Sitatunga Private Island
We often recommend Sitatunga for travellers seeking a quieter, more immersive introduction to Botswana, or as a natural counterpoint to a more traditional big-game safari elsewhere in the Delta.
Location
The seclusion here is almost palpable, you’ll be right in the heart of the wilderness with majestic elephant, lazing crocodile, and grunting hippo as your permanent neighbours.
Birding here is also excellent, with 350 different recorded species in the delta. You’ll be able to spot the rare water-adapted antelope, the sitatunga, here too.
Accommodation
Retreat to your suite to unwind between activities - think sitting back with a book on your private deck, taking a cooling dip in your pool, and whiling away an hour or so in a deep and warm bath, with uninterrupted views over the sparkling waters.
The natural theme continues in the private suite, where you’ll also find thatched roofs, an abundance of wood, and canvas walls. Inside, soft silks and linens dance in the breeze, whilst outside there’s a private pool and deck, dotted with glowing lanterns.
Experiences
- Admire rare sitatunga, after which this camp was named, right from your deck!
- Explore rivers in a motorised boat, watching the elephant and antelope that roam, or take a leisurely cruise on a poled mokoro boat where you can enjoy a slower pace and smaller waterways.
- Join an expert guide on a walk around the island, getting closer to nature than you can do in a vehicle and stopping to learn about and admire even the smallest of delta details.
- Spend an afternoon tag and release fishing under the warmth of the glowing Botswana sun.
- Make the most of your complimentary camera and lens set, capturing photographic memories to take home with you.
- Treat yourself to a relaxing spa treatment in your suite or outdoors on your deck, surrounded by nature.
Why We Include Sitatunga Private Island in Our Journeys
For families with older children or teenagers, it offers space to disconnect from routine and reconnect with nature – without the constant movement of a traditional game-drive schedule. For couples, it’s a beautifully calm and romantic setting, particularly at the start or end of a journey.
Talk to us about designing your safari >
From The Team
"Sitatunga is one of those places that gently resets your pace. We often include it where clients want space, privacy, and time to really absorb the Delta – especially at the start of a journey. "
Why Plan Your Safari with Journeysmiths
Every journey we design begins with listening. Whether you’re travelling as a family, a couple, or across generations, we take time to understand how you want your safari to feel – not just where you want to go. From there, we carefully weave together exceptional places, trusted guides, and seamless logistics to create journeys that flow naturally and feel entirely your own.Every journey we design begins with listening. Whether you’re travelling as a family, a couple, or across generations, we take time to understand how you want your safari to feel – not just where you want to go. From there, we carefully weave together exceptional places, trusted guides, and seamless logistics to create journeys that flow naturally and feel entirely your own.
We prioritise working with properties that collaborate with local communities and address location-specific needs from education to anti-poaching. We assess our partners to ensure the people we work with share our values of ensuring our trips continue to act as a force for good. Here we share some of the positive impacts your stay here contributes to.We prioritise working with properties that collaborate with local communities and address location-specific needs from education to anti-poaching. We assess our partners to ensure the people we work with share our values of ensuring our trips continue to act as a force for good. Here we share some of the positive impacts your stay here contributes to.
Great Places to Combine with Sitatunga Private Island
Sitatunga works beautifully as part of a wider Botswana journey. We often pair it with contrasting environments to create a sense of flow and variety.Sitatunga works beautifully as part of a wider Botswana journey. We often pair it with contrasting environments to create a sense of flow and variety.
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Matetsi River Lodge is one of the finest contemporary properties in Zimbabwe. Superbly situated for exciting wildlife safaris in the reserve and on the river, and for epic sightseeing at Victoria Falls, it ticks every box.
Fantastic Itinerary
"From the very beginning Ross guided and advised and really took the time to understand what we were looking to achieve from our African Adventure. He put together a fantastic itinerary combining a variety of camps in Botswana and then a little gem of a lodge on the banks of the Zambezi river near Victoria Falls."
From the pristine wilderness of Linyanti, to the glistening floodplains of the Okavango Delta, and beyond to the shimmering salt flats of Makgadikgadi - this Botswana safari will leave you with incredible memories from beginning to end. Experience the diverse ecosystems and wildlife Botswana has to offer in this epic journey from plains, to delta to desert.
This memorable safari combines a journey through one of Africa’s most game rich areas, with a visit to one of the seven natural wonders of the world. Experience Botswana’s abundant wildlife in the spectacular Okavango Delta and Linyanti, before heading to the winding Zambezi River to see the astonishing Victoria Falls.
Travel across Southern Africa in complete luxury, staying at some of the most exclusive properties on the continent. With every single detail taken care of by exceptional guides and staff at each location, you can concentrate on what really matters - immersing yourself in an exclusive African safari experience.
From the glistening floodplains of the Okavango Delta, to the pristine wilderness of Linyanti, and beyond to the shimmering salt flats of Makgadikgadi - this family friendly safari will leave you all with lifelong memories. Experience the diverse ecosystems and wildlife Botswana has to offer in this spectacular journey from Delta to Desert.
Botswana is Africa’s most exclusive safari destination. Each enormous private reserve has just one or two luxury lodges guaranteeing a series of private experiences as you travel from one exquisite location to the next. Expert guides will take your family on safari among big cats and vast elephant herds in beautiful deltas and deserts.
Imagine gliding silently along an Okavango waterway in a mokoro canoe as zebra and impala graze the grasslands. Or cantering on horseback with your guide alongside giraffe. In the Kalahari, take an early morning walk with a San Bushman as he explains the ancestral secrets of survival.
Here’s something you might not expect. The people looking after you on safari might create some of your happiest safari memories. You’ll remember laughter and those after dinner stories and jokes around the campfire. During a three-night stay in a luxury camp, you’ll get to make friends with your guide, the chef, the vegetable gardener and the other people who love their work.
Botswana is a great choice for an exclusive family safari. Roaming the spectacular deserts, deltas and savannahs are literally millions of animals. The fertility and abundant water of the Okavango and Linyanti Deltas supports an incredible 200 different mammal species. The Government’s high value, low volume tourism policy helps conservation and enables you to enjoy a top quality private safari.
Between safaris there is plenty for children to do in camp while the adults relax. Safari lodges may be small and in remote locations, but they have excellent facilities and your hosts’ purpose is to give you the best possible time. In this section we also suggest a couple of places that combine easily to complement your Botswana safari.
We’ve compiled a list of our favourite experiences to inspire your imagination.
The best way to give your family the facilities it seeks may be to book out an entire camp or lodge. Perhaps you are planning a multi-generation safari. Or you may want to fulfil a dream of walking, mokoroing and camping out in the Okavango. You may simply crave an extra degree of privacy. Most lodges we use take fewer than 16 guests, some take only eight, so booking a whole lodge is a viable option.
Booking your family safari to Botswana opens a door to a world of exciting adventure. From the minute your Cessna touches the bush strip, your family will be in the wilds with expert guides. We curated the top 10 family experiences in Botswana to whet your appetite.
Escape into the wilds of Botswana, where the pristine landscape and varied wildlife abound. On a luxury safari in Botswana, you can expect to share your safari with only a handful of other guests, as our travel insider Philippa Page discovered.
Botswana is one of the best places for a family holiday of a lifetime! There are millions of animals across plains, deserts and deltas.
The Kalahari is a fascinating place for a family safari. The children can sit by a meerkat den watching these curious little creatures foraging and playing as one stands guard on its hind legs looking out for eagles. They can watch enthralled as a San Bushman reveals hidden secrets that have enabled them to survive here for thousands of years.
Botswana, a land of contrasts, captivates travelers with its seasonal transformations. The Okavango Delta floods draw abundant wildlife, while rains blanket the Makgadikgadi and Nxai salt pans in green. Chobe National Park hosts vast elephant herds, and the north's lush landscapes contrast with the Kalahari's stark beauty in the south. This unforgettable journey offers Africa’s most exclusive safari in complete luxury.
When seeking advice, we all agree that we should trust someone with first-hand experience. A frequent visitor to Botswana, Laura knows the luxury lodges and camps that reveal Botswana’s remarkable wildlife and the distinct landscapes that shape each safari experience.