BOTSWANA
Kasane
Kasane is a small town situated on the southern bank of the Chobe river,
close to its confluence with the Zambezi. It is not a particularly attractive
place, being dominated by an ever-increasing number of large mass-market
hotels, which between them manage to generate enough visitors to completely
overrun this previously wonderful stretch of the Chobe waterfront.
We tend to plan our trips to transit directly through this busy area, usually driving the two hours down from Livingstone, crossing the Zambezi in a bum-boat and then flying on from Kasane airstrip down into Linyanti and Okavango camps.
Chobe Chilwero
Chobe Chilwero is located on the outskirts of the town of Kasane on the
banks of the Chobe river.
This high quality camp used to have a nice rural atmosphere, but whilst the area immediately around the lodge remains pleasant, the proximity of the increasingly busy airstrip and the expansion of the town makes it difficult to justify spending top safari lodges prices here.
We try to avoid including Kasane in our safaris and so rarely if ever use this lodge.
Chobe Marina Lodge
This huge new complex is in the middle of the small town of Kasane, on
the waterfront between Chobe Safari Lodge and Mowani Lodge.
It is presumably aimed at the South African self-drive market and apparently has some kind of time-share offer available.
The price quoted here includes all meals and two safaris per day, by vehicle or by boat. The lodge can also be booked on a bed and breakfast basis.
Chobe Safari
One should perhaps not have too high an expectation of a lodge which
claims that "the animals don't care how much you spend to see them".
This huge sprawling place in the town of Kasane is a bit of an institution. There is a wide range of accommodation from camping to pretty decent rooms, plus a huge range of facilites from boat cruises to squash courts. To be fair, it probably is the best low cost lodge in the area.
We try to avoid including Kasane in our safaris and so rarely if ever use this lodge.
Kubu Lodge
A really nice independently owned lodge on the banks of the Chobe to
the east of the town of Kasane, away from the main hussle and bustle,
but still having to share the busy areas for boat and vehicle safaris.
Mowana Lodge
Of all the lodges in Kasane, this one really takes the prize.
As their advertising material puts it : "70,000 elephant, 110 rooms and a nine hole golfcourse ... paradise found at Mowana Lodge". There is little that we can add.
We are yet to be asked to include this lodge in a safari and doubt we ever will, although clearly a lot of people do stay here.