Baines’ Lodge: Our View

Baines’ Lodge, an A&K Sanctuary, has recently been rebuilt in 2025 to the highest design standards. Perched right on the water’s edge, this lodge retains its intimate, romantic safari feel but now with fresh, sustainable design touches. Sanctuary’s reputation for excellent service, fine food, and outstanding safari offerings is very much alive here. Within this private concession Sanctuary operates both Baines’ Lodge and Stanley’s Camp, and Baines’ is the more upscale, luxury option.

With just six exquisitely refurbished suites, Baines’ Lodge offers a deeply personal safari experience. The suites are raised on stilts above the papyrus reeds, offering both views and privacy. Interiors are chic but understated, drawing on colours from local flora and rich timber tones, and large overhangs provide shade while letting in the sounds and sights of the Delta. The communal areas are elegant and consciously low impact in design. Private dining is possible, making this lodge particularly well suited to honeymoons and special celebrations.

Highlights include romantic star baths - perfect for guests seeking something special; and a back-to-nature ethos underpinned by sustainability: the lodge is fully solar powered (with backup generator), uses sustainably sourced timbers designed to leave minimal trace, etc.

As before, the watery terrain around Baines’ Lodge means wildlife viewing is less predictable and more seasonal than in more open reserves. But that’s part of the charm: combination of mokoro and boat excursions (seasonal), walking safaris, day and night game drives, along with relaxing in beautifully designed communal areas, gives a well-rounded safari. The overall pace is more serene and luxury focused rather than intensely action driven.

All told, Baines’ Lodge is perfect for travellers who value high design, comfort, sustainability, and romance in addition to wildlife. If the priority is the richest possible game many hours per day, then there are camps that may offer more in that regard - but few match the character, refinement and water bound magic here.

Baines’ Lodge: Quick Facts

• Six suites, each with ensuite bathrooms (intimate and exclusive), featuring "Star Baths" for romantic evenings
• Newly rebuilt in 2025 with strong sustainability credentials
• Private concession - night drives and walking safaris permitted
• Mokoro and motorboat excursions when water levels and conditions allow
• Swimming pool
• Lounge, restaurant, and bar

Baines’ Lodge: The Details

Baines’ Lodge is named for the nineteenth-century explorer and artist Thomas Baines, and is situated on the Boro River on a private concession at the edge of the Moremi Game Reserve, right in the heart of the UNESCO-listed Okavango Delta. Its location is striking: here wetland wilderness meets seasonal floodplains, a tapestry of waterways, islands and lagoons.

The six suites, completely rebuilt, are raised on stilts so you feel high among the reeds and water; they are reached by wooden walkways. Interiors are elegant and understated, using soft tones inspired by local plants, rich woods, and muted walls that reflect the changing moods of the Delta. Large overhangs help shade the spaces; sustainably sourced timber is used throughout with minimal environmental impact.

Communal areas are smartly designed with a swimming pool nestled alongside some of the suites, an Explorer’s Lounge with interactive maps, microscope, spotting scopes and books, a boutique selling local arts and crafts, etc. Nature viewing begins at your deck with Leica binoculars provided at check-in.

Activities offered include twice-daily game drives (morning and late afternoon), night drives when conditions allow, walking safaris in dry season, mokoro or motorboat excursions depending on water levels, and optional scenic helicopter flights (additional cost). Between these you can relax in the lounge, by the pool, or simply soak in the wetland vistas.