Reconstruction and refurbishment is in full swing at andBeyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge as part of a planned investment of ZAR 230 million in a number of safari camps and lodges owned by experiential travel company andBeyond. Reopening in September, andBeyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge will be completely remodelled, with design and modernism carefully integrated with nature at its very core.
Twelve new suites will include one ‘family unit’ made up of two interconnecting suites, which will cater for families and small groups. The addition of three more suites is planned thereafter, completing the entire rebuild and making Sandibe one of the most architecturally impressive lodges in the Delta.
andBeyond Sandibe’s brand new look is inspired directly by nature. The weaver-bird’s nest building habits and the pangolin’s body armour of folded plates or scales have been the inspiration for the new building structure. Using organic materials such as wood to execute the structural design and installing the latest in alternative energy sources, the building work continues in line with andBeyond’s core ethos of Care of the Land, Care of the Wildlife, Care of the People.
Joss Kent, andBeyond CEO states: “The innovative design of andBeyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge is driven by nature and reflects the sustainable footprint of the lodge while remaining warm and intimate”.
The new suites, serene and organic in style, will be raised among the trees, gazing out onto the winding channels and lush floodplains of the Delta. Boasting private plunge pool. The nest-like suites will be uncluttered and elegant, becoming private cocoons at night with fireplaces providing warmth and light in the winter. The interiors will celebrate the very best of Botswana craft, with natural rusty tones, copper-clad mekoro, sculpted wooden tables and intricate baskets.
