Dear Travel Partner,



This newsletter brings a series of meaningful updates across Desert & Delta Safaris Botswana portfolio, with the upcoming launch of Mapula, fresh new imagery from Sediba Sa Rona, and several important rates and fuel considerations for upcoming travel. These highlights are designed to keep you informed, inspired, and fully equipped for conversations with your clients.

Balanced, Remote, Restored: Mapula

Desert & Delta Safaris proudly expands its portfolio with the revival of a true hidden treasure in this remarkable wilderness: MAPULA, opening 1 March 2027.

Set in Botswana’s Northern Okavango Delta, on a private island at the origins of the Selinda Spillway—the waterway linking the Delta to the Linyanti Wetlands within the private Sekwana Concession (NG12).

Bookings for Mapula Now Open

Further fact sheets, content, camp layouts, and other collateral will be made available on Desert & Delta's Agent Portal in due course. Renders pictured in this newsletter are available on the agent portal NOW for DOWNLOAD. 

Botswana in Perfect Balance

Mapula encapsulates the Complete Botswana Safari Experience. It’s a place where Botswana’s vibrant Okavango Delta ecosystem dances in perfect sync, bringing land, water and diverse wildlife together in perfect balance. The lodge itself is a beautiful base and exciting launchpad, keeping mindful consideration at the fore and assuring a remarkable gateway from which to venture out and explore this magnificent concession in depth. 

Mapula Essentials 

Inclusive Activities: Twice daily scheduled activities including game drives (by day and night), motorboat safaris (seasonal), mokoro excursions, walking safaris, fishing, birding, and cultural excursions.

Safari Suites: There will be 12 safari suites in total, 2 of which can be booked as interleading for families. Each suite will feature an en suite bathroom, a private viewing deck, and plush in-room comforts (refreshment station, wardrobe, desk, and 2 fans). 1 guide room is available, separate from guest accommodations.

Lodge Facilities: Include covered and open-air dining settings (communal dining with private dining available on request), an elevated fire pit, swimming pool with a gazebo, a bar, curio shop, and lounge areas.

Unique Selling Points

1.Activities Galore: Mapula marks Desert & Delta Safaris first Okavango Delta lodge to offer the full range of activities available across their circuit, year-round. Private activities, scenic helicopter flights and Epic Experiences will also be available (bookings and surcharges apply).

2. Unmatched Exploration: Mapula is situated in a private concession in the heart of the Northern Okavango Delta. It will be housed within the Desert & Delta Safaris common-rate structure, sharing the ease and practicality of booking synonymous with our circuit.



3. Ultimate All-Rounder: Mapula is an exceptional, year-round game viewing and wildlife destination. Experiences and opportunities are abundant throughout every month of the year. 

Desert & Delta Safaris Responsibility

Each of the camps and lodges within the Desert & Delta Safaris circuit offers a distinct sense of place and an entirely unique experience for guests. This stays true for Mapula. What remains unmoving however, is who Desert & Delta Safaris are as a safari operator committed to Empowering Botswana Through Tourism. With this commitment to responsible tourism, their core message for Mapula is not new: Restoration over new development, partnership with local communities and businesses, the creation of meaningful opportunities, and delivering exceptional guest experiences. Desert & Delta Safaris co-ownership with the Botswana Public Officers Pension Fund is central to Mapula’s responsible foundation. This local partnership is not simply about development, but about shared value—protecting what makes this landscape and its people unique, while directly empowering the future of Botswana’s working citizens. Together, they are restoring Mapula with purpose, so that its future is shaped as much by the community as it is by the land itself. It is from these roots that Desert & Delta Safaris will bring Mapula back to life, and welcome guests with pride from 1 March 2027. 

Sediba Sa Rona sits where some of Botswana’s most iconic ecosystems meet in the Khwai Concession. Built with a restore‑over‑rebuild approach, the lodge works with the landscape, letting the environment shape everything from the structure to the smallest details. In this newsletter, we take a quick look inside with fresh new images now live on the Desert & Delta Safaris Agent Portal.

Explore Sediba Sa Rona

Important Updates on 2027 Rates and Fuel Surcharges

Rising fuel costs have affected Safari Air Pty Ltd.’s operating expenses, which in turn has delayed the release of finalised 2027 rates. We touch on these key updates and offer clarity to help you plan with confidence.

Air Fuel Surcharge (AFS)

With global events driving a sharp rise in aviation fuel costs since early March 2026, Desert & Delta Safaris have been monitoring the impact closely. From 1 May 2026, Xugana Air Pty Ltd, trading as Safari Air, will introduce a 12% Air Fuel Surcharge (AFS) on all air charters and seat‑rate flights across their network. Desert & Delta Safaris Pty Ltd advises trade partners that this surcharge will be added to applicable bookings.

Effective April 18th 2026:

• No AFS will be charged on flight bookings confirmed as at the date of this notice and which flights travel before June 1, 2026.
• AFS will be charged on flight bookings confirmed as at the date of this notice and which flights travel from June 1, 2026.
• AFS will be charged on flight bookings which confirm after the date/ time of this notice, irrespective of flight travel date.
• AFS will not be charged for confirmed bookings where full payment has been received for travel by Desert & Delta Safaris Pty Ltd as at the date/ time of this notice, and where flights travel from 1 June 2026.

The DDS reservations team will be in contact shortly with your revised invoicing where required. This AFS will remain in place and may change, as market and operational conditions guide. Desert & Delta Safaris Pty Ltd and Safari Air Pty Ltd are committed to proactively seeking operational efficiencies and working with industry stakeholders to hopefully reduce or eliminate the Air Fuel Surcharge entirely in the future.

2027 Rates Release

The sharp rise in fuel costs is beginning to affect lodge operations, though the full impact is still being assessed. As a result, Desert & Delta Safaris Pty Ltd plans to release 2027 rates shortly.



• For 2027 travel already being quoted, an interim rate of the 2026 rate plus 10%. The fuel surcharge will be added to the above quote.
• If the final 2027 increase comes in lower, Desert & Delta Safaris Pty Ltd will automatically reprice all confirmed bookings at the lower rate.
• If the final increase is higher, Desert & Delta Safaris Pty Ltd will absorb the difference.

Want to learn more about Desert & Delta Safaris?

We invite you to contact Andrea Hugo to set up a remote training session or

to answer any questions you may have: africa@andreahugo.com