(8 rooms) Desert and Delta Safaris
Barely 2km west of North Gate, Tsaro Elephant Lodge (GPS:TSARO) is another of Moremi's old, established camps. For many years it was the sister-camp of Xugana until sold by Hartley's Safaris, though now it's run by Desert & Delta. It's still one of the very few remaining lodges with a solid construction of stone or brick and has an atmosphere and a slight quirkiness which befits its age.

Each of Tsaro's eight rooms are unique, having been developed and augmented over time. (Room number one usually counts as the honeymoon suite, and is regarded as the best!) All have a high, thatched roof covering a concrete veranda, on which there are usually a couple of easy chairs. These all look south over the Khwai River into Moremi. The river's about 80m away from the lodge, and before that there's an expanse of floodplain dotted with tall, grey termitaria and usually a sprinkling of lechwe and impala.

Inside each chalet you'll find polished concrete floors scattered with mats, a few dark, wooden armchairs, a simple wardrobe, a luggage rack and two single beds. In the en-suite bathroom there's a large shower (hot water heated by gas geyser), washbasin, mirror and flush toilet.

Up in the high thatched ceiling there's a strong fan which works on the lodge's own electric generator during the day. At night this is switched off and the camp is lit with a system of battery-powered lights. Tsaro's simple and pleasant but not luxurious.

Note Late in 2001 Tsaro unexpectedly closed. It had recently been substantially refurbished, and its closure was certainly a surprise to Desert & Delta. Apparently, the lease on the lodge's land had come up for renewal and renegotiation. Sadly, Desert & Delta were unable to reach an agreement with the local community over the terms and conditions of the new lease. We have left the information in here as we wait to see if Tsaro will reopen, or if it will simply fall into disrepair, and also if there will be similar difficulties in the future between the community and Khwai or Machaba.