Belmond Eagle Island Lodge: A Private Island Deep in the Okavango Delta

Belmond Eagle Island Lodge sits on Xaxaba Island in the heart of the Okavango Delta, one of the earliest camps established in the region in the early 1900s and part of the Belmond portfolio since 1993. Following a ten-month closure and near-total rebuild, the lodge reopened in November 2015 and has since built a strong reputation among Botswana's safari lodges for the way its 12 deluxe tented rooms, each with its own plunge pool, look directly out over the delta's lily-covered lagoons.

The lodge's location, surrounded by water rather than dry bush, shapes the entire guest experience differently from most Botswana safari camps. Guided bush walks and traditional mokoro dugout canoe safaris sit alongside boat safaris when water levels allow, and helicopter safaris over the delta's winding channels give guests a genuinely different vantage point on the landscape entirely.

The Fish Eagle Bar and a traditional pizza oven anchor the lodge's communal spaces, a deliberately understated dining setup that leans on the setting rather than culinary spectacle. For travelers building a Botswana safari itinerary around water-based experiences rather than purely vehicle-based game drives, Eagle Island Lodge remains one of the more distinctive bases in the entire Okavango Delta.

Staying at Belmond Eagle Island Lodge? Book your stay with me for preferred-partner perks.