Reviews of Little Vumbura
Wildlife sightings and reviews
138 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Little Vumbura and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa
100% success
74% success
28% success
54% success
100% success
100% success
96% success
93% success
74% success
73% success
70% success
21% success
9% success
4% success
4% success
0% success
0% success
0% success
"Little Vumbura review"
That said, it has some very loyal staff who have remained for many years and we were well looked after by them. Not a camp known for its game drives, but our guide Sam worked tirelessly to find sightings of interest.
On one day we stayed out all day and followed a Lion pursuing a Lioness who clearly did not want anything to do with him! Poor girl was hungry and just wanted to be free to hunt. On another occasion we saw a male Lion dragging a full sized Buffalo which he and his brother had brought down a short while before.
The mokoro trip on the water was a little bit underwhelming and we suggest that the polers are given a bit more guidance on how to present life in the delta to their visitors." See all these reviews: 19n in Botswana
"Little Vumbura review"
Guiding was excellent and the staff were welcoming and very capable.
A really good atmosphere, with the added bonus of water activities, especially mokoros." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana; 4n in Mozambique
"Little Vumbura review"
It was colder than we had expected.
We appreciated the hot water bottles on early morning drives, and at bedtime.
Staff very attentive and helpful." See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana
"Little Vumbura review"
The balcony area of the rooms overlook a small lake and you can relax and watch the birds/hippos/elephants. Very attractive communal area, lounge with plenty of seating, an elevated library area, a fire pit seating area over water and a good curio shop. The swimming pool area is off to one side.
Food very good using local herbs and spices and introduced each day by the chefs.
Our guide Sam was a good spotter and we saw a good variety of game. Excellent birding with large number of species seen including: kingfishers, barbets, several species of eagle, woodpeckers, herons and water birds" See all these reviews: 12n in Namibia; 8n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe
"Little Vumbura review"
Our wooden apartment was on stilts with canvas walls and all modcons. The shower was 5 star. The structure was secured with wires. We knew that Hippos often graze underneath at night. One night the grazing was very loud and then the apartment gave jump. Odd I thought, and then there was a deep low rumble, from an elephant, which translated meant "Oh F@@k". Next morning we noted a broken wire and met the offending elephant on the way to breakfast.
Little Vumbura delivered a mega experience again with a bucket load of wildlife." See all these reviews: 12n in Botswana; 1n in South Africa
"Little Vumbura review"
The camp is on an island so we heard many hippos overnight along with lions and many birds. The night sounds of Africa are beautiful. Also, you start and end every game drive with a boat trip.
Be alert walking to your accommodations. One night our walkway was blocked by a Kudu, another morning there were elephant tracks when we returned from breakfast that weren't there when we went to breakfast." See all these reviews: 12n in Botswana; 7n in Namibia; 3n in Zimbabwe
"Magical feel of the Okavango Delta"
One afternoon we did a Mokoro trip which was blissfully peaceful with a surprise which I won't spoil. Another afternoon we went on the motor boat to really experience how the delta turns and twists. We only saw waterbirds (which we enjoy viewing) but the next day other guests saw a hippo. The view from the tents is beautiful and many animals can be seen around the camp.
In terms of the camp itself, the staff are friendly and wonderfully caring, and the food is good. At the camp there was a young man who had grown up in a San family in the Kalahari desert. We found him fascinating to talk to and when we mentioned that to our guide, the camp arranged for him to provide a demonstration of how to make fire by rubbing two sticks of wood together. It added a most interesting and special "cultural" element for all of the guests and we felt very privileged to experience our time with him.
The swimming pool was the only slight weakness. I believe at Vumbura itself each tent has its own plunge pool, but at Little Vumbura it is a shared pool which doesn't have much shade, doesn't have a great view, and did not seems very enticing. We rather sat on our large verandah with a comfortable chaise lounge and views of animals and the reeds and water. There is not an outside shower although the shower has a really huge picture window with a great view so one doesn't really miss it actually being outdoors. Note that there are a lot of midges and some mosquitoes but the camp provides repellant." See all these reviews: 7n in South Africa; 5n in Botswana
"Little Vumbura review"
We went on mokoro and boat trips and several drives. Again the bird life was prolific and in breeding plumage. The mokoro guide and the boat guide made special effort to position the boats for photographs. The drives produced splendid wild dog sightings with three hunts- all non productive but the last resulting in the pack rough and tumbling like playful pet dogs for some ten minutes or so.
We also saw several groups of elephant bathing and playing in the water and a pride of lion whose cubs were also rough and tumbling for a quarter of an hour. The camp is beautifully situated and the staff all friendly and attentive" See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana
"Little Vumbura is hot!"
"Little Vumbura review"
One big surprise which we had not anticipated was the consequence of the camp being on an island. We could only leave the camp during daylight hours, so the early morning game drives started later than other camps, and we had to back at camp by sunset. Although we had sundowner drinks on offer, they were very hurried affairs on account of the time constraint.
The afternoon of our arrival we opted for the makoro trip as there was space available. Apparently due to the exceptional dry conditions this was the only camp offering makoro trips. They were usually fully booked due to guests coming in from other camps. A guide went ahead of our 3 canoes to ensure there were no hippos in the water. The makoro and a different boat trip are both scheduled at the same time as the evening game drive. Not sure why they cannot offer these earlier and still have an afternoon game drive.
We did experience a number of issues at this camp. No water bottle was provided until we asked for them. On the makoro trip, we stopped at an island for sundowner drinks. Despite being asked for our choice, it was not available for both us and another guest. Our afternoon game drive the second day was adversely impacted by having to pick up new arrivals coming from the airstrip in another vehicle. In addition to the detour, the guide spent a considerable amount of time repeating his talk while stopped. Had this been explained to us, we might have opted for the boat trip instead. Although this was understandable, we expected a similar game drive for our last morning with a drop-off at the airstrip. However, this was not offered to us and they still woke us at 6am! We (and another guest) were not informed of our options for a late morning breakfast.
During our whole stay, not once were we escorted to our room and back after dark. Admittedly we were close to the main lodge in the nearest room. There was little overall camaraderie at this camp. Only on one night did we have one communal dinner table. Otherwise the different parties were seated at separate tables for breakfast and dinner. Inexplicably the only jeep without a roof is assigned to airstrip pickups and returns at the hottest time of the day for the 45-minute plus journey." See all these reviews: 11n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe
Holiday styles & special interests in Botswana
From birdwatching breaks to walking holidays, find great ideas for your trip in Botswana.
Other lodges in Okavango Delta Safari Reserves
Alternative places to stay in this same area.