Eagle Island Lodge, a Belmond Safari

You can never go wrong with Belmond! Excellent service, stunning accommodation and delicious food. I’ve done many safaris and stayed at my fair share of lodges, this one is by far my favorite. Airstrip is just minutes away and only 15 minutes flight from Maun! The food options here are absolutely to die for. The culinary team here shines! The guides are by far some of the best in Botswana with a tonne of experience and an understanding of what a luxury guest is seeking. Shout out to Comic for his incredible storytelling approach to guiding - a true professional!

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!

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 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.

Andy from Sabi Sands African Travel Company organized us the most amazing trip! We went to all 3 Belmong Safari destinations: Khwai River Lodge, Eagle Island Lodge & Savuti Lodge! Thank you Andy for coordinating the all-inclusive trip, we appreciate your work! Eagle Island was absolutely beautiful - the patio/balcony overlooking the animals (we had impala, buffalo, giraffes & elephant stroll by our chalet! There is a beautiful outdoor shower, an indoor shower & luxurious bathtub! The decor at Eagle Island is phenomenal - every detail has been considered through from the fully stocked bar inside the chalet to the Belmond Safari water bottle one receives at arrival! Robert was our guide & he is a master tracker - he was phenomenal, he would tell us he heard lions roaring in the middle of the night in this direction & we would go there & he found 3 lioness & we surprisingly saw a hunt! We had such a great time with Robert who took very good care of us on our safari/game drives - we appreciate your work Robert - thank you! The food was delicious & high tea is not to be missed!

The staff was beyond special, they played bingo with my daughters, showed them about the animal, their culture and their country. The rooms are spectacular with a view that you would not want to leave. The game drives are what real safari's should be. You find an animal that you like and you can follow it or stay as long as you want. We also did the helicopter view of the Okabombo and was one of the highlights of our trip through Africa. The staff is beyond anything you could imagine. Also, our ranger, tracker and friend OT is a must if you are staying there we ended up saying he was the "original tracker" aka OT. He showed us more in a few days about animals and their habitat to come with more memories we could have hoped for. Also, Rachel for running a lodge in such a perfect manner, congratulations.

Welcomed with song, I immediately felt at home checking into this lovely lodge. The accommodations are Okavanga Delta luxury, the food and service first rate, the activities varied and most enjoyable, and the staff professional, kind and caring. A big shout out to managers Baker Sebe and Rachel who oversaw my visit with just the right amount of attention. My farewell dinner was enhanced by the lovely singing and great dancing by all the Eagle Island employees. I am planning to return with my husband in May of 2024 so we can both enjoy the “most romantic bar in Africa”!

Belmond Eagle Island Lodge is outstanding! Everyone was so friendly and welcoming. Baker is so very kind and inviting. I didn't feel well on arrival to the camp and Baker along with others checked on me and provided me with a tasty drink to settle my stomach. He even sent me on my way with ginger ale for the flight to our next stay at Belmond Savute Elephant Lodge, where I was greeted with a ginger ale on arrival! Thank you Baker for your care and concern! The Lodge is absolutely stunning! The location right on the floodplain is just magical. Sitting on the patio outside the room, you can see so many animals, elephants, antelope, Warthog (George) and listen to the Hippos, just to name a few. The rooms are fabulous as well! We loved the main lodge, dinning area and the sunset bar! I definitely understand how the bar has been ranked 5 times as the best sunset spot in the world! The food was fantastic as well! I can't say enough about OT! We did the river boat tour and were able to see so many amazing things! OT took us on a night game drive and Walking Safari- both were such different experiences that allowed us to see the camp in different ways. OT is so knowledgeable and his ability to see things and take in the surroundings is like a 6th sense. Thank you for an unforgettable experience! The Mokoro Canoe trip with Captain D. was such a great experience as well. Captain D was so informative. Being so close to the water and taking in all of the sights, sounds and smells really gives you another perspective. We had so much fun in our short time with Captain D. Thank you to EVERYONE at Belmond Eagle Island Lodge! We hope to see you again soon!