Chobe Safari Lodge

The kitchen is okay and the service is great. It seems like a nice spot for a holiday or weekend getaway. Since it’s inside the park, be careful about walking around the grounds without an escort. You can get very close to wildlife, especially elephants, wild pigs, and hippos.

The location is amazing, but the way the property is being handled is bringing the quality down. They need to do more to look after the place and improve the customer experience.

The rain plan was part of our agreement, but when it rained, they didn’t move the reception indoors as promised. My decorations got soaked. We waited for the rain to pass and saved what we could, but “disappointing” hardly covers it. I still have nightmares about my wedding reception, more than a year later. I chose this venue for both the wedding and reception, and it was a terrible mistake. Planning was a mess too. Before we signed, the initial contact person did a good job selling us on the venue. After the contracts were signed, there was no clear person to contact and we kept getting passed around. Near the wedding, they handed us to a manager who knew nothing about our plans. They also promised several venue changes that were supposed to be finished before the wedding, but they weren’t done. Close to the day, a man from senior management was sent to speak with us. He was a white South African man and, to this day, the rudest person I’ve dealt with in business. I didn’t know the lodges were owned by a White South African Group. I had to wonder if I was being treated that way because I’m Black, even though my husband is white, and that still haunts me. I’ve told several Ugandan-American brides like me: don’t walk, run far away from this place. If you’re planning a wedding or another special event, don’t make my mistake and risk ruining it here.

Waking up to the Nile was magical, with the river roaring, birds chirping, and hippos making sounds. It was beautiful, peaceful, quiet, and restful, with comfort, luxury, and a real sense of satisfaction. The staff were professional and always ready to help. We took a nature walk with Charles, our kind and lovely guide. Kudos to Lillian and Peace, my namesakes! The food was amazing, the best I’ve had so far. The chefs deserve all the praise. The menus were thoughtfully put together, with nice, different choices each day, and the drinks tasted great too. Chobe really lives up to the hype.