Xigera Safari Lodge

Xigera (pronounced “kee-jera”, meaning pied kingfisher) has been on the Okavango safari scene for many years, but its complete rebuild transformed the lodge. The new Xigera was almost unrecognisable from the old, except for its beautiful location among the palm-dotted floodplains. The style is bold, sophisticated and utterly spoiling. With some of the best guides in the country and an exceptional hospitality team in camp, you can expect a highly polished safari experience. This is a lodge for those looking for the ultimate in luxury, with beautiful Okavango landscapes and rewarding game viewing.

Accommodation

Xigera Safari Lodge has twelve individually designed suites, including a two-bedroom Family Suite suitable for two couples or a family. The suites are exceptionally spacious, with separate lounge, bedroom and dressing areas, all air-conditioned, and open onto large private decks overlooking the floodplains.

Each suite has a shaded gazebo with a king-sized daybed, while the large bathrooms feature freestanding baths and both indoor and outdoor showers. Private dining can also be arranged in the suite or on the deck. Wi-Fi, safes and televisions are provided in all suites; the TV is discreetly concealed and, at the touch of a button, slides away from view for those who prefer not to break the safari experience.

The interiors are one of Xigera’s most distinctive features. Created in collaboration with African artists and designers, the furniture, sculpture, ceramics and textiles have been individually commissioned and handcrafted. The result is bold and highly individual; Xigera feels as much like a living collection of contemporary African design as a safari lodge.

For a completely different experience, guests can spend a night at Xigera’s extraordinary Baobab Treehouse, set around one kilometre from the lodge. Rising almost ten metres above the floodplain, the three-level treehouse has a bedroom, bathroom and open-air deck, with the option to sleep beneath the stars in a king-size bed. A guide is stationed nearby throughout the night.

Camp Facilities & Dining

The lodge sits on stilts beneath a canopy of large trees and benefits from superb views across the floodplains. Elevated walkways connect the different areas of camp, creating a treehouse feel and offering wonderful elevated views. Xigera Safari Lodge has been constructed with undulating rooflines and scorched timber cladding, blending bold contemporary design with its natural surroundings.

Art and design are central to Xigera. The lodge’s extraordinary collection was created in collaboration with the award-winning South African Southern Guild gallery, with bespoke works commissioned from around 80 African artists, designers and craftspeople. Rather than a conventional gallery, the collection is woven throughout the lodge, from furniture and ceramics to sculpture and textiles, creating what Xigera describes as a ‘living gallery’ of African art and design.

The water lily, Xigera’s emblem, appears throughout the lodge’s design. A lily-inspired pavilion provides shade overlooking the water’s edge, while the sunken lounge has a huge, centrally suspended copper fireplace inspired by the same distinctive shape. There are several beautifully designed lounge areas and quiet spaces overlooking the floodplains.

The swimming pool and spacious relaxation deck overlook the floodplains, while an air-conditioned gym is equipped with Technogym equipment. There is also a library and the Xigera Shop, showcasing a carefully selected collection of African art, fashion and design.

The spa is exceptional and a real highlight of a stay at Xigera. Two treatment rooms offer massages, facials and body treatments using Tata Harper products, alongside a wider wellness programme including yoga, meditation and breathwork.

Food is taken very seriously at Xigera and is superb. Dining is private rather than communal and follows the lodge’s ‘anything, any time’ philosophy, with no fixed mealtimes. The open kitchen brings a more interactive feel to the experience, with menus built around carefully sourced ingredients and much of the butchery, ageing and preparation done in-house. Meals can be enjoyed in the dining room, privately on your deck or out in the bush.

The wine cellar is equally impressive, with an extensive collection of fine wines and champagnes. The drinks offering is excellent too, from carefully made cocktails and signature drinks to a thoughtful selection of non-alcoholic options. Sundowners can be arranged on game drives, boat trips or even from a mokoro.

Location & Access

Xigera Safari Lodge is located on a private concession within the Moremi Game Reserve, in the heart of the Okavango Delta. The camp is surrounded by palm-dotted floodplains, seasonal channels and lily-covered lagoons, creating one of the most beautiful landscapes in the Delta. Its location within a private concession allows greater flexibility than elsewhere in the Moremi Game Reserve, including off-road driving and night drives.

Xigera Safari Lodge is reached by a 25 minute light aircraft connection from Maun airport to the Xigera airstrip, or around an hour and 20 minutes from Kasane airport. A 10-minute drive in a game drive vehicle will bring you to Xigera itself.

Activities & Seasonality

Historically, Xigera was one of the wetter areas of the Okavango Delta, known more for its beautiful wetland landscapes and water-based activities than big game. In recent years the landscape has changed, with drier conditions opening up more land for game drives and significantly improving the game viewing. Today, Xigera offers a much broader safari experience, with particularly good predator sightings alongside its beautiful palm-dotted floodplains and waterways.

Xigera Safari Lodge guests are not shoe-horned into the standard safari timetable. Instead, the watchword is total flexibility and a completely bespoke approach to activities, with no set times. The philosophy of “anything, any time” means days can be shaped around your own interests and pace.

Morning, afternoon and evening game drives are offered, alongside walking safaris, photographic experiences and stargazing. Game drives can head out early for the best wildlife viewing, stay out longer when sightings are good or depart later if you would rather enjoy a leisurely breakfast.

When water levels allow, generally from around June to September, Xigera offers mokoro excursions, motorboat trips and double-decker boat cruises through the deeper channels and lagoons. The timing and duration of water activities vary each year according to the arrival and strength of the Okavango flood and cannot be guaranteed.

Private yoga, meditation and spa treatments can also be built into the day, while helicopter safaris can be arranged at an additional cost.

Wildlife

Wildlife viewing at Xigera has changed considerably in recent years as the landscape has become drier and more land has opened up for game drives. Predator sightings are now a particular strength, with lion, leopard and wild dog regularly seen in the area. Cheetah and spotted hyena are also present.

Predators are also seen in and around camp. A sand box on the bridge records the pawprints of animals that have passed through overnight, often revealing lion, leopard or wild dog tracks by morning.

General game includes red lechwe, impala, tsessebe, zebra and reedbuck, while buffalo and elephant are also seen. Elephants are present throughout the year and can be particularly noticeable around August, when the fruit of the fan palms ripens.

The combination of floodplains, lagoons and palm islands also makes Xigera excellent for birding. Pied kingfishers, after which the lodge is named, are frequently seen. There are also opportunities to see the Pel’s Fishing Owl, African Skimmer, Slaty Egret, Wattled Crane, Lesser Jacana and plenty of eagles, vultures, raptors and kingfishers and much more.

Families

Children aged six years and older are welcome and are charged at the full adult rate. Children aged six to twelve require a private vehicle for the duration of their stay, while children under thirteen cannot take part in walking or mokoro excursions.