Muchenje Safari Lodge

From start to finish the team at Muchenje Safari Lodge could not have done more for us. My husband and I travelled with a dear friend and together we have a fair degree of safari experience but we still saw different sights, animals, birds and all against the most beautiful backdrop of the Chobe river. Thanks go to Tips who shared his knowledge and made our time with him very special. Accommodation was of a high standard with very welcome A/C, the food was delicious and plentiful both in the restaurant and on the drives and boat trip. The planning that goes on behind the scenes to make this inclusive package work is truly impressive, special thanks to Jost and Wame and the while team.

We stayed four nights and loved every minute of it. We went on as many game drives as we could. The quantity of animals in Chobe was mind blowing and truly a memorable. Muchenje offers a friendly family like experience and we were made very welcome by Kitty, Toff and Wame. Meals are served on a communal basis with all residents sitting at a long table with management and Rangers. Accommodation is individual bungalows, ours was on the edge of the escarpment with a view over the plain below. Nicely equipped, big comfortable bed . Our Ranger was Lips. His knowledge of the animals and bird life was superb and he has the best eyesight of anyone I know. Would we stay again? You bet we would.

Our stay at Muchenje was made memorable by the very friendly welcome we received and also by the excellent birding walk we were taken on by Stone Muzila. Stone not only has a remarkable ear and very keen eyesight but also an extraordinary bird knowledge and a natural way with people which makes the walk a particularly memorable and fun experience. I could not recommend it highly enough and I would definitely hope to repeat the experience one day. Anthony M

Spent 4 nights at the fine establishment. Superb views from room balcony and many other viewpoints at the lodge. Very welcoming staff and management. Fine pool. Very good food. Room extremely comfortable and contrary to a few reviews....IS spacious. Additional benefit of a/c. Drives were very good. Drive and boat trip/picnic on the boat on the river edge is a marvellous experience. Elephants abound...hippos and crocs grand to see at close quarters. WE saw lots of animals but do wonder re' animal viewing when trees/bushes are fully in leaf? It is well worth visiting Botswana due to the terrain being so different...Delighted to have chosen such a grand place.....delighted with the experience but once was enough....other than for elephants we would opt for either Tanzania or a private concession in South Africa. That is NOT to take away from Botswana or Muchenje....For something different it is HIGHLY RECOMMENDED....Especially for elephants.

As a first timer to Botswana this was the best way to start by staying at Muchenje Safari Lodge. The a**osphere of the whole place is fantastic, from the accommodation, the views, the game drives and last but not least the hospitality from Toff, Kitty and Wame and all the attentive staff. Hats off to Lips our guide who was terrific. I will be going back!!

An amazing 2 nights staying here exploring Chobe, wished it had been longer so we had got some more time to stop and take in the amazing view at the lodge. Warm and professional, food superb and really knowledgable safari guides who are excited about being out and about as we were! Worth getting up early to get the drives in before breakfast! Treated to sundowners in the park overlooking breath taking views. Would not have changed a thing!

Muchenje Safari Lodge is a very rustic lodge with breathtaking views of the Chobe River Plain. Its open air main lodge is great for hanging out and watching the wildlife literally walk by all day! We really enjoyed our three nights here, and we were kept very busy (which for us was great!). They have a well-organized system of how each day operates: early morning, evening, night game drives, and a boat game drive. The staff takes great pride in making guests’ visits as great as they can possibly be. Kitty met us upon arrival and was very welcoming. Jost gave us a thorough introduction to the lodge and let us know exactly what to expect. Although the food wasn’t special, the style in which they serve was impressive. They really cater to a “family feel” (especially during meals). Everyone sits together, including guides and management, which gives lots of opportunities for processing the day’s game drives, wildlife seen, and more. We did truly enjoy the a**osphere they have created, and because of it, we were able to speak with many different guests and staff. The amount of wildlife we saw was mind boggling! Our guide, Lips, did a spectacular job finding wildlife and showing us the beauty of Chobe. He was also very informative and not only identified the wildlife, but he told us so much about each species. We saw many leopards (several with their kills), lions, elephants, zebras, kudus, hippos, crocodiles, and more. It was truly incredible. He also took us on a bush walk one morning which was amazing. Lips was also very patient—my husband is a photographer and wanted amazing shots. Lips consistently helped by getting the best possible views and worked hard to assist in this area. One piece of advice—because they do keep you so busy, remember—you do not have to do every single activity if it is too much for you! They do a great job offering many things, but it can get a little overwhelming. If the night drive is too tiring for you, you don’t have to go, etc. Again, this was something we personally just loved!, but we love doing as much as possible while traveling! There were only a few things we feel could have been a little better. The lodge is a little tired and could use some updating. The food was good, but not as good as the other locations we went to. However, they paid very close attention to my gluten free diet and always provided me with multiple options which was great. Meals are only served buffet style, and the only coffee provided was instant. There is great wifi in the lodge, but there is none in the rooms. That wasn’t ideal as everyone was really focused on their devices while in the lodge instead of the experience because it was the only time to catch up. Our room was relatively small, and when down, the mosquito netting took up most of the room. However, Muchenje had the absolute best hot water of anywhere we stayed during our Africa stay! I’ve read about the rough roads entering Chobe in other reviews. This is completely true,

Words cannot express just how good this place is and the staff are what really sets this lodge apart. From the airport pick up to the drop off I cannot find anything negative that I would like to highlight. Everyone one (Staff and guests) were all amazing, friendly and welcoming. Accommodation was awesome and view from the deck was stunning. Game drives were plentiful and varied and really only came back to eat and sleep! Nothing was too much trouble and always plenty of management and staff around to ensure a smooth running camp and attentive service. Thanks guys Julian