A luxury safari lodge in Botswana's Okavango Delta

The story of Xigera Safari Lodge is one of renewal. Of rebirth and family legacy, and of the pioneering spirit that drives us to seek out Africa’s wild spaces. The same spirit that inspired this remarkable reimagining, perhaps a complete reinvention, of an Okavango Delta safari. This is Xigera (pronounced ‘kee-jera’), named for the Pied Kingfisher that makes its home amid the watery channels of Botswana’s Moremi Game Reserve. Every aspect is handcrafted to beguile our guests’ senses and stir their souls – from the evocative interiors to one-of-a-kind encounters. But Xigera is equally a line in the sand. A raising of the bar. A bold statement in the realm of luxury safaris in Botswana, and an Okavango Delta safari experience like no other.

Restoration & preservation

Since purchasing the iconic Ashford Castle in 2013, Red Carnation Hotels has invested substantially in a meticulous restoration and enhancement programme that has restored the castle to its former glory.

The age and scale of the castle presented unique challenges for the Tollman family, the architects, designers and the extensive team of local craftspeople, who together with local suppliers delivered a level of precision that ensured every detail was taken care of in a sympathetic manner – and with breathtaking results.

Foraging At Ashford Castle Philippe Farineau Executive Chef and Wolfhounds

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.

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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. We are also in possession of four beehives with an indigenous species of bee that enables us to produce our own honey whilst protecting the bee population.

Exterior of Ashford Castle hotel located in Ireland

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 the end of 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.