Pangolin Lodge, Botswana

An infelicitous cold snap hit southern Africa just as we were departing Namibia for the Chobe National Park in Botswana. Our layover was back in Johannesburg, where there was snow for the first time in over a decade, leading to us to layering pretty much every item we had packed and, I assume, to a great amount of much confused wildlife. Shivering might help keep you alive but it doesn’t make you any warmer, and we quivered our way through airport, our breath visible in the air as we asked if there was any heat in the airport. To which a South African airport security employee turned her head to the ceiling and made a show of looking around confused, then turn back to us and said “what heat”? Fair enough.

Landing in Botswana was a painless, snow free affair thanks to the efforts of the Pangolin Photography Lodge. A small, beautiful, boutique hotel near the banks of the Chobe River, this lodge caters to well heeled travelers with a penchant for photography and spending money. The lodge offers two safaris a day, morning and evening, split between traditional game drive on land and the majority by river boat. The game drive is just that, though the small nature of the lodge means you’ll have an intimate experience with the photographer guide and the wildlife guide. When on the water, you speed along the Chobe River expensive looking flat bottom boats with custom camera mounts that articulate 360 degrees, the idea being it helps to stabilize the camera for wildlife shots. I would say we used them about half the time, the other half we moved about the boats, standing or laying on our bellies, maneuvering to get the best angle.

The lodge itself was lovely and modern, seemingly carved out of polished concrete with the walls lined with supersized prints from other guest photographers and professionals alike. The rooms were spacious and comfortable, and the meals were of the caliber one would expect of a boutique luxury hotel. The total cost for two people, three nights, was $3930 which is … a lot. However, I would agree you get a lot for your money, and other places charge a similar amount but don’t offer the unique expertise of both the photography boats and the more traditional game drives. If you’re looking to get up close and personal with nature, in a comfortable and elevated stay, it’s hard to beat.

View from the Pangolin Lodge