Exploring the serpentine rivers and vast wetlands of northern Botswana by boat offers visitors a chance to see some of the country’s majestic wildlife from a fresh perspective, affording close-up views of animals that congregate on the riverbank and wallow in its shallows.
At Chobe Game Lodge, the waterborne safari has taken a decidedly sustainable turn after converting all of its boats into solar-powered vehicles. As well as reducing the use of diesel, the electric powered boats allow guests to sluice silently through the water and approach herds feeding near the shore without disturbing the wildlife.
Situated on the banks of the Chobe River in Chobe National Park, the eco-lodge is home to 44 guestrooms including four spacious suites with infinity plunge pools, intimate indoor and outdoor dining venues, two bars and a riverside boma from which to watch life on the river unfold; plus a boardwalk with six viewing decks that meanders along the banks.
But it’s Botswana’s wildlife that make Chobe unique: home to the largest concentration of elephants in Africa, Chobe is a vast wilderness where great herds of buffalo wander across the flood plains, packs of African wild dog and lion prowl across the savanna and myriad herbivores roam from grassy plain to nourishing riverbank.
Part of Desert & Delta Safaris, Chobe Game Lodge has been investing in its solar powered electric fleet since 2014, and now boasts five electric boats and four solar-powered 4x4 Toyota Land Cruisers for on-land game drives, all powered by a field of solar panels that also contribute to the lodge’s main energy supply.
Built in 1972, Chobe was the first luxury lodge built in Botswana. Three years later, celebrity power couple Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton catapulted the lodge and Botswana into the limelight by getting married there in 1975. All-inclusive rates starting from US $590 per person per night include river safaris, game drives, eco-tours and all food and drink.