Moela Safari Lodge review
Moela Safari Lodge
Moela Safari Lodge by the Lands Travel was one of the highlights of our road trip across Africa and after travelling in rooftop tents, we were certainly ready for a bit of luxury and that is exactly what we got. It is an all inclusive safari lodge where you don’t have to plan, cook or anything.. Your job, just relax and enjoy.
But it wasn’t the amazing rooms, property, food or even the animals that made this an incredible experience, it was having a local guide, assigned just to us who just enhanced every experience.
We are independent travellers and happy to forge our own way to find and experience things, but there is only so much knowledge, books and signs to read to gather information about a place.
When you have a local guide who can answer the children’s obscure questions and bring out interesting facts you wouldn’t even have thought of to ask… you come back with such a rich grounding experience that really connects you to the place.
Article Table of Contents
- Where is Moela Safari Lodge Botswana
- A Day on Safari with Kids
- The most incredible location
- Moela Safari Family Suite
- Food on an African Safari
- About the Lodge: Pool and Facilities
- Human-Wildlife Conflict
- Planning a Safari in Botswana
Where is Moela Safari Lodge?
You’ll find Moela Safari Lodge overlooking the Boteti River on the outskirts of the Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana. It’s about 2.5 hours drive from Maun, the gateway to the Okavango Delta and you’ll be glad to know that the roads are all tarseal until the last 10km “driveway”.
It’s easy to self drive, but Moela also offer a pickup and drop off service including a packed lunch which makes it super easy if you don’t have your own vehicle.
I’d definitely class it as off the beaten track as not many people who head in this direction, but not far enough that it’s too far or hard to get to.
A lot of people will visit Chobe National Park and the Okavango Delta which also have incredible wildlife, but this eight room lodge meant we felt like the whole experience was exclusive and private just for us. And the wildlife you ask? Right on the doorstep.
A day on safari with kids
One of the main reasons for visiting Moela Safari Lodge with kids is for the safari experience and our kids, 6, 9 and 11 absolutely loved it. There is a minimum age limit of 6 years old for the game drives so do plan accordingly.
Our private guide Dabe took us out for morning and evening safaris in a private vehicle, which only seats 7 and we explored the Boteti River and Makgadigadi Pans.
The 4×4 safari vehicles were by far the most comfortable we had on any of the game drives and while you’re probably thinking, a car is a car, as we learned, this was an elevated experience.
While the wheelbase could take 9 passengers in the back, each middle seat was replaced with a storage area for your drinks, cameras, phones and jackets. This meant for me, a few spare lenses right on tap.
The armrests had a soft covering meaning you rest your elbows, which on a bumpy ride (which they all are by the way) it’s much safer and comfortable for the kids (and us of course)
There’s even a footrest for adults as the high seats means you probably can’t touch the floor. Again, not something I would have raved about but after taking another game drive, I realised I was bouncing all over the seat as I had nowhere to brace myself.
There was good shade too which is important for families and makes hot days far more bearable.
Here are two examples of a day on Safari with kids. It’s worth noting that Moela were very flexible to our needs. If we wanted to sleep in, we could, or eat before we go, or just stay in all afternoon. Whatever we wanted was easy to cater for, so if your kids aren’t good with long drives for example, you can just adjust.
Day 1:
- 7.00am Cooked Breakfast
- 7.45am Walk with the San Bushman and vehicle safari
- 11.00am Free time at the Lodge: Read, swim, waterhole viewing
- 12.30pm Lunch
- 1.00pm Free time
- 4.00pm Afternoon tea
- 4.30pm Sunset Safari and Sundowners
- 7.00pm Dinner
- 8.00pm Bedtime
Day Two:
- 5.00am Wake Up
- 5.30am Sunrise Safari on the Boteti River (aka right out the front door)
- Then drive to the Makgadikgadi Pans official gate entrance to spend the morning in the park
- 8.30am Continental Breakfast on the truck
- 9.00am Continue game drive in the park
- 12.00pm Surprise lunch on the concession
- 1.00pm Back to the lodge for a swim and a nap
- 3.30pm Afternoon tea
- 4.00pm Sunset game drive and Sundowners
- 7.00pm Dinner
- 8.30pm Bedtime
Every wildlife experience is so different and what we saw on one sunset game drive, was completely different to the next day. We found the sunset game drives to be the best time to see all the animals as all of our morning experiences were a little sparse. However this can change due to weather, season and just luck.
The location is the star for Moela Safari Lodge
One reason you will love this spot is that the lodge sits right above the Boteti River. We visited in April, which is really the end of the rainy season and there were numerous waterholes along the cliffside.
Everyday while we were there between 12-3pm, there were tons of elephants drinking, playing and throwing mud around in these waterholes and we could see it up so close. Honestly, this was one of my most favourite things.
But beyond that, its the partnership with the local community which gives Moela a private concession to explore a stretch of this land and Boteti River that no other operator has access to.
A private concession means you can go off track and a little closer to the animals which is great if they are hanging out way back from the paths. Closer, but not in a way that changes any of the animals behaviour. The guides were amazing at staying out of the way and really looking after the animals welfare, but also providing you a good view to see them.
Family Suite: Moela Safari Lodge is good for big families
If you have a family of more than four people, I’m sure you’ll know the pain of finding good accommodation that you don’t end up paying for, just for the extra child or two that doesn’t fit.
Well, Moela have you covered as their family suite can sleep up to 6 people. All under one roof, but with two wings, everyone had their own space. Our huge big king bed was on one side with our own ensuite. Separated by the lounge space, we then had the kids wing which consisted of two “rooms” with 2 singles in one space, separated by a half way where there was a set of bunks.
There are few hotel options that ever give your kids a single bed each, so for that, Moela, thank you!
Every suite has its own viewing deck and we could see elephants and zebras about 30 steps from our room. This was one of my favourite features and you could just have some good family time sitting on the day bed here.
A few fun facts about the suites and building Moela Lodge
- The thatched roof is authentic and really helps to keep the room cool
- Each suite was designed by a different family from the local village. They were given the dimensions but the design was completely up to them
- 25,000 bricks were used to build the lodge, all handmade by the women in the village
- The rooms have an indoor/outdoor feeling as the walls and roof don’t actually meet. Mosquito netting is used to keep out the bug in the gaps, but it still feels a bit like you are outdoors.
A few nice extras
- Laundry was included but they asked you to do your own underwear so washing powder was provided for this
- Fans were included if the evenings were warm
- Loved having a light robe option
- Plenty of power points to charge your devices
- Coffee, tea and rusks were provided in your room and thermos’s of hot water was ready for you at night
- Reusable drink bottles were available for you to use for your stay
The Food: What we ate on safari at Moela Safari Lodge Botswana
All meals are provided at Moela and even when we arrived a bit early, at midday ahead of check in, they still fed us a lovely lunch which just set off the tone of being so well looked after the whole trip.
Here are a few of the things we ate to give you an idea of the types of food to expect on safari
Breakfast: A mixture of continental and a cooked option for breakfast. We had cereals, fruit and yoghurt with your own made to order egg options from the head chef. Toast was brought to the table and there was a selection of juice and hot drinks.
Lunch: I think lunch was my favourite meal with fresh homemade breads, salad, cheese crackers and a main dish such as a frittata or spaghetti bolognaise.
Afternoon tea: A small sweet and savoury option with juice, iced tea and hot drinks (the banana bread was excellent)
Dinner: Dinners were a simple three course meal consisting of a soup, a help yourself main course and a dessert. This was probably my least favourite meal across the board as although it was advertised as a buffet meal, there weren’t as many options as the buffet may have you think.
The main usually consisted of a meat dish, potato or rice, a hot vegetable option and help yourself salads. There was enough food, but just not as many options that the kids liked. The kids aren’t super fussy, but it may have been a combo of tiredness too at the end of the day. Moela did ask if we had any dietary or food requests which we didn’t, so I definitely think they would cater to that.
Overall I’d give the food a solid 7.5/10. It was good, hearty, but if you are expecting fine dining or something super luxurious, this might not be the spot for you.
About the Lodge: Facilities and Extras
The Pool: Moela Safari Lodge has a big jelly bean shaped pool basically overlooking the Boteti River. I could sit and watch the kids swim and turn around and see the elephants drinking from the waterhole. That’s actually pretty cool.
Towels and even straw hats were provided at the pool and there was plenty of space to lounge and relax here.
Library: You’ll also find a good library with many reading books and reference books about Botswana, animals and even a section for kids
Spa: We didn’t use the spa but you can have massages and facial treatments right on site. They have options for an indoor setting or right out on the deck
The Human Wildlife conflict and Moela’s role in pioneering a partnership solution
One of the nice things about having a personal guide is the ability to chat about the deeper issues and find more behind the scenes about Botswana.
We learnt a lot about the human wildlife conflict that is common not only in Botswana but in other parts of Africa as well. While there are many complex political and social issues at play here, I’ll try and explain it simply, like I did to the children.
As privileged visitors to the region, we actively seek out wildlife, we bask in the sunset with drinks on hand, aweing at the majesty of these animals. Somewhat naively we say, “how could anyone want to harm these beautiful creatures, of course conservation is the answer”
However wildlife do what they instinctively do, seek out other animals to hunt and crops to eat. This means that local farmers who are raising their own cattle and growing their yearly crops of food and having their farms decimated by lions who hunt their cows and elephants who trample their crops. Their livelihoods are being ruined by the animals and when they have to choose between feeding their families, or shooting a lion on their property, it’s somewhat understandable that they choose their families.
Moela Safari Lodge have been clever with the setup of their lodge, partnering with the local village to have a private concession on the land and employing and upskilling local people. It’s not just about making a viable business for them, it’s about working together to not only improve the lives of the villagers who own this land, but getting the buy in that tourism and conservation can be good for everyone.
Instead of poachers getting a quick fix on what they can hunt to sell, the hope is to provide good employment so families won’t feel the pressure to make a quick buck. That’s the hope anyway.
Botswana as a whole runs a low volume, high cost model for tourism. So the quality over quantity focus helps to focus the efforts in a small sustainable way. Many of the local villages are starting to understand the value of tourism, creating jobs and wealth so they can feed their families, while also preserving the livelihood of these amazing animals.
More investment in lodges such as this will also enable more infrastructure including decent fencing between the parks and local land, protecting the villagers from unwanted visitors. Moela are hoping they can set a good example of what a sustainable community partnership can look like, with the hope to replicate this.
Planning a safari in Botswana
When is the best time to do a Botswana safari?
Dry season is the most popular time to go on a safari in Africa. At this time you’ll be able to find multiple species of wildlife all drinking around waterholes, their absolute lifeline. Dry Season on the Boteti River is between June and November.
We visited in April and there was still wonderful viewing here and we were not disappointed
What is the weather like at Moela Safari Lodge
In April when we visited, the days were around 30C and about 15C in the evenings which was very pleasant. In the safari vehicles the heat wasn’t too bad as you got a good breeze from driving, but poolside in the middle of the day it was quite hot. The pool was very cool and refreshing.
In winter, Moela says the temperatures can range from 5C lows to 35C highs. In summer, the temperatures can reach highs of 40C and around 20C in the evenings. Moela Safari Lodge at just over 1000m of elevation and there is around 500mm of rainfall each year
How to get to Moela Safari Lodge?
By road: We drove across from Namibia via the main city centre of Maun. It’s about a 2.5 hour drive from Maun on pretty good roads. If you were driving down from Chobe National Park, another popular stop in Botswana, the main roads down from here are also good.
By air: You can fly into Maun International Airport and the team at Moela can collect you from the airport.
Jennifer
Founder of Backyard Travel Family
Jen is a super organiser when it comes to travel. Having travelled extensively in Europe and Africa, has lived in London and the USA and holidayed in many parts of Asia, she is not a newbie to the travel space
Jen has three young children, 11 and under and travels around New Zealand with them.
