Keeping The Best for Last – Shametu River Lodge and Spa.

May 12, 2022 Posted in Review / Travel / The Honey Badger Diaries

Camping on the Kavango River. We were nearing the end of our holiday when we decided to spoil ourselves with a few days of Glamping. Yes, we were going Glamping! We'd laze by the pool and birdwatch while loeries built a nest in a palm tree on the deck overlooking the river, where boats plying the waters were out to try their luck at tiger fishing. (Remember to bring insect repellent, sun protection, and comfortable walking shoes for outdoor activities!)

---oOo---

Experience genuine Namibian hospitality at Shametu River Lodge, where every guest is warmly welcomed, fostering a sense of belonging and comfort.
Fact: At Shametu River Lodge, you arrive as guests and leave as friends.

Shametu River Lodge offers luxurious solitude on the edge of the Kavango River, with stunning views of the Popa Falls, inviting you to unwind and feel truly pampered.
Fact: The lodge is halfway between the major hot spots of Southern Africa, the Okavango Delta and the Victoria Falls, making it an ideal stopover to unwind during your journey.

(Check local transport options, road conditions, and available transfers to ensure smooth travel.)

There are three things I love doing while on safari (holidays)

Prepare delicious meals using the best ingredients available. That doesn’t mean it has to be exotic, just fresh and seasonal. The cherry on top would undoubtedly be foraging for my dinner.
Game drives with my beloved and Butch! That’s a joke. My camera comes second to my dove.
Spa treatments. Oh, nothing beats a good massage, pedicure, manicure or facial. I can’t go regularly, but when I do, I can indulge; there’s no stopping me.

These three things are for my body, mind and soul, and I achieved all three at Shametu.

---oOo---

Butch and I had popped into the lodge during one of our bike rides. When I spotted the vegetable garden on the way out, I was reminded of our Farm Stay in Tuscany a few years earlier. We were permitted to pick vegetables, herbs, and saladings from the garden. With the vegetables, flowers, and herb garden in mind, I was determined to spend a few nights at Shametu.

Every morning before lunch, I’d take my colander and secateurs (I keep them in the truck. They’re handy tools, believe me!) and pick lettuce, tomatoes, and the crunchiest sweet bell peppers. I’d pull onions, smell and pick herbs. My tussi mussi would garnish salads and brighten our table. We’d pick mangoes for dessert from the fruit trees. I’d slice the lemon and add a sprig of mint to lift my drink and add extra zing. My bushel would get a once-over and be priced at reception.

During the thunderstorm, we made a reservation at the open-air dining room, which was very special. We could mingle and enjoy the company of other guests.

During the day, we’d go for our usual cycle; we’d relax at the pool overlooking the river, lazing on deck chairs with our books. A walk through the lush sub-tropical gardens is a must. The young warthog, adopted by the Labbie, stole our hearts and became her constant companion and guard dog.

---oOo---

The treatment I received at the Spa was all the proof I needed that guests’ needs are always met. The therapist, on her last day before relocating to Windhoek, agreed to come in the following day, as a favour, to provide my treatments. (Booking is recommended to secure your preferred treatments and times.)

I left the Spa feeling relaxed, refreshed and revitalised. We were ready for our next adventure, with beautifully manicured feet, arched eyebrows, and not a single grey hair in sight. My back and shoulders were pummelled and kneaded as I drifted on an essential oil-infused cloud of tranquillity. I was rearing to go!

---oOo---

Butch rarely gets the chance to enjoy a guided game drive, so we decided it was time to spoil him and booked a game drive to Bwabwata National Park.

Bwabwata was established to restore local wildlife and has a rich conservation history, inspiring awe and respect for the region's dedicated efforts to protect nature.

Bwabwata includes several zones: the Divundu area, the West Caprivi Triangle, the Mahango Game Reserve, Popa Falls, the former West Caprivi Game Reserve, and the Kwando Core Area. The Mahango Game Reserve currently has the largest concentrations of wildlife, while carnivore repopulation is taking off in the Kwando Core Area.

The West Caprivi Triangle, the wedge bounded to the north by Angola, to the south by Botswana and to the east by the Kwando River, was once the wealthiest wildlife area in the Caprivi. Poaching, bush clearing, burning and human settlement have significantly reduced wildlife. However, you can still access the area via the road along the western bank of the Kwando River near Kongola.

Finally, the Golden Highway between Rundu and Katima Mulilo traverses the former West Caprivi Game Reserve. Although this was once a haven for large herds of elephants, it served as a pantry for local hunters and poachers for a long time. But this zone is becoming an essential corridor for wildlife from northern Botswana and the Caprivi Strip, and for the hitherto-threatened wildlife of south-eastern Angola. Taken from Lonely Planet.

Our guide was very knowledgeable and could relate much of the history and animal lore to us. We stopped for a picnic and tried to spot a lion in the distance; his trained eyes far outstripped ours.

During the day, most animals come down to the floodplains to graze or drink from the river. The road hugging the riverbank is where it’s all happening and a favourite game-viewing area. There are no campsites within the park at this stage, but this is where I’d love to set up my camp, a reminder of our wild camping at the Khwai Community camp in Botswana.

Situated within the park and largely ignored is a deserted army camp, once occupied by the South African forces during the apartheid years. Overgrown creepers, roots and trees choke the skeletal barracks. I loved the fact that cacti now stand sentinel while wild animals roam freely. This “gravesite” is a poignant reminder that nature, in all its glory, will, if left untouched, reclaim man’s destructive efforts, and the scarred earth will heal.

---oOo---

Our large, park-like campsite was secluded and enclosed. We enjoyed private ablutions and a scullery area. We dined and relaxed under large, ancient Indigenous trees, picking a mango or two from the laden trees. The early bird catches the worm, and every morning we’d hear the Robin chats and the many other species flitting from tree to tree.

We met one of the lodge owners, a lovely lady, who did everything she could to make our stay memorable. She is a dedicated member of the team and an enthusiastic gardener. I would look forward to seeing her on a path, and we’d stop to chat before carrying on.

Yes, one arrives as a stranger and leaves as a friend. I recommend Shemetu for a memorable stay among like-minded people—another destination I’d like to revisit if the opportunity arises.