In the world of luxury safaris, it’s not always easy to stand out.
While striking architecture and remarkable locations help, that’s often just the starting point for enticing discerning travellers seeking immersive, authentic journeys. Some lodges lean into ‘starchitect’ designs or a culinary adventure, but at Xigera Safari Lodge – cast away in the heart of Botswana’s Okavango Delta – the focus has always been on celebrating African creativity.
‘A love letter to Africa’ is how the Tollman family described Xigera when it opened in December 2020. As the hoteliers behind the acclaimed Red Carnation collection of boutique hotels, the family had long been adept at capturing a sense of place. And from the start, Xigera – pronounced kee-jera – was conceived as a living gallery of African art and creativity.
At almost every turn you’ll find a roll call of Africa’s leading lights from the world of art and design… Ceramics from Imiso’s Andile Dyalvane. Furniture by Gregor Jenkin. Laurie Wiid van Heerden’s creative ways with cork. In the hallways, Kenyan artist Stanislaw Trzebinski interprets an aerial perspective of the Delta in remarkable panels, while tables stand on stalactite-like spears. In his hand-coiled, burnished and smoke-red pieces, sculptor Madoda Fani channels a contemporary interpretation of traditional African ceramics.
As much as the art is the spotlight, guests are encouraged to take a moment to savour the surrounding landscapes.
Wooden benches handcrafted from fallen trees by arborist and sculptor Adam Birch, invite you to pause and absorb the wilderness around you. Out on the deck, you’ll find human-sized nests hand-woven with kooboo cane by South African artist Porky Hefer. At the signature fireplace, sheets of hand-beaten copper channel the motif of a water lily – the symbol of Xigera – while the totemic fire-pit by blacksmith-artist Conrad Hicks is a sculptural talking point.
As the embers die down, guests retreat to one of just 12 spacious suites, strung out along a pair of islands linked by raised wooden walkways to allow the ebbing floodwaters of the Okavango to pass unhindered below.
Each suite has been individually designed and decorated as a creative haven. Here bespoke bedside lamps are by celebrated ceramic artists Ardmore. The rich timber wardrobe with etched brass doors comes from the hand of craftsman Otto du Plessis. The dining table – and the tableware upon it – is imagined by ceramicist Chuma Maweni. Stools are by Atang Tshikare, while bespoke furniture from Dokter and Misses takes inspiration from the Kassena people of Ghana and Burkina Faso. There’s no shortage of creature comforts either, from air-conditioning throughout to a choice of relaxation areas that spill onto your private deck, complete with an outdoor ‘sala’ day bed.
With its setting in the iconic Moremi Game Reserve, guests have access to some of the Okavango’s finest game-viewing. Twice-daily game drives are the starting point or lace up your boots for a thrilling safari on foot.
But water is the life of the Okavango, and when the seasonal flood waters arrive – roughly May to August each year – the landscape is transformed. Dry trails become channels filled with crystal-clear floodwaters, and flooded paths lie waiting to be explored on traditional mokoro dugout canoes.
At Xigera, of course, design informs that experience too. A glass-bottomed fiberglass mokoro offer a unique perspective on life beneath the surface. In the wider waterways, speedboat safaris allow you to explore deeper channels home to pods of hippos dotted with shimmering water lilies.
And at day’s end, it’ll be those hippos that provide the soundtrack as you sip on South African wines in the embrace of a safari lodge that surprises and delights at every turn.
