Xigera Safari Lodge, Botswana and Matetsi Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe have announced a new partnership unifying Africa’s greatest design lodges. This new package will couple design and wilderness like never before, offering you unrivalled access to two UNESCO World Heritage sites – the Okavango Delta in Botswana and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe – while staying in Africa’s most impeccable safari lodges.
Xigera Safari Lodge
This new seven-night package begins with three nights at Xigera Safari Lodge, opening in June 2020 in Botswana’s unspoilt wilderness. Xigera will be the biggest investment into a safari lodge of this size in Africa and a legacy project of the Tollman family – the renowned South African hoteliers behind the Red Carnation Hotel Collection.
The lodge’s design has been conceptualised by Toni Tollman, Philip Fourie and Anton de Kock, who has collaborated with Southern Guild in a game-changing design partnership like never before. The first of its kind, Xigera will offer a ‘Living Gallery’ of bespoke works commissioned exclusively for the property by Africa’s hottest young artists including Adam Birch, Madoda Fani, Porky Hefer, Otto du Plessis, Stanislaw Trzebinski and many more. Quietly surprising touches will be everywhere; from human-sized woven nests resting on decks for guests to nestle in, to a totemic firepit sculpture by blacksmith artist Conrad Hicks, offering a contemporary take on the traditional boma setting.
Flying into the Moremi Game Reserve, guests will spend three nights at Xigera Safari Lodge in their beautiful suite. Each suite floats above the Delta’s waterways – a design move which mirrors the Pel’s Fishing Owl in flight. Exclusive to this package, guests will be treated to a life-changing sleep-out in a three-story steel baobab tree located 1km from the camp – a truly unforgettable experience which combines art and wilderness like never before.
Morning, afternoon and evening game drives will be at guests’ leisure, while they can also explore the Delta’s waterways by traditional canoe, glass-bottom mokoro and motorboat – complete with ‘feet-in-the-water’ sundowners. Exclusive to this package, guests will be spoilt with a $100 credit per person to be used in the soul-stirring spa.
Matetsi Victoria Falls
From Xigera Safari Lodge, guests will enjoy a complimentary Mack Air flight from Moremi Game Reserve to Kasane. They will be warmly received by their Matetsi Victoria Falls tour and transfer guide, and assisted through to Zimbabwe and onwards to Matetsi Private Game Reserve – a short distance from the border.
Four nights at Matetsi Victoria Falls, located on the banks of the spectacular Zambezi River within its own 55,000-hectare private wildlife conservation area, will allow guests to discover the region with warm Zimbabwean hospitality, outstanding cuisine, unique river experiences, and incredible wildlife encounters. Family-owned and independently run, the expert team at Matetsi Victoria Falls, from world-class chefs to personal butlers, create exceptional guest experiences.
Acclaimed for its exquisite contemporary interiors showcasing local Zimbabwean design talent, Matetsi Victoria Falls has won a number of design awards and travel accolades for its immersive and contemporary African design. Architectural Designer, Kerry van Leenhoff, inspired by life on the Zambezi River, incorporates touchpoints such as hanging dug-out canoes, fish-trap inspired light-features, hand-woven screens and clay-pot down-lighters throughout the stylish living spaces – each inspired by the local culture and traditions of Zimbabwean village life. Artworks by young, emerging Zimbabwean artist, Helen Teede enkindle a real sense of place: murals on the walls hint at the flow of the river and the power of nature.
Exclusive to this package, guests will be treated to a $100 spa credit per person, and an incredible helicopter excursion from Matetsi Private Game Reserve, following the Zambezi River to the Victoria Falls. This spectacular flight gives guests the opportunity to see wildlife from the air, marvel at the Batoka Gorge and experience the renowned “Flight of the Angels.” On landing, guests will be met by their personal tour guide for the guided walking tour of the Falls followed by High Tea at the iconic Victoria Falls Hotel.
Back on the property at Matetsi Private Game Reserve, guests will enjoy activities such as game drives, boat cruises, canoeing and walking safaris. Creating a unique combination experience of exclusive safari, tranquil river, creatively designed luxury & the spectacular Falls.
Rates for the Ultimate Falls x Delta package start from $10,975 / £8,426 per person for seven nights, including three nights at Xigera Safari Lodge and four nights at Matetsi Victoria Falls, complimentary flights between the properties with transfers, a helicopter ‘Flight of the Angels’, Victoria Falls walking tour with High Tea, a baobab sleepout at Xigera and a spa credit of $100 per person at both properties.
Rates for the condensed five-night package start from $7,605 / £5,840 per person, including two nights at Xigera Safari Lodge and three nights at Matetsi Victoria Falls, complimentary flights between the properties, transfers, a Victoria Falls walking tour with High Tea and a spa credit of $100 per person at both properties.
Both packages are available to book now, for travel from June 2020 onwards.
