Eagle Island Lodge, A Belmond Safari, Botswana

We enjoyed our 3-day stay at the Eagle Island Lodge, although we had a few minor issues that made it less than perfect. EIL has its own dirt airstrip that’s about 300 yards/meters from the lodge itself. When our plane landed to drop us off, there was nobody there to meet us. The airplane crew can’t leave us there on our own in big game territory, so we had to wait about 10 minutes until a vehicle finally drove out to meet us. The location and setting of EIL is perfect. We were there in the dry season, but one of the few flowing rivers was close by, so from our deck we saw many large animals walking along the river. Elephants, vervet monkeys, and baboons regularly walked right up to our cabin, and some animals drank from the plunge pool on our deck. The size and layout of our room was nice, but in some ways it was a bit dated. Our AC system was marginal at best and could not overcome the outdoor heat. Even though the hotel staff left it set at 18°C (~64°F), the temperature would get to 27-28°C (~81°F) in the day, and about 24°C (75°F) by morning after running all night. The staff did offer to move us to another room, but by then we only had one night left, so we declined. Although we never saw a mosquito, there were a few small bugs or beetles that occasionally got into our bed, despite the fact that our bed was surrounded by mosquito netting. On our last morning, I noticed a small crack, maybe 6mm or ¼” wide, between the floorboards and inside boundary of the netting. Not a big deal, but staff should have noticed that and fixed it. The staff tries very hard, maybe too hard, to do everything for you. We had very limited time for a quick bite before the morning game drives, and it would have been nice to have self-serve coffee and maybe some pastry or fruit set out for the taking. Instead, we ended up waiting a few minutes for a server to come to the table, we’d order a coffee and a croissant or something similar. Several minutes later they would bring out our coffee and a few minutes after that a big plate of fruit and pastry, most of which went to waste. By the time we were served, it was time to go. While they wanted to give us a full-service experience, what we needed was a “grab and go” option. Lunch and dinner were fine since we were never in a rush. Our very best game drive was at EIL, in that we got to see a mating pair of lions collaborate to stalk, kill, and devour a warthog, all of which we got it all on video. The images are amazing, although a bit gruesome. Our driver was taking a lot of his own pictures however, so the audio picked up his non-stop camera clicks.

A very special retreat! Truly once in a lifetime experience and we are so glad we chose Belmond! Stunning property location, gorgeous room and decor. Very quiet, and air conditioned. The staff could not have been more accommodating and lovely.Gomes was our game drive guide and he had all the answers to our questions and found us everything we always had dreamed of seeing. Elephants were all over the back of the property. Chief was very helpful, and Natalie our cleaning lady did a wonderful job twice a day. We loved the afternoon tea before our afternoon game drive. We highly recommend this property!

Our experience at Eagles Nest was terrific. The staff was wonderful, anticipating our needs. The property is beautiful and very well maintained. Our guide was always able to answer any questions we had about the animals . He went beyond what was necessary to ensure that our safari was enjoyable . I would highly recommend Eagle Island Lodge.

We were lucky enough to score a set of rooms at Belmond Eagle Island Lodge and had a wonderful stay. The property offers spectacular wild life sightings in a beautiful setting including the resident warthog George. Our guide candy was perfect and a highlight was visiting the local village and spending time with the local people. The lodge itself is quite chic with beautiful rooms which are modern, set up smartly and quite large. The staff is very special and go out of their way to give you whatever you desire. Lee and Dums run a fantastic kitchen offering multiple delicious selections with each meal. Magda, Mary, Fortune and Ratiis a kind are servers who make each meal a delight. Gee runs the bar and makes a terrific old fashioned. The show is run by Baker whose sense of humor is priceless and attention to detail remarkable. A big tusker visited our room area every night shaking a palm tree for fruit. It was pretty cool and even George was scared!

Our safari tour company, Abercrombie and Kent, booked this camp for us. The camp is beautiful and staff welcoming and kind. Each meal was specially prepared to be nutritious and delicious. We really enjoyed the game drives with DK. Her female energy was welcome after travelling with men all week. DK's calm kept the lid-on-the-pot even with a stampede headed our way and lions in the camp at night. Game drives highlighted with watching wild dogs hunt and lions stalk their prey. The rooms were beautiful and the turn-down service included lighting which highlighted the sculptured wall behind the bed - so beautiful and romantic! Although we enjoyed the last meal in our tent hyenas tried to get in and when they couldn't they tore up the cushions on our deck! This was the last stay on our 10-day safari and this camp took all the pressures off with air conditioning, private plunge pool, serene room (except for night with hyenas on the deck!) and kind and attentive staff. The highlight meal was a safari lunch complete with chef in whites, a full bar and fantastic food set up with white tablecloths in the shade of a big tree - magnificent!