Xigera Safari Lodge

Xigera Safari Lodge - one of the most exclusive safari lodges in the world

* From USD 2 300 per person per night (Including return Fights to Maun from CPT or JNB)

The Red Carnation Hotel Collection has returned to its roots: Africa, where it all began. Opened in October 2020 in Botswana’s most unspoilt wilderness, Xigera (“Kee-jera”) is, quite simply, a pioneer.

This extraordinary new Safari Lodge, located in the Moremi Game Reserve in the heart of the Okavango Delta, is a bold new statement, reinventing what it means to experience the African bush.

Inspired by a deep love of the Delta and its wildlife, Xigera offers just 24 guests a remarkable opportunity to explore the richness of this UNESCO World Heritage Site – at their own pace, in their own time, however
they wish.
Meticulously designed to frame the breathtaking floodplains and riverine forests, the lodge is in complete synergy with its surroundings. Spacious suites clad in flame-torched timber, providing a front-row seat to the theatre of the African bush. The interiors are filled with exceptional one-off works of art and design created by Africa’s most globally recognised names, in collaboration with award-winning gallery Southern Guild, from gleaming hand-forged copper and steel consoles by Conrad Hicks, to Adam Birch’s tactile creations carved right on-site.
Quietly surprising touches are everywhere, from the lily-inspired spa to the remarkable three-storey Baobab Treehouse overlooking the floodplain, offering the chance of a life-changing sleep-out beneath the velvet night sky.

This groundbreaking project is the first purpose-built safari lodge developed by The Red Carnation Collection, the pinnacle of a life’s work creating extraordinary hospitality experiences. Founders Beatrice and Stanley Tollman and their family have spent the last 66 years creating and steering some of the world’s finest luxury boutique hotels in exceptional locations.
The Tollmans’ devotion to detail lies at the core of everything; the effortless service, the deep human connection and the personal touches in every destination are what make the hotels so special. Xigera is no exception.

With exceptional staff attending to guests, the lodge offers an exclusive experience of unrivalled flexibility – there are no set times, no itineraries, just the unique chance to explore the bush at a personalised pace.

A transformative journey awaits, defined by Red Carnation’s passion and art
of hospitality.

HABITAT AND WILDLIFE

Xigera Safari Lodge is located in the Moremi Game Reserve with private
access to a 4,500-hectare (11,120-acre) wetland paradise in the heart of the
Delta.

Situated on one of the Okavango’s key waterways, Xigera Safari Lodge
is surrounded by picturesque papyrus swamps and wooded islands and is
renowned for sightings of the rare and elusive sitatunga antelope. The area
is known for remarkable mammal sightings including Red Lechwe, Spotted necked
otter, Elephant, Buffalo, Reedbuck and Tsessebe. Predators include Lion,
Spotted hyena and Leopard. Guests are sometimes treated to close-up views of
Lion or Leopard using the footbridge connecting Xigera to the next island!

This concession lies in an International Birding Area (IBA) with many ‘Okavango
specials’ being present, including Pel’s Fishing-Owl, African Skimmer, Brown
Firefinch, Greater Swamp Warbler, Wattled Crane, African Pygmy Goose and
Lesser Jacana.

ECOSYSTEM

• A dynamic, fragile eco-system of 15 000 square kilometres, the Okavango
Delta fans out over the Kalahari sand system
• The Okavango Delta was the 1 000th UNESCO World Heritage Site to be
gazetted
• Approximately a third of the continent’s elephant population roams
Northern Botswana each year
• Other species include buffalo, crocodile, hippopotamus, lion, cheetah,
leopard, giraffe, zebra, wildebeest, antelope, lechwe and warthog
• There are over 550 bird species in Botswana of which some 444 are found
in the Okavango Delta

GAME VIEWING

Xigera is a water- and land-based lodge offering guests the opportunity to
experience both aspects of the Okavango Delta. During the annual flood,
guests can boat across floodplains and along channels to reach islands where
there are regular sightings of buffalo, elephant, zebra, giraffe, lechwe as well
as numerous other Delta species. Hippo can be spotted on mekoro and boating
excursions, along with an abundance of birds.

EXPERIENCES

• Breakfast, lunch or an intimate picnic in the bush
• Explorations by traditional mokoro boat with a glass-bottom and
motorboats with an elevated deck for wildlife spotting (seasonal water
levels permitting)
• ‘Feet-in-the-water’ sundowner cocktails
• Morning and afternoon game drives
• Seasonal walking safaris with expert guides (outside of Moremi Game
Reserve)
• Seasonal catch-and-release fishing (outside of Moremi Game Reserve)
• Photographic safaris
• Spa treatments (at additional cost)
• 1-night Baobab Treehouse Sleepout for 2 adult guests at a surcharge,
subject to availability and weather permitting (at additional cost)
• Scenic helicopter flights (at additional cost)
• Art tour
• Sustainability tour

ACTIVITIES

• Both water (seasonal) and land activities are offered at Xigera
• No night drives due to Moremi Game Reserve National Park regulations
• Day game drives in open 4x4 vehicles (four vehicles are 4-seaters and two
vehicles are 6-seaters)
• Private activities on offer (subject to availability at an additional charge, and
to be pre-booked)
• During colder or wetter weather, hot water bottles, blankets and lined
ponchos are provided
• Water-based activities;
- in 2-seater glass-bottom mekoro; and
- 6-seater motorboats, 2 of which have a glass-bottom and 2 have a super
structure with roof seating available (seasonal water levels permitting).

THE LODGE

Xigera Safari Lodge is nestled beneath an impressive canopy of ancient
Jackalberry, mangosteen and leadwood trees. All 12 air-conditioned suites have
been carefully sited to give endless floodplain views and the chance to watch
passing wildlife.
• Situated on a large island, surrounded by deep channels and lush vegetation
• Stunning views of the Xigera channel
• Lounge and dining room with open fireplace
• African-inspired cuisine
• Bar and wine cellar
• Air-conditioned library
• Traditional boma and outdoor fire-pit
• Star deck
• Swimming pool
• Well-equipped gym and Wellness Centre
• Spa
• African art

ACCOMMODATION

Xigera Safari Lodge can accommodate up to 24 guests plus 4 guides/pilots/tour
leaders (subject to concession numbers and/or availability).
12 luxurious fully air-conditioned suites comprising:
• 11 standard suites of which:
• Nine have king-size beds (which cannot be split)
• Two have twin beds (which can be converted into king-size beds using
mattress converters)
• Each suite has 184 sqm (1,980 sq ft) of indoor and outdoor space including
a separate lounge, bedroom and dressing room area.
• The Xigera Family Suite, comprising:
• Two en-suite bedrooms (one of which has a fixed king-size bed while the
other has twin beds which can be converted into a king-size bed using a
mattress converter), each with dressing room and outdoor shower
• Interleading lounge
•Private deck with outdoor gazebo
Plus, guide/pilot/tour leader accommodation comprising:
• Four tented rooms each with two three-quarter beds and shared en-suite
facilities (not of the same standard as a guest room)

SUITE DESCRIPTION

• Each suite has full en-suite facilities with separate toilet, shower, bath
and outdoor shower; separate lounge, bedroom and dressing room area,
mosquito net, coffee and tea making facilities and mini bar
• Private deck with outdoor gazebo
• Stretched canvas tented roofs and wooden decks, reached by elevated
wooden walkways
• Tinted glass windows to keep the room at even temperatures (can be
opened to allow the breeze and birdsong to enter)
• Fully air-conditioned
• TV and Wi-Fi
• Ecologically sensitive amenities, and all creature comforts

THE XIGERA FAMILY SUITE DESCRIPTION

• The Xigera Family Suite consists of two complete full bedrooms each with
their own full bathroom, dressing area and outdoor shower and all the
offerings found in a normal suite, joined by an interleading lounge area that
opens up onto a deck with a gazebo