Located in a 220,000-acre private concession in the northern parts of the Okavango Delta, Mapula Lodge is an island surrounded by seasonal flood plains and waterways, and is a first-rate lodge.
Overview
Chic and laid back, Mapula Lodge consists of nine guest tents and a main area. An open-fronted canvas, supported by beams of African hard wood, the main lodge includes a lounge, dining area, decking and pool. The lounge comes with a number of comfortable sofas surrounded by handmade wooden and fabric furnishings and a dining table, all leading out onto an outside dining area, a fire pit and a wooden jetty that extends into the wetland habitat. The swimming pool is surrounded by a wooden platform and shares clear views over the landscape.
Food & service
The food at Mapula is a credit to the lodge. Cooked by local chefs, fresh, wholesome and healthy, it showcases traditional Botswana cuisine. From the hospitality to guides, the staff are excellent, the guiding especially so.
Rooms
Each of the nine bedrooms are spaced far enough from the camp for maximum privacy. Consisting of thatched roofing and African hardwood decking, they’re extremely comfortable. The king-size beds are a feather pillow, four-poster affair with accompanying mosquito net and each bedroom contains its own en-suite bathroom with indoor and outdoor shower. Please note that WiFi is not available at the lodge.
Activities
Activities include experiencing the extraordinarily diverse wildlife on foot, by vehicle or even by boat to spot hippo, elephant, lion, cheetah and the rare sitatunga antelope. Guests also have the opportunity to fly camp under the stars and experience the smells, sounds and feel of a night spent in the Botswana wilderness.
Impact
ConservationÂ
The camp is run on 80% solar energy, with a back-up generator and all grey water is reused in order to lessen quantity of water that needs treating – thereby reducing carbon emissions.