Belmond Eagle Island Lodge is one of the most romantic water camps in the Okavango Delta. It sits on Xaxaba Island, surrounded by channels, lagoons and floodplains and focuses on the quiet side of the Delta: gliding through papyrus in a mokoro, cruising the channels by boat and watching the sun set from a bar on its own small island.
The lodge has 12 deluxe tented rooms, each about 880 square feet, set on raised wooden platforms under thatch. Every room has a rim-flow plunge pool on a private deck, a large indoor bathtub, a walled outdoor shower, a walk-in wardrobe and air conditioning. The Fish Eagle Bar, which Belmond calls the most romantic bar in Africa, serves cocktails at sunset with views over the Delta.
Rates are full board, with all meals and drinks, along with activities including mokoro trips, powerboat rides, walking safaris, birding, fishing and sundowner cruises. Helicopter flights cost extra. It is only about 20 minutes by light aircraft from Maun, which makes it an easy first or last stop on a Botswana safari. Children over six are welcome, so it is not a kid-free camp, but most guests are couples. If your priority is big cats every day, pair Eagle Island with a land camp such as Mombo.
Highlights at a glance
- 12 tented rooms with rim-flow plunge pools
- Fish Eagle Bar on its own small island
- Mokoro and boat safaris included
- About 20 minutes by air from Maun
- Full board with drinks included
Why Couples Love Eagle Island
The water sets the mood. From the deck of your room, you look over floodplains where lechwe graze and elephants splash across channels. Mornings begin with the calls of fish eagles and evenings end with frogs and hippos in the reeds.
The experiences are quiet and intimate. A mokoro trip, poled by a local guide through lily-covered channels, is one of the most peaceful ways to see the Delta. There are no engines, just the splash of the pole and the sound of birds. Over 400 bird species have been recorded in the area.
The romance is deliberate. The Fish Eagle Bar sits on its own small island, private dinners can be set up on your deck and spa treatments come to your room. For a honeymoon, the lodge offers a softer, slower safari, which many couples enjoy as a counterpoint to busier game drives.
Rooms to Book
All 12 rooms are deluxe tented rooms of about 880 square feet, set on raised wooden platforms under thatched roofs. Each has a private deck with easy chairs and a rim-flow plunge pool facing the floodplain, a large indoor bathtub, an indoor shower, a walled outdoor shower and a walk-in wardrobe. Rooms have air conditioning, a minibar, Wi-Fi and twice-daily housekeeping.
There is also a Private Suite with a heated splash pool, which is worth asking about if you want extra space and privacy.
For a honeymoon, ask for a room at the end of the walkway, with the widest floodplain views. Maximum occupancy is two people per room, with triples on request, which keeps the atmosphere calm. Book early for the flood season, from May to October, when the Delta is at its best for water activities.
Food, Drink and the Spa
The open-air restaurant has a family-style open kitchen and a wood-burning pizza oven and it serves breakfast and lunch with views over the water. Evenings bring barbecues beside a campfire on the water's edge, with grilled meats and cold drinks. Private dinners on your deck can be booked in advance and an off-site bush dinner offers a secluded evening meal.
The lounge has a bar built from local timber, a large fireplace, a library and a hanging cocoon swing around an ancient sycamore fig tree. The Fish Eagle Bar serves light snacks and drinks all day and cocktails at sunset.
Spa treatments use Africology products with aloe ferox, rooibos and marula oil and they are offered in your room or on your deck. All meals and drinks are included, except VSOP brands, reserve wines and imported Champagne.
Why guests fall for it
Safari Activities
Included activities focus on the water. Mokoro excursions glide through narrow channels, powerboat rides cover more ground and sundowner barge cruises end the day on the water. Specialist walking safaris on nearby islands focus on tracks, plants and smaller animals. Catch-and-release fishing, bush picnics, birding and stargazing are also offered, along with a visit to Nxhoga village.
From May to October, when the floods arrive, boats are the best way to explore. In drier months, the lodge offers more walking, village visits and seasonal game drives.
For an extra fee, a scenic helicopter flight shows the scale of the Delta and its patterns of channels and islands. Horseback and helicopter combinations and private guides can also be arranged. Eagle Island is not a Big Five camp, so pair it with a land camp if big cats are a priority.
Getting There
Eagle Island is one of the easiest Delta camps to reach. Scheduled light-aircraft flights take about 20 minutes from Maun Airport (MUB) and about 85 minutes from Kasane (BBK). The lodge has its own airstrip, about five minutes' drive away and a helipad nearby. Helicopter transfers from Maun and private charters can also be arranged.
Maun has connections from Johannesburg, Cape Town and Kasane. Most couples book Eagle Island through a safari operator, often paired with Belmond's Savute Elephant Lodge or another camp.
Light aircraft limit luggage, usually to soft bags with a weight limit. Pack neutral clothes, a warm layer for winter mornings, sun protection and binoculars. Check-in is at 2 p.m. and check-out at 11 a.m.
Is It Worth It?
Eagle Island offers a luxurious, romantic water safari at rates that are high but below the Delta's most famous land camps, from about $1,043 per person per night in the low season (approximate). Plunge pools, air conditioning, a short flight from Maun and inclusive drinks and activities add to the value.
It is not for couples who want lions and leopards every day. Game drives are limited and seasonal and the experience is focused on water, birds and quiet. Pair it with a land camp for a more complete safari. Children over six are welcome.
The Delta is a malaria area. Talk to a travel clinic about prevention and use repellent. If you're pregnant or hoping to be soon, check CDC travel health notices for Botswana.
Insider tips
- Visit from May to October for the highest water and the best mokoro trips.
- Book a private deck dinner in advance.
- Add a scenic helicopter flight to see the Delta from above.
- Pair Eagle Island with a land camp for big cat sightings.
