CITIZENS OF THE WORLD travelled with Adventure World
Chobe Game Lodge
Serondela, Botswana,
+267 625 0340
When it comes safari, The Big Five is on everyone’s hit list and Chobe Game Lodge is no exception.
Although we wager you’ll enjoy the experience more if you simply let go and enjoy the peace of being off the grid.
To get there you take a 40 minute off-road ‘safari massage’ (as our guide called it) drive through the national park. It’s all so remote, you expect some kind of tent city to meet you in a clearing somewhere.
In actuality, Chobe is fully-stocked five star hotel, there’s even WiFi for the internet addicts keen to update their Instagram with shots of the friendly Warthogs families that hang out around your room.
Emotionally though, this place is completely a lodge. There’s only room for about 90 guests at full capacity, meaning that if you arrive during lunch you’re greeted by your own personal welcoming party of fellow travellers eager to share stories.
Each day begins at 5.30am with a sunrise safari. Even if you only do this once, just do it. It’s prime time for wildlife spotting but the real magic comes from just watching the colours the earth shift from grey to brown as everything awakens with the sunrise.
If you’re not a spiritual person, this single experience might just change that for you. Or at least remind you of your place in the world for a minute. Unforgettable.
The rest of the day is full of eating and drinking with optional driving and boat safaris. The routine is repeated daily so the pressure’s off to attend everything, although Murphy’s Law states that the one time you opt to sleep in will absolutely be the time that the group returns cheering that they spotted a pride of lions.
The choices can be divisive, jump in the truck or stay and sit by the river, drinking a wine and spot Hippos? Hang out with the other guests or stay in your suite and swim in your private pool?
If there’s a negative to Chobe Game Lodge it might be the inner conflict that comes from having too many attractive options. Not a bad problem to have though.
For the record, we spotted elephants, buffalo and lions. We think three out of (The Big) Five ain’t too bad at all.
We’re also on Instagram @citizensoftheworld & @dl_photos
