PROPERTY HIGHLIGHTS:

  • As a dedicated photo safari operator, we also understand that our clients are after a more cerebral and immersive safari experience. It’s not just about running around trying to find The Big Five (although they all make for fabulous subject matter) but more about seeking out beautiful and unique photo opportunities that allow us to capture the essence of what it is like to be in the greatest photographic playground of them all – The African Bush.
  • Pangolin caters specifically to photographers of all skill levels. Their safari vehicles and boats are designed with photographers in mind and equipped with handy tools like gimbals and sandbags to help stabilize the cameras. Every guest is given a Canon DSLR to shoot with during their safari and each small group is accompanied by a photo host, often, an award-winning wildlife photographer who helps guide guests during their photo safari.
  • Perched on a plateau overlooking The Chobe River and Caprivi Floodplains the Pangolin Chobe hotel is designed around a wildlife photography gallery. With only 14 rooms it is an intimate property and the base for our iconic photo safari experiences.
  • Our floating lodge is actually moored on the Namibian side of the Chobe and is the perfect base for families and groups to charter on an exclusive basis. With 5 cabins the Pangolin Voyager can accommodate up to ten guests cruising along the Chobe River.
  • As an African based photo safari operator, we have the privilege to know, and work with, some key industry players who like us strive to offer products and services that go above and beyond the standard “out of the box” safari offerings.

EXCLUSIVE LUXE VOYAGER VIP BENEFITS & BEST PRICE

We negotiate rates & benefits for our clients directly with the hotels’ senior management. Our rates match or in many cases are lower than the best online rate for the property. Our clients also enjoy a suite of extra VIP privileges and recognition while staying at a partner hotel.

  • Complimentary room upgrade on arrival.
  • Daily complimentary buffet breakfast for two.
  • Up to $100 dining or spa credit per stay, and or in-house dining / spa discounts.
  • Welcome amenities (wine/chocolates/fruit) and card from the GM.
  • Complimentary private airport transfers.
  • Complimentary roll-away bed if required.
  • Early check-in and late check-out.
  • Complimentary Wi-Fi.
  • Enhanced recognition through VIP status at all touch points in the guest experience.

A complete or partial suite of VIP benefits will be offered, subject to the property T&C, including availability, category of room & length of stay.

ACTIVITIES:


Game Drives

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.



Sundowner Cruise

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.



Photographic Safari Cruise

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.



Kids Safari

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.


Fishing Excursions

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.



Tour Of Victoria Falls In Zimbabwe

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.This activity is at an additional cost. Please enquire for rates.



Community Tour

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.

Chat with one of our expert travel designers today to begin planning your perfect vacation

Call: +852 9465 4577

Email: travel@theluxevoyager.com

OVERVIEW

Pangolin Photo Safaris Chobe River

Pangolin Photo Safaris is the regions most photo centric tour operator. With packages and offerings across sub Saharan Africa (and beyond) we seek out locations that can accommodate the specific requirements of today’s photographically oriented client. We have a permanent base in The Chobe, The Pangolin Chobe Hotel where we operate all year round. The Pangolin Chobe Hotel sits on the plateau overlooking The Chobe River and Namibia’s Caprivi floodplains which stretch out to the far horizon. The Chobe National Park boundary is a few hundred meters away meaning that with our proximity to the gate we are more often than not the fist vehicle through the gate for game drives. Our boats are moored on the river directly below the Hotel and its a quick five minute transfer to get to them and then straight into the park. The Pangolin Chobe Hotel is also a short transfer from Kasane International Airport and the Zimbabwe and Zambian Borders.

Our safari planners are on hand to create an itinerary for you that exactly matches your photographic and game viewing ambitions Aside from the hotel, the company also has a Chobe River houseboat called, the Pangolin Voyager. The houseboat is best suited to groups of friends or families and is perfectly suited to the needs of photographers and non-photographers who are looking for a more exclusive experience. There is also an opportunity to join a Pangolin Mobile Camp photo safari that goes beyond the Chobe River and deep in the Northwesterly section of the Chobe National Park.

Area & Location

Area, Country
Chobe National Park, Botswana
Nearest Airport
Kasane Airport, Botswana
Local Currency
Botswana Pula (BWP)
Time Change
GMT +2
Language
English
Best time to go
May to September

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