One of the world’s most unique and unusual safari experiences just got even better. Located on a private island in the permanent waters of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, Nxamaseri Island Lodge, one of the most established and exclusive lodges in the Delta has had an extensive refurbishment ahead of reopening on the 1st of May 2024. A highlight of the stunning revamp is the introduction of the first-ever Wellness SPA in the Desert & Delta Safaris portfolio. The serene and natural spa is situated in a tranquil setting over the water of the Nxamaseri channel and nestled into the papyrus beds. Guests will be treated to the chorus of bird songs as the accompaniment to their spa treatments on the over-water deck.
To enhance the SPA experience, each guest will be invited for a complimentary “treatment of the month,” further elevating the level of luxury and relaxation. Adding to the sense of a unique occasion, guests can arrive for their treatments by traditional mokoro (dug-out canoe), ensuring a calming start to their wellness and full-body massage session. Local culture will be woven into the look and feel of the experience.
Further enhancing the spirit of the spa is the proximity of one of Botswana’s greatest treasures, the spiritual Tsodilo Hills, which rise dramatically from the flat landscape, forming the highest point in the surrounding area. The hills are sacred to the San people of Northern Botswana and are adorned with more than 4,000 ancient San paintings, allowing guests at Nxamaseri the privilege of seeing first-hand how special and fragile the Tsodilo Hills are to the San people.
The incorporation of local culture is a key theme in the new developments at Nxamaseri Island Lodge. Matthew Johnson, Managing Director of Desert & Delta Safaris, explains: “We want guests to understand the spiritual significance of the UNESCO World Heritage Listed Tsodilo Hills before they visit. We will bring a range of images, books, and paintings into the new camp and incorporate ingredients still used in the ancient San Culture as part of our wellness treatments in the Spa.”
To blend both ancient and modern African traditions guests will be able to learn the art of basket weaving, still practised by local fishermen as a method of trapping their fish or using grass baskets to sieve the sorghum. And in a region without game drives or busy safari schedules, Nxamaseri Island Lodge has devised individually crafted activity schedules and interactive experiences to showcase its unpretentious and welcoming charm. Water activities are at the heart of any stay, with superb fly fishing and sport fishing, as well as boating and excellent birding. With the mokoro still the daily method of transport through the still Delta waters, guests find themselves at eye-level with dragonflies, reed frogs, and water lilies, and within touching distance of the myriad of colourful fish swimming just below the surface.
Before or after a busy trip outdoors the updated lodge, with inspired new menus of fresh local food full of plentiful herbs and vegetables from the lodge’s garden, juices, and smoothies, is the perfect destination to slow down. There’s time to do both – engage with the ancient culture on a visit to Tsodilo Hills to witness its rock art, or simply wake up to the sound of the prolific birdlife and take a gentle mokoro for a full body massage at the new SPA.
And for those who simply want to relax, the swimming pool has been relocated to the edge of the Nxamaseri channel in a more shaded area among the papyrus of the Okavango Delta.
The article Nxamaseri Island Lodge reopens with brand-new spa and extensive renovation first appeared in TravelDailyNews International.
