Pangolin Chobe Hotel

Photographic riches at this new lodge overlooking the broad Chobe River

A wildlife photographer's dream – photogenic surroundings, rich wildlife on water and land, knowledgeable guides, and all the equipment you need at your fingertips.

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Jonty

Eve

Kristin

4.9 out of 5 stars Average guest rating

About Pangolin Chobe Hotel

It's difficult to believe that Pangolin Chobe Lodge was, until recently, a characterless shell of a structure. Now, travellers are greeted by an intimate, 14-room property that melts into its wilderness surroundings – the Chobe River and Caprivi floodplains. The place operates with the slick efficiency of a modern hotel, yet manages to retain the intimate atmosphere of a safari destination. Just a few hundred metres from Chobe National Park, it's ideally positioned to explore the lush landscape and its wildlife (expect elephants and more elephants). All visitors are welcome, and expert-led photographic tours are the star of the show.

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From $510 person/night

Hotel

14 Rooms

Chobe, Botswana

Highlights

Gorgeous spaces to relax in, from the domed lounge with its stained glass windows to a sunken lounge surrounded by a pond.

Photographic boat safaris with skilled guides provide excellent up-close opportunities to capture wildlife along the river. Groups are small, so you get real one-to-one attention.

Pangolin is geared for photographers of all calibres, with spare camera equipment and all the accoutrements for your photo-taking needs. Plus a large and well-equipped editing room.

The property

The lodge's hilltop location means sweeping views of the floodplains and river, and its furnished deck juts out to reveal even more of the vistas. The U-shaped lounge has a fire pit at its heart and a similarly shaped pool at its front (see it to believe it!). The photo-editing room has desk space for all, and the wide corridors are lined with artwork and photographs. Upstairs is a bar and lounge with stained-glass windows and views for days.

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The rooms

The 14 rooms include nine king-sized rooms and five twins. The lodge design makes much use of poured concrete, and in the bedrooms it's not only the floors, but also the bed bases and countertops that are all buffed to a smooth gleam. Clever lighting and large sliding glass doors ensure the atmosphere retains a natural warmth. Spacious en-suite bathrooms have showers and double basins. Outside, the balconies encourage you to linger and lose yourself in the scenery.

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One more thing...

Come during the dry season (May–Nov) to see wildlife concentrate at the river; or in rainy summer, when landscapes are lush and avian visitors arrive.

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Activities

Boat Cruises

Game Drives

Chobe National Park's main gate is just few hundred metres away from the lodge, so you'll get the most out of every day. Take a photographic tour with resident and guest Pangolin Photo Hosts, who make sure you get the best angle. Boat trips through the park reveal hippo, elephant, waterbirds and plentiful other wildlife along the river. Game drives in the morning or afternoon expose Chobe's various habitats. All activities come at an extra cost.

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Reviews

Sandy Mendel

5 months ago

Perfect location to access Chobe NP and the Chobe River. The rooms are well appointed and very comfortable, the editing room is an ideal place to review images and interact with other guests and photo hosts, and the food is fantastic.

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5 out of 5 stars

About Chobe National Park

Chobe

A place for unrivalled elephant sightings in Botswana and serene boat cruises along the mighty Chobe River.

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Wildlife in Chobe National Park

Elephant

Abundant

Giraffe

Occasional

Hippo

Abundant

Black Rhino

None

White Rhino

None

Lion

Abundant

Cheetah

Occasional

Leopard

Occasional

Hyena

Abundant

Wildebeest

Occasional

Buffalo

Abundant

Zebra

Abundant

Warthog

Occasional

Wild Dog

Occasional

Meerkat

None

Show all wildlife

The Chobe National Park is famous for impressive herds of elephant and Cape buffalo that seasonally congregate along the winding river banks and open grassy floodplains. Expect to see a diversity of hoofed mammals, including the puku (only seen in this part of Botswana), giraffe, warthog, roan and sable, and keep an eye out for the predators—lion and leopard—that are never far behind. The leopard is particularly prominent along the bank of the river so be sure to scan the tree branches.

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