Pangolin Chobe Hotel

The Pangolin Chobe Hotel is a purpose-built, 14-room photographic hotel owned and operated by Pangolin Photo Safaris, sited on a plateau overlooking the Chobe River and Namibia's Caprivi floodplains. It sits just a few hundred metres from the Chobe National Park gate — meaning Pangolin's vehicles are frequently first through the gate for game drives — with its own boats moored on the river directly below, a five-minute transfer away. The hotel is a short transfer from Kasane International Airport and the Zimbabwe and Zambia border crossings. It has won the World Travel Awards title for Botswana's Leading Hotel in 2023, 2024 and 2025, and was nominated again for 2026.

All 14 rooms (9 king, 5 twin) are en-suite and air-conditioned, with safes, tea/coffee facilities, abundant charging points and camera/laptop workspace, plus a private balcony. Rooms lead off a central wildlife photography gallery displaying work from resident and visiting photographers, with an editing suite for post-production at one end and an underground photographic hide for nighttime sightings. Canon cameras, telephoto lenses, memory cards and photo-host guidance are included in the room rate — a distinguishing, hardware-inclusive model rare among Chobe-area hotels.

Photo safari activities run roughly 3:1 in favour of water over land, reflecting the Chobe's river-based reputation: 8-seater photo boats with rotating gimbal seats (3-4 hours) and game-drive vehicles capped at 4 photographers per row-of-four vehicle (4-5 hours). All meals and drinks are included, served variously at the Pangolin Bar, sunken fire pit and pool deck. The hotel anchors several of Pangolin's multi-destination hosted photo safaris, including "Best of the Chobe" (7 days, paired with the Pangolin Voyager houseboat) and combinations with the Okavango Delta and Victoria Falls.

Rooms: 14 rooms total — 9 king, 5 twin, all en-suite, air-conditioned, private balcony. Max guests: 28 (14 rooms x 2). Facilities: central wildlife photography gallery, editing suite, Pangolin Bar, sunken fire pit, pool deck dining, swimming pool; Canon cameras/lenses/guidance included in rate. World Travel Awards Botswana Leading Hotel 2023-2025.