness.

The new entrances of the Camp Okavango tents as from the interior of the tented room.

Chobe Savanna Lodge - Kasenu Village Boat Project Completed

The 13th of January was a very special day for the people of Kasenu Village in the Kasika Conservancy, Eastern Caprivi. As a result of donations left by guests of Chobe Savanna Lodge, they were able to purchase a brand new fibreglass boat and a 15hP engine. The boat will be used to transport pensioners to collect their pension money and as a taxi for not only Kasenu but also the surrounding villages. This is the first permanent taxi on the Chobe River in the Kasika Conservancy.

(Chobe Savanna Lodge Management meeting with the Kasenu Village to hand over the donation)

Chobe Savanna Lodge supported a number of villages since October 2003 with various projects that improve general living conditions without changing the traditional nature of the villages. Managers of Chobe Savanna Lodge, Johann and Anja van Schalkwyk, continued this objective when they started working at the lodge in June 2005.

Since March 2006, Chobe Savanna Lodge has taken its guests to Kasenu for cultural visits. The villagers explain to the guests how they catch fish, fix fishing nets, dry fish, build traditional mud houses, medicinal uses of plants in the village as well as day to day activities in the village. Once the tour ends, everybody meets in the boma under the big baobab tree and guests are invited to join in the traditional singing and dancing.

In November 2007, John Sepiso, assistant manager at Chobe Savanna Lodge, and Ester Magwaza, from Kasenu, made their way to Lusaka to purchase the boat. Transporting the boat to Livingstone wasn’t too difficult as many empty trucks offer lifts to those that require them. The trip from Livingstone to Mambova proved to be more difficult – the only vehicle available was a small pick up vehicle that the 6 metre long boat did not fit onto properly. As a result, as they reached Mambova, the driver informed John that the fare was increased by K100.000, which made it just as expensive as the trip from Lusaka to Livingstone! Sekoma Island Lodge (a sister lodge of Chobe Savanna Lodge) towed the boat to Kasane, where Chobe Savanna Lodge then picked it up. The engine arrived shortly after the boat and Chobe Game Lodge (another lodge in the DDS group) assisted with the installation thereof.

While waiting for the boat to arrive, Martin Silimbani (an inhabitant of Kasenu) was taught how to drive a boat and had to get to know the Chobe River. He was also taught how to maintain the boat engine as this would also be one of his responsibilities. Susan Matomola (also from Kasenu) was given lessons in basic accounting as she was elected by the village as the taxi bookkeeper. By the time the boat was ready to make its first trip, all the necessary training was completed. All profit made by the taxi will go to the village. The village has decided that their next project will be a community vegetable garden and are busy drawing up a proposal.
On behalf of Kasenu and Chobe Savanna Lodge, Johann and Anja thank all the guests and fundraisers that donated money toward the project as well as everybody else that was involved in making this project possible.

(The Maiden Voyage in the new Kasenu Village Boat)

(This smile and the excitement of the new boat for the Village says it all.)

Renovations at Savute Safari Lodge

The time for renovations has come and Savute has just undergone a spectacular make over. The signature blue furnishings have been replaced with more neutral tones and the lodge exudes pure sophistication and elegance.

Each chalet peeks out from under the legendary Camelthorn trees and has been decorated in a blend of cool natural colours, patterns and different textures.

If you take a leisurely walk up to the bar area to quench your thirst or simply delight in one of the famous sundowners in front of the waterhole you will be met by a group of striking giraffe who will majestically look down on you while you wait for your drink!

The library and lounge areas have been completely revamped and you can sink into the soft colorful cushions that are scattered around an assortment of leather, fabric and wicker arm chairs and sofas.

For those scorching afternoons that are so prevalent in the Savute you can relax in one of the brand new pool loungers at the pool and watch the wild life as they come and go from the water hole in front of camp like old friends at a local meeting place.


The new Savute, is a place where nature and wild life can be enjoyed from stylish, natural, comfortable surroundings.