Luxury Safaris in Botswana

Baines’ Lodge is a beautifully crafted, boutique safari lodge in the Okavango Delta – and the smallest in the A&K Sanctuary portfolio – with just six impeccably refurbished suites. Raised on stilts and linked by wooden walkways, they have a nautical feel – albeit transplanted into the reedy, wildlife-rich water-world of the delta. Interiors are elegant but understated, pairing soft tones inspired by local flora with rich timbers and walls in muted colors that reflect the changing seasons of the surroundings. Open-plan spaces, defined by columns rather than walls, create fluid transitions between indoors and outdoors and frame views that look like paintings. This feeling of being embedded in a luxury cocoon deep in the wilderness is heightened by features such as outdoor showers and lantern-lit baths on the private decks overlooking the Boro River floodplains.

Large overhangs and locally thatched roofs provide shade while the sustainably sourced timber used throughout is light and durable but can be removed after 20 years, leaving no trace. Sustainability was a core principle when the property was completely rebuilt in 2025 and now Baines’ Lodge runs off 100 per cent solar power. Communal areas – arranged, uniquely, around a dormant termite mound – include a Bush Boutique selling local arts and crafts and the Explorer’s Lounge, equipped with a microscope, spotting scopes, interactive maps and books from the library. Leica binoculars are provided at check-in, so guests can view nature from their deck. Another big selling point is the swimming pool, located next to the Explorer's Lounge, lined with sun loungers and open to sweeping views of the delta. The view from the elegantly designed restaurant is an ever-changing delight, no matter what time of day you’re dining: hippos wallowing, zebras crossing, birds swooping. The open-sided circular bar is perfectly pitched for 360-degree sunset views and expertly mixed cocktails as the skies of the delta become saturated with peachy pink; just beside it, the traditional boma by the water is beautifully set up for stargazing and swapping tales around the firepit. It all adds up to create one of the most desirable, and intimate, addresses in the delta.