Cheapest: camp or take a dorm bed. A dorm bed at Bananyana Backpackers Camp in Kazungula was listed at USD 15 per person per night on 23 October 2026. Mid-range and upscale: Chobe Safari Lodge and Chobe Bush Lodge sit on the river in Kasane, and Cresta Mowana is an upscale riverside resort. None of the three publishes nightly rates on its own site, so ask for a written quote for your dates. Cheaper still, and outside town: Lorato in Muchenje is $20 per person per night booked direct, with hire tents at $55, and you drive in to Chobe from the Ngoma Gate.
Key facts
- Chobe Safari Lodge (Kasane): 32 Safari Rooms, 20 River Rooms and 8 Classic Rondavels, plus a riverfront campsite of 23 stands with power points. Chobe Bush Lodge next door has 38 en-suite rooms and 4 family rooms. About ten minutes' drive from Kasane airport and the park entrance (its own website). No rates published.
- Cresta Mowana Safari Resort and Spa: on the Chobe River, with Standard, Luxury and Suite rooms, a pool, gym, spa and a 9-hole golf course (its own website). No rates published.
- Bananyana Backpackers Camp (Kazungula): dorm beds USD 15 per person per night, private rooms USD 25 per room, camping space for self-drive travellers, a free-to-use self-catering kitchen (Hostelworld listing, checked 23 October 2026).
- Kazungula is about 8 km east of Kasane. Kasane has banks with ATMs and a Spar supermarket (Wikipedia).
- Lorato: Muchenje, Chobe District. 7 pitches with solar power, 7 hire tents at $55 including the camping fee, $20 per person per night direct, children 0 to 12 half price.
- Not quoted: we found no reliable current rates for mid-range hotels and upscale lodges, so none are given. Aggregator averages are snapshots of unknown date and we did not use them.
Four tiers of places to stay in Kasane
Almost every option around Kasane falls into one of four groups. Price bands are described in words, because we could not confirm current rates for most properties from their own websites. Where we have a dated figure, we give it.
| Tier | What you get | Suits | What we could confirm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Camping and hire tents | A pitch, shared ablutions, often power | Self-drivers with kit, or who hire a tent | Site facts; one dated price at Lorato ($20 per person) |
| Backpackers and guesthouses | Dorm beds, twin or private rooms, shared kitchen | Solo travellers and couples on a budget | Bananyana: USD 15 dorm bed, checked 23 October 2026 |
| Mid-range hotels and lodges | Private en-suite room, pool, restaurant | Couples and families who want a bed and a bar | Room types and facilities; no published rates |
| Upscale lodges | River views, spa, guided activities | Short, comfortable trips | Room types and facilities; no published rates |
Rates change with the season. High season at Lorato is April to October. Ask each operator for a written quote for your dates.
Camping and hire tents
The riverfront campsite at Chobe Safari Lodge has 23 stands, each with a power point, according to the lodge's own site. Big Five Chobe Lodge in Kazungula lists 18 campsites. Bananyana also has camping space for self-drive travellers, though its Hostelworld page lists no camping price. We compare the sites in full in camping in Kasane and Kazungula.
If you have no tent, we could not confirm tent hire at the Kasane and Kazungula camps from their own sites, so ask before you rely on it. Lorato hires tents, covered in tent hire near Chobe. For the wider choice between camping inside and outside the park, see Chobe National Park campsites.
Backpackers and guesthouses
Bananyana Backpackers Camp in Kazungula is the one backpacker place we could check in detail. Its Hostelworld page lists an 8-bed mixed dorm, 6-bed single-sex dorms and a 4-bed men's dorm, all at USD 15 per person per night, two twin rooms at USD 15 per person, and four private rooms at USD 25 per room, as at 23 October 2026. Breakfast is extra at USD 5 per person per day. There is a self-catering kitchen with stoves, fridges and cookware, free to use, and you bring your own firewood. Check-in is from 10:00 to 22:00 and check-out is before 10:00. The page puts it about 4.5 km from the town centre, close to the Kazungula border crossing.
Other guesthouses and backpacker places operate around Kasane and Kazungula. We could not verify them from an official source, so we have not named them. Check recent reviews and the operator's own contact details before you book.
Mid-range hotels and lodges
Chobe Safari Lodge is the best-known name in town. Its own website lists 32 Safari Rooms, 20 River Rooms and 8 Classic Rondavels facing the river. Chobe Bush Lodge, next door and within walking distance, has 38 en-suite rooms and 4 large family rooms. Guests can use the facilities of both. The lodge says it is about ten minutes' drive from Kasane airport and the park entrance. It publishes no rates; availability and prices show only when you search your dates on its booking page.
Other mid-range hotels and guesthouses are listed on booking sites, but we have not verified them, so check recent reviews and confirm what is included before you pay.
Upscale lodges
Cresta Mowana Safari Resort and Spa is on the Chobe River. Its own site lists Standard, Luxury and Suite rooms, all en suite and air-conditioned with river views, plus a river-view pool, gym, spa and a 9-hole golf course, with game drives, sunset cruises and Victoria Falls day trips. It gives no rates, and does not state a distance to town or the airport, so ask when you book.
Upscale stays suit short trips where the lodge is the point. They are the wrong fit if you are on a long overland route and only need a safe night.
Stay out and drive in: why Muchenje can save money
Kasane has the beds, but you do not have to sleep there. Lorato is in Muchenje, Chobe District, on the Ngoma side of the park, about 60 km from Kasane by the tar road. Booking.com lists it 6.8 km from the Ngoma Gate. Booked direct, a night is $20 per person, children aged 0 to 12 pay half price, and a hire tent is $55 including the camping fee, sleeping 2. We sell drinks only, with no food. Shell fuel is 1 km away, and there are no ATMs nearby, so draw cash in Kasane first.
The trade is distance. A river cruise or a supermarket run from Lorato is a day out rather than a walk. It works well if you have just crossed from Namibia, as our campsite near the Ngoma border page explains, or if you are heading west to Savuti. Read the Muchenje village guide to see what the village has, and compare the whole trip cost in cheap camping in Botswana.
How to choose
- Arriving from Namibia and want the first night close to the border: stay out. See the Ngoma border post guide.
- Want to walk to town or step onto a boat: Kasane, either camping or a lodge.
- Going on to Victoria Falls: Kazungula or Kasane puts you nearer the crossing. See Chobe to Victoria Falls.
- No tent and no vehicle: a dorm bed in Kazungula.
- One comfortable night: a river lodge, with a quote in writing.
For a self-drive route that starts from Muchenje, start at self-drive camping at Chobe. To reserve a night at Lorato, message us on WhatsApp or use the booking form on the home page, and see how booking works.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the best place to stay in Kasane?
It depends on your budget and style. Chobe Safari Lodge and Chobe Bush Lodge sit on the river in town, Cresta Mowana is an upscale riverside resort, and Bananyana in Kazungula has dorm beds and camping. Operators do not publish standard rates, so ask for a written quote.
How much does it cost to stay in Kasane?
We cannot give one reliable figure. Bananyana Backpackers Camp listed dorm beds at USD 15 per person per night on 23 October 2026. The lodges we checked do not publish rates on their own sites, so ask for a quote for your dates.
Is there cheap accommodation in Kasane?
Yes. Dorm beds and camping are the cheapest, for example Bananyana in Kazungula. Outside town, Lorato in Muchenje charges $20 per person per night booked direct.
Are there hotels near Chobe National Park?
Yes. Chobe Safari Lodge says it is about ten minutes' drive from Kasane airport and the park entrance. Cresta Mowana is also on the Chobe River. Other options are listed on booking sites.
Is it better to camp or stay in a lodge in Chobe?
Camping costs less and suits self-drive travellers with kit or a hire tent. A lodge gives you a private room, a restaurant and arranged activities. Many people camp for most nights and book one lodge night.
Can I self-cater in Kasane?
Yes. Bananyana has a self-catering kitchen with stoves, fridges and cookware, free to use. Kasane has a Spar supermarket, per Wikipedia.
Do I need to stay in Kasane to visit Chobe?
No. Lorato is on the Ngoma side of the park, and Booking.com lists it 6.8 km from the Ngoma Gate. You can drive into the park from there.
How far is Lorato from Kasane?
About 60 km on the tar road through Chobe National Park.
How do I book Lorato?
Message us on WhatsApp on +267 7430 4407 or use the booking form on the home page. Website bookings are confirmed instantly.
More guides for your route
Sources
Checked 23 October 2026. Rules, hours and fees change, so confirm with the official source before you travel.
- Chobe Safari Lodge and Chobe Bush Lodge: accommodation
- Chobe Safari Lodge: is it the best campsite in Kasane? (distance to park entrance and airport)
- Cresta Mowana Safari Resort and Spa
- Hostelworld: Bananyana Backpackers Camp (prices checked 23 October 2026)
- Wikipedia: Kasane (Kazungula distance, banks, supermarket)
- Booking.com: Lorato listing (distance to Ngoma Gate)