Belmond Eagle Island Lodge

Belmond Eagle Island Lodge sits on Xaxaba Island, deep in the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Okavango Delta. The site carries real historical weight: once a haven for early explorers and crocodile hunters, Xaxaba Island was home to the Delta's first permanent safari camp in the early 1900s. The lodge traces back to Orient-Express Hotels' 1990s expansion into African safari properties and became a Belmond property when Orient-Express rebranded as Belmond Ltd. in 2014, sitting today alongside sister property Belmond Savute Elephant Lodge under the Belmond Safaris banner.

Accommodation comprises 12 luxury tented rooms of 82 square metres each, sleeping up to two adults apiece. Rooms feature oversized king beds, hand-crafted copper headboards, private decks with plunge pools, and outdoor showers with monsoon heads. Guests take a minimum of two included game-viewing activities daily, split between land-based game drives and water-based mokoro (traditional dug-out canoe) safaris through the Delta's channels and lagoons, with helicopter safaris also on offer via the lodge's own airstrip and helipad. On-site facilities include a wellness pod, boutique, TV lounge and library, children's programming, and a main restaurant alongside the open-air Fish-Eagle Bar; all meals and beverages are included.

Eagle Island Lodge holds a 4.8 out of 5 rating on TripAdvisor from 134 reviews, ranked #32 of 75 specialty lodging in the Okavango Delta. Reviewers consistently single out exceptional, personalised staff service (guests frequently name individual staff members), knowledgeable guiding, the quality of the mokoro excursions, and the private plunge-pool rooms. A small number of reviews raised in-room climate control and early-breakfast timing, with management responding constructively in both cases.

At a Glance - Location: Xaxaba Island, Okavango Delta, Botswana - Accommodation: 12 luxury tented rooms - Room Size: 82 sqm per room - Capacity: Up to 2 adults per room (24 guests total) - History: Site of the Okavango Delta's first permanent safari camp (early 1900s); Orient-Express / Belmond property - Activities Included: Minimum 2 daily — game drives & mokoro safaris (helicopter safaris available at extra cost) - Access: Private airstrip — approx. 20 min flight from Maun, 60 min from Kasane, 45 min from Belmond Savute Elephant Lodge - Meal Basis: Fully inclusive — all meals and beverages included - TripAdvisor Rating: 4.8/5 from 134 reviews — #32 of 75 specialty lodging, Okavango Delta