Great Eco-Luxury Lodges in Botswana

Xigera is as much an art piece as it is a lodge. Solar power runs the property, a TeslaEnergy Centre keeps operations off-grid, and water is purified and recycled on-site. However, Xigera’s eco-credentials go beyond engineering. Every suite features work by African artists and craftspeople, supporting local talent and placing culture at the heart of the guest experience. Visitors glide through delta channels in solar-powered boats or custom-designed, low-emission vehicles, all while enjoying one of the most lavish hospitality experiences that southern Africa has to offer.

Known as “the place of plenty”, Mombo sits in the Okavango’s Moremi Game Reserve and has long been at the centre of Botswana’s conservation success. It is here that the regions’ black and white rhinos were carefully reintroduced after local extinction, turning loss into one of Botswana’s greatest wildlife comebacks. The camp, which continuously aims to shift towards lighter-footprint designs, ensures the use of grey water treatment and solar power, integrating sustainability into the very fabric of daily operations. Here, conservation gravitas is paired with supreme comfort, with every detail from locally crafted furnishings to bespoke bedding reinforcing a sense of refined yet conscious immersion in the gorgeous Okavango.

At Vumbura, safari revenue directly supports communities. This lodge operates on land leased from the Okavango Community Trust, ensuring that funds flow back to the villages that own it. This critical joint venture has lasted for decades, demonstrating that ecotourism can be locally empowering. The camp itself is striking in its design, set amongst floodplains and woodlands, with activities ranging from dreamy mekoro excursions to hot-air ballooning. Tented suites float above the floodplains, each with private plunge pools and floor-to-ceiling windows that dissolve the boundary between chic indoors and Delta wilderness. Here, every night spent cosily in the wild contributes to livelihoods far beyond the reserve.

Duba Plains is the beloved result of Great Plains’s relentless pursuit of ecological stewardship. Here, the focus is on protecting lion and buffalo populations, with guest safaris often delighting in observing their dramatic encounters on the floodplains. Great Plains also invests in local schools and ranger training, tying the lodge’s luxury experience to a broader vision of safeguarding Botswana’s natural heritage. Luxury at Duba Plains is understated yet meticulous, with bespoke furnishings, floor-to-ceiling windows and terraces perfectly positioned for viewing the wildlife that is intentionally cherished. The exclusive camp itself runs on renewable energy, recycles extensively and uses biogas for kitchen operations.

Set within the vibrant wilderness of Kwai Private Reserve, Tuludi Lodge reimagines how eco-luxury can thrive. The camp was built with an eye for lightness- solar power drives its energy, grey water systems protect the waterways, and the main structures are lifted on stilts to let the bush breathe beneath. Here, elegance exists in design details: vast treehouse-style suites meet private plunge pools, whimsical chandeliers shaped like climbing vines decorate the ceiling, and an elevated deck allows for endless floodplain- gazing. Every stay here contributes directly to the reserve’s partnership with the Khwai Village, supporting schools, clinics and employment while safeguarding a once-hunted landscape that now flourishes with elephants, wild dogs and prolific bird life.