North Island Okavango

We spent 2 nights at North Island! From the moment we were picked up at the airstrip to our departure, North Island did not disappoint. On our way in, our guide Parks spotted a lion for us. We were overwhelmed with emotion! The team at North Island, Percy, Banks, Honor and others were welcoming and friendly. Each person had our safety and enjoyment as their top priority. The food, game drives, service, scenery were all unbelievable. The room was comfortable, well appointed with individual pools and seating areas. Luxury in the savanna! I wish we had more time to spend there! We enjoyed afternoon tea, and sitting by the fire before dinner overlooking the savanna. The place is small and there were only a few other couples during our visit - maybe 12 people in total the 1st night! We saw so many animals on our drives and Botswana is incredibly beautiful! It's hard to imagine a more untouched place on earth! North Island was all-inclusive and we didn't want for anything. Top notch service, food and scenery with great people. Thanks North Island!

We have just spent 5 nights at North Island and absolutely loved our time here. We are seasoned safari travellers and rank this one very highly. The location and outlook is incredible in one of the worlds greatest ecosystems. The staff are super friendly and attentive, the food excellent and you couldnt ask for more from the suites which are huge.|For us, the quality of guiding is the most crucial element of any safari lodge and we have had a wonderful time with our fantastic guide Evans. He is highly knowledgeable, enthusiastic and a pleasure to spend time with. |Thankyou, Evans and all the wonderful staff here. We have had a truly memorable experience thanks to you all!

This is our fourth visit to a Natural Selection camp and despite a few minor hiccups on arrival in Maun, the trip could not have been more exceptional and completely and utterly exceeded our expectations. ||From the moment you are collected from the airstrip you can feel the stress of daily life draining away as you slowly make your way to the camp, whilst absorbing the Okavango environment and landscape, letting it seep into your soul. Crossing the first and then second of the quintessential bridges on to North Island you are immediately taken by the beauty of the Island and when the camp comes into view with the perfectly integrated Jackleberry, Sausage Trees, Leadwoods and Mangosteens, you realise that ‘life is good’. ||The welcome by the staff makes you feel right at home and when they say you will become part of the family during your stay, there is absolute sincerity in that statement. ||The rooms are staggeringly well appointed with every possible amenity you may need, provided. You could potentially stay the whole time in your room and still have the most glorious time, and if you are staying long enough it is a wondrous experience to just ‘take a day’ to lounge by the plunge pool, absorb the sights and sounds of the hippos, elephants and fish eagles cavorting in the channels and pool in front of the ‘tent’, and partake of the fantabulous meals provided by Mr. T and Chantel. ||Of course the primary purpose of anyone’s visit is to behold the wonders of the Delta, and North Island Okavango delivers this is in spades! Our guide Parks was incredibly knowledgeable and we were able to observe the most incredible sightings of White Rhino, Painted Wolves, Leopard, Lion, Elephant, African Wild Cat, Hyena and of herds and herds of Buffalo, Zebra, Wildebeest, Lechwe and Tsessebe. Never mind witnessing a Wildebeest giving birth, a Leopard taking a baby Warthog back to her one year old cub, hunting with Painted Wolves as they took down an Impala and then celebrating with a ‘dip’ in the local watering hole, and having a Pel’s Fishing Owl greeting us as we returned to camp from an evening drive. ||All thanks to the management staff Keya and KT and to every single one of the staff from the guides to the general staff for making our stay as fantastical as it was. And thanks to Colin Bell and his team at Natural Selection for continuing to go above and beyond in exceeding our expectations. Not sure one can do better than North Island Okavango but I am sure Natural Selection will continue to strive to.

If I could give this camp more than five stars I would! The camp itself is really quite lovely. Sitting in the splash pool cooling down and listening to the birdsong with hippos chilling in the water beyond was amazing. The wildlife is spectacular and aided by the sharp eyes of our guide Trust, we saw amongst everything else lions, leopard, wild dogs, and even a 3 metre long African python! The staff are truly incredible. The chef (Mr T) was fantastic! But everyone went above and beyond to make our stay truly memorable. Celebrating our wedding anniversary in African style! Thanks everyone!

This very new camp can teach a few of the old ones a trick or two.||As a family, we booked the 4 tented camp out as a start to the celebrations for my husband’s 70th birthday later this year.||On arrival we were met by Keya and his team who welcomed us with a refreshing drink in a lovely scenic lounge area. We were then taken to our very luxurious tents, which each have their own wrap around balcony with a plunge pool, set in amongst the indigenous trees which were saved during construction. The tents are spaced so generously that you feel as if you are all alone in this wonderful natural space and in very comfortable surroundings are at one with Nature. The tents are absolutely stunning and extremely well equipped.||As well as the pure luxury of the tents, Keya and his team are first class as NOTHING was too much trouble and considering that we had a 17 month old child with us that was some ask! The Chef, Mr T and his staff went over and above the call of duty by preparing , meals and snacks for the little one at odd times in addition to providing us with heavenly meals in the middle of the bush that would not be out of place in a major city.||Another nice touch was that we had a picnic breakfast every day so that we didn’t have to break our game viewing to travel back to the lodge for breakfast - every morning we had something different eat as well !Mr T and his team also produced a yummy birthday cake for our one daughter whose birthday it was on the last day. Not only did they deliver the cake - they and the rest of the staff entertained us with some traditional songs and dance - which was lovely!||Our guides Costa and Bliss were top class - VERY knowledgable about the animals, birds and the flora. They also served us our picnic breakfast, found beautiful spots for our sundowners and entertained us. It was also their responsibility to wake us in the morning and see us safely back to our tents after dark. Costa, Bliss and the rest of the staff have incredibly long days but are never grumpy - thank you Guys!||We saw lions several times and watched wild dogs unsuccessfully hunt one of numerous very fat warthogs. We came across many antelope including some rare and elusive ones every day as well as a huge herd (about 200) of heathy Buffalo.The hippos, crocodiles and Hyenas were also regular sightings. The icing on the cake was our last mornings game drive where we came across a magnificent young male leopard which none of us spotted but thank goodness Costa was eagle eyed! Birds were too many to mention apart from the Carmine Bee Eaters that followed us all over as we disturbed the insects in the grass- a delight to watch as they danced in the air around the car . We were lucky enough to spot several beautiful pale blue Woodland Kingfishers before they start their migration, as well.||Whilst our animal sightings , surroundings and accommodation were FANTASTIC, the thing that stood out for us was the amazing staff.|They come from the local area and some have not worked before but every single person is enthusiastic, friendly and does their job perfectly! Well done everyone !||Thank you everyone for an AMAZING experience - we WILL be back !

5* Experience. I am fortunate to have spent a lot of time in the bush, being South African and having parents who always prioritised bush holidays. I have been to the best of the best and this didn't disappoint. ||The camp, the staff, the food and the overall experience was absolutely remarkable. We had the most amazing 5 days at North Island. The suites are unbelievably spacious and comfortable, a home away from home - we spent most afternoons reading next to the plunge pool listening to the abundance of bird life. The birdlife from our room was better than any full stay at any other lodge. ||On the third night, while having a drink before dinner we saw a big shadow of a bird land on the other side of the channel, 30 metres from the deck. We turned our torches on and it was a Pel's Fishing Owl. My first time and a true bucket list bird. ||If you have the opportunity to go, don't hesitate!

I have never in my life been anywhere quite like this place. It's literally insane. The design and set-up is out of this world and was everything we wanted and more. The location is breathtaking, the staff and food were amazing. ||On top of this the safari element was, again, out of this world. We saw so many animals, we even saw wild dogs which are extremely rare! Not a day/moment went by where there wasn't an animal running around or in the distance. ||When it says you're staying on a hippo lake, they aren't lying. They are right there and we were lucky enough to arrive with the elephants having a swim.||Our guide was called Costa, he was absolutely amazing, full of knowledge and humour, he really made the experience special. You could also tell how passionate he was about the animals, delta, and local area. He was super respectful of the animals but still enabled some extremely close up encounters. He also seemed to be able to find them as if he had pre-arranged the meetings! If you get Costa as a guide you're in for a treat.||I literally cannot recommend this place enough, the minute we can come back - we will! If I could give it a higher review I would.

An incredibly well appointed “tent” (residence would be a better description!), with multiple living spaces, a plunge pool, outdoor showers (yes, plural), and so many amenities I can’t list them all. This was by far our most luxurious stay in Botswana, with caring service and incredible public spaces. A gym (which I used every day)! A library! Multiple gazing spots over the hippo pond! Words cannot describe the beauty of this resort. And Chef Mr T! By far the best food we had anywhere in our travels - light fare for lunch, delicious food for dinner, all made with an artful, sensitive interpretation of different cuisines. We highly recommend going out of your way to ensure a stay here.