Elephant Valley Lodge Reviews

Fabulous room overlooking the watering hole. Saw so many animals including giraffes, elephants, hogs and so much more. We were so lucky to have that room. The 2 on-site mongoose chilli & mango are adorable. The massive spider in my room wasn’t though and we had a few of them. Food disappointing and sometimes hard to get a drink during the day. The safari day trip was disappointing.

The first thing we saw was the water hole, where a family of elephants had gathered in the sun. This is a lovely camp, everyone so friendly, and very comfortable. Food was delicious! We had 2 safari drives each day, and saw a leopard, and lions, as well as so many elephants, giraffes and zebras. Our guide Lebo was great. It was very cold at night, and the electric blankets being turned on ready for your bedtime was such a treat!

After waiting for 2 years (due to covid) we finally made it to Botswana and our first camp, EVL. What an amazing time we had. Unbeknownst to us, were the only guests for our 4 days at the end of April. It was like having your own private safari! The tents were spacious and comfortable. The food was delicious and plentiful. Our morning and evening game drives were great - we could not believe the number of animals we saw - a lion on the first afternoon! Chobe National Park was amazing. Special thanks to our wonderful guide, Lebo, for guiding us through our 4 days - we learned so much from you! EVL also arranged for our day trip to Victoria Falls - something not to be missed! Elephants at the water hole during our evening dinners, hyenas howling at night and baboons screeching good morning are just some of the memories that we will never forget. Thank you to all of the EVL staff for making our first trip to Africa so memorable: Florian, Eugene, Lebo, Oti, the chefs, cleaners and grounds keepers.

A lovely stay at this very charming camp where all manner of animals gather at a watering hole facing the common area of the camp. From our tents we had spectacular views of sunrise and sunset. Our guide did his utmost to ensure we saw as much wildlife as possible, and the staff looked after us very well. Thank you to Florence and co !

Amazing to view the animals coming to the watering hole each night. It was an incredible experience. You are about 30-45 minutes to and from the national forest and the tours and the ride is bumpy! The boat tours are a nice alternative safari experience.

Stayed in luxury tent. Plenty of wildlife, including view of the local watering hole, whisk was floodlit at night. Florian and his team did everything they could to make our stay special, including arranging special, individualised safari trips at short notice.

EVL was absolutely amazing. We visited with our two adult children (20 & 23). Our guide, Sox, was incredibly knowledgeable, accommodating and very personable. He and all of the staff here were extremely attentive to our needs and ensured that we had an incredible experience. The staff at the lodge were super friendly. The food and drink were fantastic and plentiful. The accommodations were exactly what we expected and then some - cute “tents” overlooking a waterhole that gave us incredible animal viewings. We felt like we were having a private African safari most of the time! The evening river cruise was a unique highlight. We highly recommend this lodge!!

Loved this place. We were lucky to get the best room overlooking the watering hole. As a result we saw EVERYTHING from monkeys to giraffes, elephants, wart hogs and so much more. It was amazing. I also made friends with the house Mongoose Chilli and Mango. Adorable little thngs but naughty when they followed me and hid in my room. The room was nice - basic as expected and the massive spiders I did not like!! The food wasn't good - just OK and the staff tried to encourage us to go on trips so they didn't have to serve us. It was difficult trying to get hold of anyone if you wanted a drink. The manager was really nice and accommodating. The pool is tiny but you can sit around it and the elephants come right by to play in a semi dry watering spot. Loved this place - definitely recommend.

This is a fantastic situated camp, where you can come very close to animals, even when you enjoy your meals or your sundowner. We woke up and fell asleep to the sounds of numerous birds. Comfortable tents, friendly and helpful staff. One night we heard the roar of lions in 'discussion' with many hyenas, close to our tent, and the next day we were shown the buffalo cadavre they had byen fighting over. Every evening before sunset, several elephants visited the waterhole close to the fireplace, and we could observe them. Fascinating! We hope to be back one day! Reidar og Anne-Beth

This lodge was one of three on a 9-day Botswana safari and fortunately it was first in line as the other two were great where this one was very disappointing. The few positives were: Nice location close to town overlooking a watering hole with serenely positioned permanently-tented accommodation. Tents included AC (welcome in the high summer temps) as well as a fan and spacious open plan bathroom (no door for the toilet area). The housekeeping was fantastic providing spotlessly clean rooms, fresh towels every day and washing turn around rapidly. Rooms are set up at night while at dinner with mosquito’s nets over the beds. The night time chef was excellent and her food was very enjoyable. It was especially nice to witness the pleasure she took in providing tasty, very well-prepared food. Breakfast on the other hand was very disappointing. Not only was it the same boring selection each day but the toast and some of the other hot items such as the eggs, sausage and bacon where not hot. There was a group of 15 visiting at the same time as us and the single waitress responsible for everyone focused on them and pretty much left us out in the cold to fend for ourselves. She also had an attitude when we asked for anything. On the first morning most of the breakfast choice had been consumed by the last group who were provided breakfast before us so we had the choice of their left overs. We had to request on both mornings that they provide fresh filter coffee which was totally empty the first morning and only a small amount left on the second. On one all day drive, a packed lunch was provided which included a single small chicken leg, two dried out meatballs and a half a soggy sandwich with a multitude of items on it as well as a candy bar and apple. Honestly for what we paid we expected substantially more. The other big negative to this lodge was that its located a solid 30 minutes or more from the Chobe gate so each day you have to endure a road transfer in an open air safari vehicle for an hour or more just to get into the park. On the way home at night, we had to cover our faces to prevent bugs constantly flying into our eyes and mouth as there is no protection from the outside when bugs are at their worst. Instead of a sunrise and sunset drive each day, this lodge provides an all-day excursion which departs later but is quite tiring being out in the vehicle and open to the elements and hot temps most of the day. The only advantage is that it results in an hour transfer time instead of two for two game drives a day. The guides don’t carry rifles so not nature walks occur and they all depend on the Chobe River for game siting’s as the animal’s head down there during the day to drink and in the case of elephants to bathe and play in the water. On the day of our transfer to our next concession we opted to sleep in and take the morning easy rather than waking up really early to do the same thing over again. We have done many safaris in South Africa and

EVL has its drawbacks: for one, the bathroom area in the tents is separated only by a half wall from the sleeping area and has no door. That wasn't good for me and my 26- year old daughter who I was traveling with. We had booked three nights, but because of this bathroom situation, we decided right away to go to another camp after two nights. Management says they plan to renovate, so that there will be a door and real walls - not sure when it will happen, but you might inquire if it matters to you. Other drawbacks are what others have mentioned: the long drive to Chobe, with one of the two routes going along the perimeter of the Kasane Airport - not all that scenic-, and the other on a rutted track through the forest. We drove on paved roads to get to the area where we took the boat ride on the river. There were no seat belts in the jeep so we were a little nervous about that. Good things about the camp: the staff. Florian, the manager, was very pleasant and helpful, and Sox, our guide was knowledgeable about the vegetation, animals, and customs of the Botswana people. We liked the servers, too. The food was good. Sometimes it was basic, like rice and pork chops, while other times it was fairly creative, for example, sauteed eggplant atop a mixture of finely chopped celery and bell pepper. We even had poached pear in a wine-reduction sauce one night. EVL is not a luxury camp, especially when compared to the other two camps we stayed at, Camp Xakanaxa and Chobe Chilwero Lodge. Despite the bathroom situation, I wound up liking EVL because it was peaceful and a good place to get some reading and writing done between the game drives. We had tent #14, a forest tent, which looked out on the water hole (there were hardly any animals when we were there in late March). Sox was also flexible on times for going out on game drives - you didn't have to get up at 5:30am - you could schedule them later - that was a plus for us.

We had an amazing time here. Sox, Florian and all of the staff at Elephant Valley were so accommodating and welcoming. The accommodations were beautiful, the food was delicious, and the views of animals around the watering hole were incredible. Sox was the most knowledgeable and helpful Chobe safari guide we could ever have hoped for! We couldn’t believe his rich knowledge of every bird, mammal, reptile, insect and plant we had questions about. He really made it a truly extraordinary experience for us. Thanks for the great adventure! Ursula, Chris, Lauren, Ken, Tayla, Jared, Mike & Abby.

The fact that the camp overlooks a wonderfully active waterhole, and the safari guide, Sox, were the highlights of this camp. My tent was clean, but a little sad looking, with water stains on the wall and quite a few holes in the mosquito netting. The food was great, with a good variety on offer; in the evening it’s served in the Boma, overlooking the waterhole. Groups sit separately and the guide doesn’t join you. The staff were polite and professional, but not particularly friendly. The Chobe river cruise and Chobe park safari, both around a 30 minute drive from the camp, were excellent, giving good opportunities to see a variety of animals and birds. Sox, the guide, was friendly and super knowledgeable. In general, the common areas looked rather sad and tired, so only a 3-star rating, considering the cost.

What a time we had here! Our experience was magical. We loved the setting, our “tent”, the staff, the food, our guide, and the crowning glory, the water hole!. We were in Africa for 3 weeks, and this was definitely the highlight. Chobe Park was great. We saw so much there. Unique because we saw it by jeep and by boat. If I had one suggestion, it would be to provide robes in the rooms. It does get a little chilly removing yourself from the cozy electric blanket early in the morning.