Unique. Authentic. Pioneering.
A bold reinvention of the African safari experience.
This is Xigera Safari Lodge.
Out of the ordinary
Xigera Safari Lodge is deeply rooted in the Okavango Delta, a breathtaking landscape of seasonal floodplains and riverine forests, tawny grasslands and verdant papyrus wetlands. Drawing inspiration from its ancient setting, Xigera rests effortlessly within the wilderness of this World Heritage Site.
All but hidden amid a canopy of magnificent indigenous trees, Xigera Safari Lodge offers 12 spacious suites; each individually designed to offer a unique experience of the Okavango. For multi-generational safari travellers, there is the impressive two-bedroom Family Suite, located on two islands and bridged together with an extraordinary bronze lily centrepiece, the emblem of Xigera.
Built with sustainability in mind – Xigera is 95% solar-powered – the lodge is equally a unique celebration of African art, culture and creativity: a living gallery of African talent.
Xigera showcases an extraordinary collection of pan-African art and design, created by a roster of 76 of Africa’s most globally acclaimed designers. It is a collection that is bold in vision and groundbreaking in its scope, the first of its kind on the continent.
Looking to the future...
The community surrounding the Ashford Estate is an integral part of our history, with continuous fundraising efforts to support local organisations, volunteer days spent with local charities and partnering with a charity of the year to support them. As we look to the future and the continuation of our sustainability journey, we are working alongside our local community of Cong with the aim of becoming Ireland’s very first green destination.
Together with The TreadRight Foundation, we strive to #MakeTravelMatter.
MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences
We are honoured to have been selected to host a MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences, which directly advance the United Nations Global Goals.
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Nature & nurture
We work to preserve the biodiversity and natural habitats on the Estate with the introduction of a bug hotel in our gardens and bat boxes throughout the Estate, to protect dwindling species of bats. We also collaborate with a local tree surgeon to develop a manageable action plan to care for our vast tree population. We are proud to grow our own produce in our polytunnels and forage for seasonal ingredients across the Estate, thus reducing food miles. In the future, the addition of four beehives with an indigenous species of bee will allow us to produce our own honey while protecting the bee population.
Beyond Green
We have joined with Beyond Green – a global portfolio of hotels, resorts, and lodges that exemplify sustainable leadership – as a founding member.
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Renewable resources
We are continuing our efforts to phase out single-use plastics by 2022 - so far we have saved 57,000 bottles from landfill - and reducing our food waste in partnership with Winnow. We have also introduced a system called Accuvio to allow us to monitor our energy consumption, waste generation and water use. We harvest our rainwater to use across the Estate and have introduced renewable sources of energy.
Our projects & progress
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The perfect picnic for a zero-waste lifestyle
As dining al fresco often creates lots of waste, here's how to plan an environmentally friendly picnic.
MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® is a registered trademark of the TreadRight Foundation.