&Beyond Renovations – Sandibe and Benguerra

&Beyond Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge, Botswana

The weaver bird’s charming nest-building habits and the elusive pangolin’s body armour of scales are the inspiration for the new building structure. Organic materials such as wood have been used for the major structural design.

• The redesign of the lodge is significantly reducing &Beyond’s already light carbon footprint in the Okavango Delta, with over 500 truckloads of cement removed by the time the lodge reopens.
• As much material as possible has been re-used, as an example the old upright poles have been converted into beautiful wooden furniture for the new lodge.
• The lodge’s combined solar electricity and solar hot water system will produce more than 200 000 kilowatt hours of energy per year, saving 67 000 litres (17 700 gallons) of diesel per annum, which translates into a saving of 180 tons of CO².

&Beyond Benguerra Island, Mozambique

The soft refurbishment planned for May has been postponed until October 2014, when the entire lodge will be closed for a comprehensive refurbishment, reopening on 1 April 2015. &Beyond’s reservations team will make contact with travel partners whose bookings have been affected.

• With food at the heart of the lodge experience, the lodge’s menus have already been reinvented to celebrate local produce and shared dining, with particular focus on picnics.
• The lodge receives a new vehicle for island drives and community trips in June 2014.
• Air conditioning will be replaced or installed in all the accommodation types.
• Bathrooms will be reconfigured and refreshed, while the furniture will be replaced. The overall feel will be light, airy and in tune with the tropical island setting.
• The interiors of the existing casitas will be completely revamped to create a totally new experience for our guests.
• The existing cabanas will be widened and the beds repositioned to make the most of the spectacular ocean views.
• The family suite will be entirely redone, featuring a master suite flanked by two adjoining rooms. The suite, which will be sold as a stand-alone or interleading suite, will accommodate up to six guests.
• The private decks will also be reconfigured, plunge pools replaced and new furniture installed.
• The lodge’s guest areas are being comprehensively refurbished, with the guest entrance changed and the current bar transformed into a lounge and dining area.
• The activity centre will feature an updated look, with the addition of changing rooms for divers.
• The lodge’s boats will receive attention, with the Stiletto, a double-hull catamaran used for snorkelling trips for up to fifteen people, being completely overhauled, including fresh fibreglass and a brand new engine. The lodge’s current dhow, the Flamingo, which is used for snorkelling trips for large groups, will receive a soft refurbishment and continue to be chartered for sunset cruises. In addition, two new boats have been purchased, a rubber duck and a dhow, which will be earmarked for diving trips.