The perfect place to start or end your Botswana safari.
Maun
11
US$ 475 — US$ 665 per night
Year Round
Check availability online. Should you need more rooms than are showing available, contact your Africa Safari travel specialist or reservations@naturalselection.travel, so that we can look at provisional bookings (marked as PROV) and see if we can juggle things around.
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Thamo Telele is a safari lodge in Maun located within a 250-hectare private game reserve on the outskirts of the iconic safari town, the gateway to the Okavango Delta. This comfortable lodge sits in an enviable position bordering the Thamalakane River, offering a space for relaxation and tranquillity and is the ideal stop-over either side of any safari.
Set amongst a lush forest of old growth leadwood and acacia trees, each safari-style tent and thatched chalet is a little bush haven. The reserve is a wildlife sanctuary full of life and surrounded by habitats of river, riverine, woodland and dry savanna brimming with plains game and birdlife, including our herd of resident giraffe!
With our team of giraffe specialists at the lodge, we also offer a whole giraffe experience. You'll get to interact with these beautiful animals, learn how to identify them and find out why giraffe conservation is so important to their survival. In fact, the lodge was even named after our littlest giraffe born in 2021. Surprisingly tall from birth she was soon called Thamo Telele, meaning ‘long neck’ in Setswana, and she captured our hearts in such a profound way that when we opened the lodge we decided to name it after her.
At Thamo Telele we aim to make a difference by supporting giraffe conservation and programmes designed to better lives in the community. Your stay at the lodge helps make this happen.
The tranquil Thamo Telele lodge is located on the outskirts of Maun, only a 30-minute drive or 5-minute helicopter flight from Maun Airport with transfers to and from the lodge daily.
The 250-hectare Thamo Telele Private Reserve is bordered by the Thamalakane River which supports an abundance of bird, plant life and wildlife.
Thamo Telele is open all year round, and with our resident giraffe, plains game and abundant bird life there is something to see throughout the year. The best time to visit is during the dry winter months from May to October. This is an ideal time for wildlife viewing and outdoor activities.
We not only support giraffe conservation but also Lorato House Rescue Centre in Maun. This emergency rescue centre places orphans and vulnerable children in a place of safety and nurture.
Set amongst a forest of leadwood and acacia trees, Thamo Telele offers peace and comfort in total privacy. There are 9 private safari-style guest tents (with ensuite bathrooms, bath & outdoor shower) and 2 thatched double chalets (with king size canopy bed, ensuite bathrooms, large bath & outside shower).
The chalets are private, the beds covered in soft white linen and wrapped in flowing netting and topped with plump fluffy pillows. Each air-conditioned chalet is stylishly furnished with pops of bright colour. The en-suite comes with a large bath, his and hers basins and panoramic views of the forest beyond.
The 9 guest tents are on raised wooden platforms with hardwood floors, and the twin beds have air-conditioning above the bed. The colours are light and bright with a canopy of trees for privacy and nature as your backdrop.
There is an awesome, and we mean awesome, lap pool for you to swim in, train in, or laze in. No judgment here! Simply enjoy a little sundeck and solitude. You can grab a sundowner from the main lounge and bar area, where you’ll find comfy couches and locally designed wall art. Saunter outside to sip and sit on the wooden deck, enjoying total tranquillity under the trees.
A candle lit dinner will be served underneath a canopy of stars, on this expansive deck. Relax and unwind knowing that the Okavango Delta is right on your door step.
There have been over 300 species of birds spotted here. This is a great place for bush birds like warblers, owls (pearl spotted and white faced) and is the only place in Maun where you’ll see oxpeckers.
Set amongst a lush forest of leadwood and acacia trees, Thamo Telele, is the perfect hideaway for guests needing to spend a few nights close to Maun. Set in a 250-hectare private reserve on the banks of the Thamalakane river, an area packed with plains game, ideal habitats of river, riverine and dry savannah. A hot spot for bird lovers and wildlife enthusiasts – you’ll be spoilt for choice when it comes to all you can see and do here.
Get access to a range of experiences that can be enjoyed during your stay
When you visit, you will be directly supporting the following Natural Selection conservation initatives:
Thamo Telele, previously known as Royal Tree Lodge, is now managed by Natural Selection. During the period of refurbishment in late 2021 a female giraffe was born on the reserve. She was very tall at birth and was soon called Thamo Telele which means ‘long neck’ in Setswana. As we observed her grow day-by-day, Thamo Telele captured our hearts in such a profound way, that we decided to rename our ‘new’ lodge after her.
Jerry and Jana Lackey are the stewards of Thamo Telele Private Reserve. They came to Botswana in 1986 to pursue their calling and founded the Love Botswana Outreach Mission. This organisation has grown tremendously in scope and reach, launching over 30 life-changing programs, creating jobs and sustainable programs designed to better lives in the community and the Ngamiland and Okavango districts of Botswana, becoming one of the largest non-profits in the country.
Thamo Telele Private Reserve is a sustainability partner for the work of Love Botswana.
