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First-hand Stay
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Fly by scheduled service to Maun (MUB) from Johannesburg or Cape Town, then a light-aircraft hop of about 15 minutes to Eagle Island's private airstrip, followed by a roughly 5-minute drive to the lodge
Twelve deluxe tented rooms raised on wooden decking and threaded among the illala palms, all with oversized beds, deep day beds, a reading nook, a personal bar, both indoor and outdoor showers (the walled outdoor shower has a window onto the delta) and a large deck with two loungers, a hammock and a private heated plunge pool.
Indoor and outdoor dining at the restaurant, built around an open kitchen with a wood-burning pizza oven that turns out some of the Delta's best pizzas, with the romantic Fish Eagle Bar and a second artisan-style bar alongside, plus fireside sundowners and special-occasion dinners on the lodge's own fire island.
Neutral safari layers with a warm jacket and beanie for cool winter mornings on the water (June–August), lighter clothing for the hot October build-up, closed shoes for bush walks, a sun hat, sunscreen and binoculars (this is superb birding country), insect repellent and antimalarials, swimwear for the plunge pool, a light waterproof for boat outings, and a soft bag (~20 kg) for the light aircraft.
This is one of the few genuine water camps in the Delta, so come for the mokoro, boat and barge cruises and the helicopter flights rather than big-cat drives, though water levels dictate what's possible (boating is best when the floodwaters are high, roughly May–September). Don't miss a sundowner at the Fish Eagle Bar (one of the most romantic bars in Africa) and the wood-fired pizzas, and add a scenic helicopter safari from the private heli-pad for a bird's-eye view of the waterways.
The lodge sits lightly on Xaxaba Island within the private Gunn's Concession of the Okavango Delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and is run as an eco-conscious camp raised on decking to tread gently on the wetland. Guests are welcomed with a traditional Setswana song, and community and cultural connections, including village visits, are woven into the experience.
