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.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION - Change to Visa Fee Structure for Zambia

Click on attachment above to view full document

Please note the attached new Visa regime, announced by Zambia on 26 January 2008 with immediate effect.

Please be advised that with immediate effect all clients that come into Zambia will have to pay VISAS upon arrival into Zambia . All VISA waivers have been scraped off by the Zambian Government .There will be no more Manifest prepared by any Hotels or Lodges at all.
All clients that arrived today had to pay Visas at the Airport, also note that there was no notice to this effect.

Obviously this has caused great confusion and we will lobby the Government with immediate effect to at least provide a notice period but preferably return to the waiver system.

We are trying to obtain information as to whether there has also been an amendment to the day visitor visas for Zambia and will revert if and when new information is available.

How to get to Leroo La Tau

In order to assist everyone in understanding how to get to Leroo La Tau, below please find the details from Maun and Serowe:

Out of Maun on the Nata road

About 50km from Maun go through Makalamabedi veterinary fence (NO red meat products, wear seatbelt & have driver's license ready!)
Another 30km and turn right for Motopi/Rakops/Serowe (turnoff is opposite a radio mast on the left)
After 2km cross the bridge and soon after that turn left at the 4 way stop (following the tar)
After about 50-55km turn left at the Leroo La Tau sign onto 6km of sand to the lodge (4x4 required for this road)

From Serowe head for Mopipi
After about 200km (past Letlakhane but about 10km before Orapa) turn left for Mopipi
After about 70km continue through Mopipi
After about 65km continue past Rykops
After about 80km continue past Khumaga
After about 6-8km turn right at the Leroo La Tau sign onto 6km of sand track to the lodge
(Soon after crossing the double fence about 1km from the lodge, BEWARE of the electric fence across the road!!)

The above directions include estimated distances. Self drive travellers will need a 4x4 for the last 6-8km’s to Leroo.

A Weekend at Savute Safari Lodge

Story by Derek Flatt - Desert and Delta Safaris Managing Director

"We arrived at Savuti at 4 p.m. on Friday 4th January. The veld was gloriously green with all the recent rain that is still falling regularly. In fact it rained everyday of our stay there, including two substantial storms on Saturday and Sunday.

We checked in to Savute Safari Lodge, and decided against a game drive, there was lots of elephant activity going on at the waterhole in front to keep us interested. Our friends who had been there for 2 days already told us of sightings of a wild dog pack that morning, and a leopard the day before that they had watched stalking (unsuccessfully) an ostrich on wild dog vlei. They had also had a wonderful time birdwatching, all the migrants are in, and the pans, being full of water are alive with all the waders and ducks and geese. They had some wonderful pictures of knob-billed ducks “grazing” – stripping grass stalks of their seeds, and a great series of a Kori Bustard in full display and “booming” while carrying two freeloading carmine bee-eaters on his back.

The next day was overcast and cool. The morning drive on the marsh yielded tsessebe, wildebeest, herds of zebra, ostrich, elephants and a small herd of buffalo near Marabout pan, all busy feeding on the lush grass growth the rain has brought. Also out and about were numerous bat eared foxes and myriad birds. Other guests had a very special sighting of two juvenile aardwolves basking in the sun outside their den in the marsh. Energy, their guide, had spotted the mother there about 2 weeks before, and, making a shrewd assumption by her behaviour that she had cubs, had been keeping an eye on the area. The reward was these two cubs which the guests got great pictures of. Very unusual and exciting. We dodged rain showers all the way back to the lodge at midday, and took some time out after brunch.

The rain had cleared by about 4 p.m. so we spent the evening drive around Harvey’s pan. For the first time in three years there is a hippo in Harvey’s. A big bull, quite scarred, who gave us some great threat displays, yawning widely and showing off his formidable tusks.

We found the wild dog pack at Harvey’s, getting ready to hunt. We followed them a short while until they disappeared off into the Phyllonoptera scrub, intent on food. They are in wonderful condition; this time of year is so good for all the wildlife.

There was a lot of rain that night, but the morning was clear so it was back to the marsh. All the animals were out again – we were never out of sight of something as we made our way down to the southern end. There we ran into three lions – two beautiful big maned males and an adult lioness. The lioness and one male were mating, so staying close together and looking rather tired! The other male was lying by himself about two hundred metres away and looking rather distant and aloof. We drove closer to him and he gave us a rather grumpy growl and stalked off in a huff, so he was obviously not happy about the love match nearby!

At brunch we heard that Energy’s guests had seen leopard that morning, the same one from Friday, Energy has been watching for his tracks, and also a pair of cheetah on the eastern side of the marsh. That makes all three big cats in one day – and this in the “off” season! Other guests had also seen the lions.

The evening drive took us off in the direction of Harvey’s again. Before we got there we saw what looked like a branch in the track. On closer inspection this tuned out to be a snouted cobra in banded phase – about 1.8 metres long. And right beside it was a largish puff adder, which the cobra seemed to be nudging with its nose.

We stopped to watch what turned out to be a sighting of a lifetime. The cobra had obviously bitten the puff adder at least once already. The nudging was to see if the poison had taken effect. It had not, as the puff adder coiled back in a classic strike pose and bit the cobra just behind the head. The cobra moved back and then bit the puff adder again, holding on and pumping venom into it. It still held on even as the puff adder struck again.

The cobra then stayed close, nudging the other snake now and again, waiting for the venom to take effect. Obviously it got the reaction (or lack of) that it was waiting for because after a couple of minutes it moved round to the adder’s head, opened its mouth wide, unhinging its jaws, and started to engulf the adder head first. The adder was very puffed up, and obviously not dead yet, so the cobra had some difficulty getting the process started. As it “walked” its jaws forward taking in more of the adder, so it slid backwards into the short grass on the side of the track, obviously needing purchase for its body to help getting the other snake down.

We watched the process until the cobra had ingested its meal, re-hinged his jaws, and moved on – at speed and with purpose, and looking as slim as if he had nothing inside him. The whole action took about 45 minutes.

We went on to Harvey’s and saw elephants, zebra, an insouciant looking hyena and lots of birds, but I must say, after witnessing the snakes enact their bit of “bush life in the raw” – we were not, I am ashamed to say, quite as excited as we could have been.
The other guests, who had missed our drama, had nevertheless again seen cheetah, and the wild dog pack.

This is Savuti in January, in the middle of a good rainy season, when the game viewing is supposed to be at its worst! What an amazing place.

I have to add that, for my son, our resident reptile expert, this was an outstanding experience, and to have him there to clarify matters, such as snakes, particularly puff adders, being a favourite prey of snouted cobras, and that the cobras are immune to other snakes’ venom, added to the experience”