Xaro Lodge Restaurant — African / International, Maun
Xaro Lodge sits on an island in the Okavango Delta — the world's largest inland delta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the setting for some of Africa's most extraordinary wildlife viewing. Access is by mokoro (dugout canoe) or light aircraft; the commitment required to reach it is the point.
The kitchen operates on a fully-inclusive basis, producing three meals daily for a maximum of twelve guests from a supply chain that arrives by boat and light aircraft. The food is considerably better than the logistics should allow: kudu carpaccio, slow-braised warthog belly, Botswana beef with chimichurri from the island garden.
The dinner experience — eaten at a long table under a leadwood tree, with hurricane lanterns providing the only illumination and the delta's wildlife sounds as the soundtrack — is among Africa's most extraordinary dining experiences. The hippos in the channel below the island provide the bass line.
Breakfast at dawn, taken as the mist lifts from the delta and the birds begin, is one of those meals that become a reference point for everything that comes after. The food is straightforward; the context makes it unforgettable.
Best Occasion: Perfect for Proposals
A private island in the Okavango Delta, dinner under the stars, and the sound of hippos as the only other presence. The most remote and most romantic proposal setting in southern Africa.
Best Occasion: Best for Impressing Clients
Mokoro transfer to a private island in a UNESCO World Heritage wetland. There is no more impressive client experience available in Botswana.