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Go Inside Botswana’s Most Jaw-Dropping Hotel Suite

Building on its gallery-worthy collection of African art, Xigera Safari Lodge adds a wildly unique triplex to its offerings

By Jill Sieracki
Observation tower surrounded by metal tree sculpture and lush greenery under a blue sky with clouds.
The baobab treehouse at Xigera Safari Lodge. Photo: Courtesy of Xigera Safari Lodge

Notable for its bungalows with sweeping views of Botswana’s Okavango Delta, Xigera Safari Lodge also features a major collection of African art. Amassed in collaboration with South African gallery Southern Guild, it includes pieces by Porky Hefer, Atang Tshikare, and Andile Dyalvane, among others. 

Luxurious safari lodge bedroom with canopy bed, rustic decor, hat, and bag on bed, large window showing scenic view.
The main bedroom inside the Baobab Treehouse at Xigera Safari Lodge. Photo: Courtesy of Xigera Safari Lodge

Now the hotel’s latest installation raises the bar with an exceptional work of experiential art. A towering 33-foot-tall sculpture, inspired by an iconic 1946 artwork of a lone baobab tree by South African landscape painter Jacobus Hendrik Pierneef, houses a one-of-a-kind suite. “The Tollman family specifically wanted a tree house as a special destination experience for guests during their stay at Xigera,” says architect Anton De Kock of the founder, Beatrice Tollman, and her daughters, Victoria and Toni, who oversee the property. 

Outdoor wooden deck with a bed, surrounded by lanterns, overlooking a grassy landscape under a dramatic evening sky.
Look out over the Okavango Delta or sleep under the stars on the Baobab Treehouse roofdeck. Photo: Courtesy of Xigera Safari Lodge

The three-level accommodation—which can be accessed by glass-bottom boat through a floodplain and entered via a spiral staircase in the trunk—is filled with furnishings by Cape Town craftspeople, including John Vogel, Chuma Maweni, and Adam Birch. Canvas walls can completely open to the environment, offering 360-degree vistas of the UNESCO World Heritage site. A roof-deck provides a stunning perch to dine alfresco or fall asleep under the stars listening to the nightly symphony of lions, hyenas, and owls. 

See more images below. 

Treehouse resembling a baobab, set amid lush greenery and under a clear blue sky with scattered clouds.
The baobab treehouse at Xigera Safari Lodge. Photo: Courtesy of Xigera Safari Lodge
Luxurious bathroom with copper sinks, robes, towels, and a view of scenic landscape through a large window.
The main bath. Photo: Courtesy of Xigera Safari Lodge
Scenic sunset view from a wooden deck with unique tree-like structures and lanterns in a peaceful natural setting.
Photo: Courtesy of Xigera Safari Lodge
Tall, illuminated treehouse with unique design against a twilight sky, surrounded by sparse trees and greenery.
Photo: Courtesy of Xigera Safari Lodge
Cozy outdoor lounge with lanterns, cushions, and a scenic view under a cloudy sky.
Photo: Courtesy of Xigera Safari Lodge
Eccentric tree house illuminated at dusk with a palm tree nearby, surrounded by lush vegetation under a cloudy sky.
Photo: Courtesy of Xigera Safari Lodge
Lighthouse illuminated at night under a starry sky and Milky Way, surrounded by silhouetted trees and landscape.
Photo: Courtesy of Xigera Safari Lodge

A version of this article first appeared in print in our 2022 Summer Issue under the headline “New Heights.” Subscribe to the magazine.