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
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"Little Vurumba adventure"
The game drives were fantastic although we kept having to ask our guide to stop when we saw animals/birds that he had not noticed or did not think worth stopping for. He seemed distracted and often engaged in conversation with the preserve inspector that accompanied us on every game drive. Although it was clear we were an older group of guests, we had to ask for a step and help getting in and out of the vehicle nearly every time.
The staff and accommodations were first rate. An intimate camp with gorgeous views and lots to see. The water tours are stunning in terms of the colors of grasses, reeds and water reflections. Also big skies with fabulous sunsets." See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana
"Great finish to our trip"
In fact the camp was visited by elephant during our visit & we had a hippo in the pool just outside our tent. the drives were expertly organised & we found all the expected species including a brief sighting of a leopard & a very good sighting of a group of wild dogs. There is an excellent atmosphere about the camp & the staff seem genuinely happy to be there & made several complementary comments about Wilderness Travel which was good to hear.
Overall we would strongly recommend this camp as giving a good insight into the delta." See all these reviews: 15n in Namibia; 5n in Botswana
"Little Vumbura"
As with Selinda, guide and activities excellent, particularly with boat and mokoro trips as well as drives. Also, slightly preferred later start and earlier finish. We benefitted from having one of the local Trust guides with us too so could learn about the partnerships. And we managed to see the Wild Dogs (none at Selinda) and again having the time to be with them as they formed up to hunt is a bonus.
Only issue was a mouse on the first night which kept us awake - I saw it a few times and cornered it once but then had nothing to hand to deal with it. Reported it next morning and camp manager said they would deal but all they did as to check they could not find it. Hence next night it (perhaps lust others) also there - ate through some kit and (worse) soiled clothes as we had not been warned we needed to keep all our stuff in rodent proof bags. So next morning escalated issue (not made any easier by the fact that all the staff wear the same uniforms - who is in charge??) and got moved to another room.
Chatting to guide/manager later it seems the mouse/rodent problem is know and gets worse at this time of year - so they should have put traps in after first night. Luckily did not spoil daytime activities." See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe
"Beautiful island camp"
Very noisy animal night life which we were not expecting , ear plugs might help some people !
All drives set off and return across watering a boat and so one need to return before dusk . Many drives had areas when the vehicle was covered almost up to the bonnet in water ." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana
"Little Vumbura review"
The standard of food was excellent.
The accommodation was very comfortable with large rooms following this years upgrade.
The team went out of their way to provide memorable experiences such as the surprise lunch on an island, drinks in the middle of the river and cultural evening. The staff team made a very specially effort to celebrate one of the other guests birthday.
Anyone visiting the camp has to be prepared for quite a hectic daily schedule, especially once the river has flooded as each excursion starts with a twenty minute boat ride to and from the parked vehicles." See all these reviews: 5n in Botswana
"Little Vumbura review"
We loved being out on the water." See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana; 3n in Zimbabwe
"Didn’t quite match my high expectations"
The room was cosy, more than adequate for one person, but certainly not as spacious as other camps I have stayed in; apparently they are planning to slightly extend the rooms at the end of this season. I enjoyed frequent sightings of elephant, kudu and puku immediately outside my room (#5).
A great addition was the hospitality tray provided in the room, supplied with a fresh flask of hot water, and a great choice of teas. However, the same choice of teas was not offered during the tea break on the morning game drive or at afternoon tea served at camp. After repeated requests they failed to supply the tea of my choice and eventually I gave up asking! If they could provide the tea in the room, why couldn't they also provide it in the central areas?!
I enjoyed the company of the other guests I was paired with for the game drives. However, the general atmosphere in camp I felt was somewhat lacking. JB, the camp manager, did a fantastic job, and when he was around the mood certainly lifted, but at other times when he was absent, it was definitely noticeable, and things didn't run quite as harmoniously.
On arrival the person conducting the briefing sounded like he was just reading from a script, I almost felt I was being lectured to, rather that being greeted and welcomed into camp. At this point it would also have been nice if they had explained the choice of activities which were on offer. But instead, at the start of each day, I was just told what they had lined up for me, i.e. whether that be a game drive, motor boat excursion or mokoro. I've been on safari several times, and at other camps the managers/guides would make suggestions and then the days’ activities would be planned (as far as possible) to meet guest’s desires. After requesting a change to the activities they had assigned me to, they did try to accommodate my wishes.
The food was good. At all other camps we would enjoy a light breakfast sat around the campfire (joined by guides and/or camp managers) before heading out on the early morning game drive. However, here they would formally set out a table for everyone to sit at (guests only, no staff joined), which again added to the slightly less than relaxed atmosphere - it was most strange, a table was really unnecessary, it was a self-service breakfast, and I would much preferred to have been sat around the campfire. We're on safari, I can take breakfast at a table anytime, let's embrace the different surroundings!
Now more of the positives, highlights of the game drives included a group of 4 young adult lions, which were a great source of entertainment each day - tree-climbing females, attempted hunt of impala and watching the antics of the inexperienced males was tremendous fun. And on my final morning sighting the wild dogs was very special.
The boating activities offer a completely different perspective to that experienced on the drives.
The camp is sited in an incredibly beautiful area, surrounded by wildlife. A special place to enjoy all that the Delta has to offer." See all these reviews: 8n in Zambia; 7n in Botswana; 5n in Tanzania; 1n in South Africa
"Little Vumbura review"
A general comment applicable to all camps about the food. The presentation was first class and the choice remarkable given the difficult supply logistics. All meals were a delight and the temptation to over-indulge difficult to resist. Our only negative comment is that with one exception, the evening meal meat courses were almost always overcooked, or bordering on being so. And conversely, the vegetables had on some occasions merely been shown the water - we quickly learnt to avoid the french beans!
As at all camps, the staff were wonderful" See all these reviews: 14n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe
"Not as good as I expected"
The staff (with a few notable exceptions) were cold and unfriendly, the food mediocre and the game drives poor both with game and guiding. Our guide (I won't name names) was so intent in finding the other couple with us a leopard (which we never found) that he barely managed to point out or stop for anything else. There were lots of birds which we weren't able to stop and look at but the mammals were few and far between. This is not the camps fault, it just happened to be very poor game viewing while we were there. The accommodation needs a serious upgrade, the mosquito net had holes in it, the bedside fan didn't work and the curtains were covered in stains. I know that one doesn't come to a camp for the decor, but for the price of this camp I expected something better.
Now for the positives. The mokoro trips are brilliant. Being on the water was fantastic and something different. We saw lots of tiny reed frogs and were lucky enough to spot a Pell's Fishing Owl! The boatmen/guides (Johannas, Tom & Gee) were friendly, fabulous and made the trips really special. We also did a motor boat trip with Gee and it was super fun. He was engaging and interesting. He'd only recently passed his guide exam and has a great future ahead of him I'm sure.
I'd totally recommend a stay at a water camp with water activities but I personally wouldn't stay here again unless some serious changes were made." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana; 6n in Zambia
"Little Vumbura review"
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.
Kwara Camp
Kwara Camp's private reserve boasts land and water activities year round, with excellent game-viewing opportunities and access to permanent channels of the north-east Okavango Delta.
Shinde Camp
With experienced staff and a wealth of activities, Shinde offers a traditional safari in an exceptionally varied and wildlife-rich environment.
Splash Camp
Set in the Kwara Reserve, offering superb wildlife viewing year-round, Splash offers both land and water activities led by guides with a particular knack for tracking big game.
Chitabe Lediba
Chitabe Lediba, in Botswana's southern Okavango Delta, is a small family friendly safari camp; it offers great dry-land safaris and in our experience consistently delivers good game sightings.
Kanana
In a beautiful part of the Delta, Kanana focuses on fantastic water activities and birding – including exclusive access to an impressive heronry.
Sandibe Safari Lodge
The luxurious Sandibe Okavango Safari Lodge lies in a private concession in the heart of the Okavango Delta, beside Moremi Game Reserve, with superb big-game viewing.
Chitabe Camp
In the southern Okavango Delta, the excellent Chitabe Camp concentrates on dry-land safaris in an area that we've found particularly good for wild dog sightings.
Shinde Footsteps
Small and simple, but comfortable, Shinde Footsteps focuses on walking safaris as well as game drives; it also runs a special children's programme so is particularly suitable for families.
Gomoti Plains
Overlooking a tributary of the Gomoti River, Gomoti Plains Camp is a classically designed camp with very comfortable tents in a good game-viewing area.
Nxabega Tented Camp
Nxabega offers a selection of both land- and water-based activities, plus very good guiding, food and service, but game viewing can be somewhat erratic.
Tubu Tree Camp
A traditional tented camp with a distinctive tree-house feel, Tubu Tree offers some of the best game viewing in the Jao Reserve.
Vumbura Plains
Indulgently stylish and luxurious, Vumbura Plains offers superb game viewing and birding on an exceptionally varied private reserve.
Jacana Camp
Jacana Camp is a small safari camp with an informal island feel; it is ideal for water-based activities in the Delta and offers excellent birdwatching.
Kwetsani Camp
Deep in the Delta, overlooking a floodplain, Kwetsani Camp is a small, high-end camp with good access to areas for land and water-based activities.
Duba Explorers Camp
Intimate and elegant, Duba Explorers Camp promises a firm safari focus in a remote corner of the Okavango, led by a team who value the highest guiding and hosting standards.
Mapula Lodge
For an affordable yet varied safari encompassing a range of eco-systems, the traditional Mapula Lodge takes a lot of beating.
Mma Dinare
Beautifully located in a private concession overlooking the Gomoti River, the traditional Mma Dinare is very well-priced for the Okavango Delta.
Duba Plains Camp
Duba Plains Camp is a traditional yet luxurious safari camp, best known for the thrilling lion behavior interaction that is often see during the day.
Pom Pom Camp
Amidst stunning Okavango Delta scenery, Pom Pom offers idyllic mokoro trips in season, great birdwatching, and increasingly good big-game sightings, especially leopards.
Baines' Camp
Baines' Camp is a well-run, intimate camp in a pretty part of the Okavango, offering a range of activities and the option to spend a morning walking with elephants.
Stanley's Camp
In a private concession south of Moremi Game Reserve, Stanley's Camp offers 4WD game drives, seasonal water activities and a superb elephant interaction.
Little Tubu
Little Tubu is a new, traditional camp with just three tented chalets and a distinctive tree-house feel. The areas around it can be explored by water and land-based activities year round.
Pelo Camp
In a pristine wilderness environment deep in the Okavango Delta, the seasonal Pelo Camp is tented yet comfortable, with activities focusing on excursions by mokoro.
4 Rivers
4 Rivers is a new camp in a previously in accessible area of the excellent Kwara concession.
Xaranna
Xaranna is a plush tented camp amongst the idyllic waterways and islands of the Delta. Each air-conditioned tent has a plunge pool. Water activities and pampering are the focus here.
Rra Dinare
Located in a private concession in the southern reaches of the Okavango Delta, overlooking the Gomoti River, Rra Dinare is a traditional-style, well-priced camp.
Jao Camp
In a beautiful area with fantastic water activities, Jao combines an idyllic location with high levels of luxury and service, and a top-end spa.
Seba Camp
Seba Camp is a luxury camp in a lovely location that offers the full range of water and land safari activities, depending on the time of year. This camp is particularly suitable for families.
Setari Camp
Setari Camp stands on an island dotted with palm trees, close to the base of the Okavango’s ‘Panhandle"
Okavango Explorers
The traditional, tented Okavango Explorers Camp offers a mix of walking, canoeing and game drives led by great guides in a wildlife-rich area.
Abu Camp
Abu Camp is an exclusive safari camp on the western side of the Botswana's Okavango Delta - offering superb elephant-back safaris and opportunities to walk with them too.
Kiri Camp
Kiri Camp is the latest Okavango offering from the excellent team behind Machaba. In an exciting new location in the heart of the Delta we cannot wait to visit this new camp.
Karangoma
New for 2024, Karangoma is a classic, tented camp offering walking, canoeing and game drives, in partnership with the local Bukakwe San clan.
Okavango Walking Safari
The Okavango Delta Walking Safari camps in a secluded Okavango Delta Reserve where there are few roads; the ideal location for a walking trail led by an expert guide.
Duke’s Camp
On a remote island within a vast private concession, the eclectic Duke’s Camp is nestled among mature trees overlooking wildlife-rich plains of the Okavango.
Sitatunga Island Camp
Tucked away in a pristine corner of the Okavango Delta, the exclusive Sitatunga Private Island is a water-based camp offering boating, mokoro trips and fishing.
Atzaro Okavango
With a high level of tasteful luxury promised at Atzaro, we think it will be best suited to travellers seeking a touch of pampering alongside their safari.
Mokolwane
Deep in the heart of the Okavango, Mokolwane promises adventure in a largely untouched area.
Eagle Island Lodge
Eagle Island Lodge is a luxurious camp with international-style facilities including air conditioning and intercom in each room; offering water based activities in the Okavango Delta.
North Island Okavango
Deep in quintessentially “Okavango” territory, between deep-water and dry-land habitats, North Island focuses on a luxury safari experience with very good wildlife viewing opportunities.
Mbamba
Deep within the northern Okavango, the classically styled Mbamba is set to open in a wildlife-rich private concession in April 2025.
Qorokwe Camp
Luxurious and contemporary, the relatively new Qorokwe Camp is a gem in the Okavango Delta, offering land- and occasionally water-based activities in a prime wildlife area.
