Chitabe Concession Okavango Delta, Botswana
Renovated
2014
Price
$$$$
Rated for
Design Local LuxeOutside the door
The house
&BeyondCurvilinear pangolin bolthole
Curving wooden arches and shingle-clad pavilions wind through the wild palms, looking out over the open delta floodplains.
“The communal area at &Beyond Sanbide Okavango Safari Lodge features a dome-like fireplace with lounges and lanterns inspired by natural shapes and colors…”
What it’s good at
Exceptional
Curving laminated pine beams and cedar shingles evoke pangolin scales across twelve weaverbird-nest-inspired elevated suites.
Remarkable
Private concession traversing rights provide access to the Okavango Delta floodplains through day and night tracking.
Notable
Attentive safari hospitality with private vehicle tracking, fireside dining, evening turndown, and secluded forest plunge pools.
What they say
Also in Condé Nast Traveler, Wallpaper* and AFAR.
This is the opposite of roughing it. AndBeyond has created a luxury retreat of forest-shrouded chalets, between mopane and palm trees, with spa and gym
Tucked away
A place apart: the property is the destination.
Set on a private concession beside Moremi Game Reserve, the lodge offers vehicle tracking and bush walks across vast seasonal waterways.
The rooms
Elevated suites feature curved timber ceilings, wood-burning fireplaces, and multi-level wooden decks with private plunge pools overlooking the delta channels.
The plunge pools
Bring a swimsuit.
Circular plunge pools are built into each suite's stepped timber deck, looking out across the grasses of the floodplain.
Restaurant
Main Guest Lounge & Dining Deck
Long timber tables sit beneath vaulted wooden ribs, looking out over the open marshland from the elevated deck.
Matching and exceeding this challenge, the architects created a property inspired by the armoured shell of a pangolin, constructed with local natural and recycled materials.
At the table
Cocktails are served beside a suspended spherical hearth, and starlit dinners gather around sand firepits in the boma.
How it began
Rebuilt in 2014 as an off-grid lodge, the organic timber design draws inspiration from the protective scales of the native pangolin.
Okavango Delta
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Daunara Safari Camp
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Wilderness Qorokwe
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Duba Plains Camp
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The app
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Our shorthand
How we rate hotels.
The medals
Gold
Extremely rare. Sets the global standard.
Silver
Brilliant execution. And we’re picky.
Bronze
They did this well. You’ll notice.
Listed
A defining trait. Makes the hotel what it is.
The eight vibes
Design
Built around a vision. Even the door handles have a designer.
Luxe
Cared for at every turn. The bath is drawn before you ask.
Local
It could only be here. You wake up knowing where you are.
Social
Where the city goes out. The bar is full and the night is young.
Heritage
A building with a story. Once a palace, a monastery, a station.
Wellness
You leave feeling new. Rest, sweat, soak and sleep like a stone.
Classic
The city grew up with it. Same rituals, same regulars, same bar.
Resort
A world of its own. Something to do from breakfast to nightcap.
The scene
Lively
Where things happen: restaurants, shops, people.
Central
Well-located: walkable to some things, a short ride to more.
Quiet
Away from the crowds. Getting around takes intention.
Secluded
A place apart: the property is the destination.