Chobe Chilwero

Enjoy a scrumptious tea before your afternoon game viewing activity.

Meals at Sanctuary Chobe Chilwero are all freshly prepared. The lodge prides itself on its personalized service and this includes your culinary preferences and needs. Botswana is well known for its mouth-watering beef so it is no surprise that Executive Chef Phinias's signature dish would be a Botswana beef fillet served with seasonal vegetables. Other dishes that have proved to be amongst guest favourites is grilled impala with port wine and chocolate sauce on roast sweet potatoes. Follow your meal with wine from our small air conditioned wine cellar which houses a variety of South African wines - the perfect complement to a delicious meal.

Elephants feature largely on any activity at Sanctuary Chobe Chilwero, as the largest population left in Africa occupies this northern corner between Botswana, Zambia, Namibia and Zimbabwe. Game drives in open-sided 4 x 4 vehicles bring these grey giants into easy reach as they drink and frolic at the water's edge in their boisterous herds. Thrilling game drives lead by our qualified professional guides bring you close to hippos, buffalos, puku and other animals that gather on the banks of the Chobe River. The puku, a small rusty-brown antelope, alongside impala, kudu and red lechwe, are only a few of the common antelope found here. Naturally, lion and leopard are also found in the area.

Our new safari boat available from Sanctuary Chobe Chilwero can seat up to 18 guests and has a lower and upper deck, both featuring 360 degree swivel seats. The upper deck offers a great vantage point of the Chobe River and wildlife while the lower deck boasts a bar area and the perfect spot to relax and enjoy a scrumptious river breakfast or lunch. The boat offers a great exclusive and intimate alternative to enjoying the Chobe area especially for photographic enthusiasts.

The best way to end a day of safari here is sipping on a cocktail while watching an African sunset over the still waters of the Chobe River from the comfort of one of our specially designed riverboats. Sundowner cruises are also a great way of seeing buffalo up close as they come out of the shade to graze in the cooler evenings and elephants as they wade in the river. Chobe is renowned for its abundance of dramatic sable and roan antelopes with their impressive horns. Sitatungas - antelope with splayed feet to help them run in swamps - are often seen here, as are the wild dog and lion that prey upon them.

Inspired by the abundance of nature that surrounds the lodge, the spa has drawn from that beauty to develop a range of treatments and rituals of the highest quality to relax, restore and revitalise guests. Authentic African design has been integrated with the natural elements surrounding this luxury lodge and the spa only uses products, treatment methods and practices that are environmentally friendly.

Sanctuary Chobe Chilwero welcomes children of all ages and is the ideal choice for a family safari. A fence surrounds the lodge's perimeter and a whole host of children's programs and activities are available to keep the young ones busy. Our kids program includes guided walking safaris within the grounds of the lodge to collect pods, leaves and seeds and learn about tree identification, a "Safari hunt" with clues hidden away, kiddies croquet on the lawn, make your own pizza with the Chef and shortened game drives.

Guests will meet up with their guide at reception and drive through to the jetty for their fishing activity. The best time for fishing in the Chobe area is in winter, May, June, July and August. Type of fish guests can expect to catch is Bream and Tiger Fish. All fishing is done on a catch and release basis. Rates include: Use of the boat for maximum of 3 hours and fishing equipment. Maximum 3 people per boat and subject to availability.

Only an hour and a half's drive from the spectacular Victoria Falls, Sanctuary Chobe Chilwero is a great base from which to explore this great wonder of the world. The transfer time is approximately 1 ½ hours depending on border formalities. From here, the guide will escort guests around the Falls sharing some facts & history along the way. Sanctuary Retreats will supply raincoats during high water months when guests are likely to get wet from the spray of the Falls. The walk is approximately 1½ hours in duration (3km), through the rainforest, stopping at the various viewing points. Guests will also have the opportunity to do some curio shopping in the adjacent open-air markets before returning to Chobe Chilwero.

Immerse in the local community and visit the Dipetsana Women’s Bike Shop. Set up through Sanctuary Retreats Philanthropy, the shop employs five women, providing them with a much-needed income to care for their families. Through donations of used bikes, the Initiative not only supports the women, but offers the local community access to a vital means of transport. The women relish in the chance to give visitors a tour of their shop, and offer them the opportunity to partake in a scenic bike ride around Kasane. Guests then have the option to continue the tour to the neighbouring women’s basketry shop to meet the employees and learn about their craft. Follow this with a stop at the local CARCAL animal rescue centre ($5 entrance fee), which takes in injured animals and birds, with the core aim to rehabilitate and release them back into the wild.