Boteti Tented Safari Lodge

We arrived today. Our welcome from Kay at the airport was warm and friendly. Our itinerary had to change (we were informed before about this) due to the lack of rain. Transport to the lodge was fun. We arrived at the lodge to a very lukewarm - who am I kidding - cold welcome. Some apple juice was provided - savour that as you won’t get another drink - NOT EVEN WATER - with a meal. We were shown to our tent NO 4 - as there are 9 tents - and only 2 others occupied - we were very surprised that our tent veranda had no privacy and overlooked the parked cars. We asked to move and they did move us but we had to carry our heavy bags. The lodge is nice. Nothing special. The drawers and storage space in the bathroom is dusty. I wouldn’t want to store anything in them. You get one flask of cold water and one kettle filled with water for tea and coffee. Hot drink ? You make that yourself in your tent. Meals. We were told lunch is not included. Odd as we had it included in our booking AND you literally have no other choice. You are stuck out here. We ordered 2 wraps which were nice and came with a small salad but took about 45 minutes to appear. The evening meal was 3 course. Starter was nice, main traditional Africa style meal, rice, chicken, beans and butternut squash. It was presented nicely and tasty but not delicious. The main issue for us it was cool. Not cold. Cool. Like it had been served up 20 minutes before. Had it been hot it would have been a lovely meal. Desert edible. Again NO water. They gave cups on the counter and we asked do we get and hot drink and were told ‘no go make one in your tent’. For the amount we paid for this portion of our trip to Africa we are shocked. If I can’t get to a shop or another establishment then basics like water should be included. Pool - nice pool with FOUR (place for 18 guests) sun loungers. Towels are provided. Water is nice and hot on shower. There is a body wash provided. Once or twice our requests have been met with a smile. The rest of the time not. We can only hope and pray the rest of the week is better After today I cannot reckoned this place. Kay has been great!!!!

Lodge booked as part of a safari tour so I will review both here: Game drive organised by the lodge was very good in Moremi, although a 6 hour round trip made for a very long day. Mokoro walking safari was also very interesting, but a little long in the heat. Helicopter tour was excellent, and landed just outside of the lodge which was very impressive. The lodge itself is very pleasant, the tents are basic but maintained by housekeeping each day. Staff are very friendly but there is no clear ‘manager’ so they’re a little directionless. Food was a little disappointing, but they did cater for a gluten free diet. Spent 5 days here in total and had a very good time, would recommend to anyone looking for a base for safaris in the Delta.

We had a wonderful stay at Boteti TSL. The only disappointment was that there was no water in the river and all the promo material showed people relaxing on the banks of the wildly flowing river. You need to alert potential guests to the fact that there is only water every decade or so. Staff were amazing, which made up for the disappointment a little. Also hey undersell the distances one has to travel to get into the parks. They say two hour, but the reality is a lot more, so you end up spending 14 hours o a vehicle for a day trip.

We are a family of six adults and have just arrived home to Canada following a fantastic 4 day mobile camping safari. This is the second camping safari we have done with them. We encountered an endless array of wildlife up close: lions, leopards, wild dogs, hyenas, elephants, buffalos, countless bird species and the list goes on. This was due in large part to our guide David's knowledge, skill and patience. Thanks to our chef and camp staff we had wonderful food, great wilderness camp sites, and comfy tents. I can't say enough about how professional and caring everyone was. It was great to sit around the campfire and share life stories. Thank you Boteti Tented Safari Lodge for making this a truly unforgettable experience.

We were very exited to visit Boteti Tented Safari lodge to experience the perfect safari feel in a remote location in a luxury tent. To listen to the calls of the night whilst sipping wine. We thought that calls of the night whilst experiencing the safari feeling, would be lion, hyena or even jackal. Not here. Instead we heard cows ‐ with bells atound their necks - donkeys, dogs and chickens. People riding on donkeys and horses past the 'lodge'. Our luxury tent was a normal safari tent with very little shade in the afternoon, making it very unpleasant inside. Our daytrip to Moremi was a long and bumpy one. Most probably of all the rains we had. It took +- 4 - 5 hours to reach the Moremi gate. Very unpleasant drive. In hindsight, I would rather have spent our money on a real safari where the real sounds of the African night can be heard. Except if you like the sounds of donkeys, cows, chickens and dogs. Then this place is for you. Go there! The staff is amazing and do their utmost to keep one happy. Sadly a very unpleasant experience for us.

One of the lonely gems in the luxury tourism of Botswana. Managed and owned by locals it offers and authentic experience of the Okavango delta and its animals without having to afford the luxury of a lot of other places. The staff was so lovely!