Just in case you haven’t visited us in person at the lodge yet, we thought it helpful to take you on a little journey via this months newsletter, and walk you through what you can expect to experience in a day at Moela Safari Lodge in hopes that you can catch even a glimpse of life as a guest here. Read on to warm yourself up before (hopefully) paying us a visit soon!
LIFE IN A DAY AT MOELA SAFARI LODGE
The day really begins before the sun rises, when at the early hours of the morning you’re gently woken up by the whoop of hyena’s traversing across the riverbed. Naturally, you’d lie awake and revel in the thrill of the sounds before deciding to roll out of your comfortable king size bed and make your first cup of coffee.
Continuing with the perfect peace and stillness that is felt by everything and everyone during this holy time of the day, you take your coffee to your own private deck - just 50 meters from your door that hangs over the riverbed - and wake your eyes to the very first light as it hits the landscape and maybe even catch a glimpse of the whooping hyena slowly making his way back to the den.
Yoga mats are provided in every room, so if a morning stretch is part of your daily routine, there’s no reason you can’t get your blood flowing at Moela… your nervous system will love you for it.
After a small bite to eat, an early morning walk in nature with the San Bushmen before the heat sets in is an activity no guest should pass up. Accompanied by one of our guides, guests are introduced to the most natural way of life that is lived by the San People who are native to these lands, and who have managed to keep their roots strong in this part of the world. These few hours spent with the bushmen are truly wonderful and are beyond interesting. The knowledge they share about the land and its inhabitants is quite mind blowing. Not to mention the way they still use this knowledge in their every day lives whether it be for hunting, making fires, healing the sick or keeping warm in winter. This activity will certainly have you seeing the natural world in a different and more inspiring light. (Have a glimpse here).
Onto a nourishing breakfast, served in the main area of the lodge. It’s time to kick your feet up, either in the library, by the pool or on the main deck where the wildlife action is only getting started for the day! This wildlife “show” that can be watched from any shared or private deck at Moela is undoubtably one of the most unique and attractive activities on offer in Botswana. For guests who are really looking to wind down, and who want to experience the excitement of wildlife on safari, but would prefer to savour as much energy as possible by relaxing in camp - Moela offers them just that. When most lodges are driving guests to see the wildlife action away from camp, our positioning on the Boteti River literally brings the wildlife to us. Bliss!
Take advantage of the animals being right below you by enjoying a long, leisurely lunch on the decks like this and a delicious, refreshing beverage of choice. With the zebra migration being the second largest migration in the world - the excitement just doesn’t stop.
Now, a dip in the pool followed by what might just be the highlight of your stay - a spa treatment by the angel that is Miss Buu. There’s no better way to describe her magic hands other than “healing”. A one hour, full body massage either in the spa room or on the spa deck is a treat for the mind, body and soul that you probably did not know you needed. Once you’ve visited Miss Buu, we guarantee you’ll be back in her sanctuary the very next day. Watch this video for a little intro to Miss Buu’s haven!
After a quiet afternoon soaking in the warm Botswana sun, it’s time to get even closer to the wildlife - yes, closer! One of the guides will take you on a game drive through the concession before landing up on the riverbed where by now, all the animals have come to gather. You’ve never seen so many animals (and this much variety) in one place - it really is rather unbelievable. Where else in the world can you enjoy golden hour sundowners literally surrounded by thousands of animals… alone? Not a single other vehicle in sight. This is pure, pure magic.
To end the day, a traditional bush dinner with the San Bushmen awaits. Share stories of home, learn more about the local way of life and culture, gaze up at the trillions of stars above you, dance around the fire and eat until your heart is content. You won’t find a better place to reflect on the fullness of your day, and of life for that matter, before drifting off into the night.
SNEAK PEEKS FROM THE CAMERA TRAILS
Anticipating what’s been caught on our various trail cameras around the lodge after a busy night for the animals is always exciting for us to review and share with you! Even while we sleep our lodge is buzzing with wildlife, recently a leopard has been spotted wondering around the main lodge area which is thrilling and some of the bigger antelopes and smaller more rare cats too. This is super news, as the wildlife are habituating to Moela and hopefully these more shy and beautiful creatures will give us more glimpses of themselves while we are around too! The bush never sleeps and is always wide awake and there are so many ways to enjoy safari action – for example enjoying breakfast and seeing who paid us a visit the night before and what all they got up too!
A RECENT EDUCATIONAL WITH SOME OF OUR VALUED TOUR OPERATORS
We have absolutely loved having many experienced tour operators in camp with us recently, showing them our unique product and receiving their feedback. Without our partners in the trade around us, we wouldn’t be where we are today and starting to really bring our mission to life to ensure communities and wildlife are uplifted in this stunning area of Botswana through tourism - so thank you to all who have taken the time to spend a night or two in our little piece of paradise, and we look forward to welcoming more of you in time. Here is some of the recent feedback received which we appreciate greatly and if anyone wants to read more about our mission and vision, please do visit here for more details on why Moela will add so much purpose to any Botswana itinerary in 2025. https://www.thelandstravel.com/impact ❤️
A big thank you to the wonderful group pictured above who made our last educational trip so memorable!: Sandy Wood from Pulse Africa; Lise Carswell from Southern Destinations; Moses Chimedza from People and Places; Oli Jeannier from Tourisme Pour Tous and Pierre Burden from New African Safaris.
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