Reviews of Splash Camp
Wildlife sightings and reviews
98 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Splash Camp and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa
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96% success
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66% success
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84% success
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80% success
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100% success
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100% success
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99% success
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99% success
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98% success
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87% success
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71% success
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44% success
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34% success
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29% success
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1% success
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1% success
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0% success
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0% success
"Splash Camp review"
Facilities were fancier than Ilala but not as well-ventilated and in fact when it was windy was much less comfortable and harder to adjust.
It would have been great to have the coffee with wakeup.
Pool was fantastic (same with Ilala).
Meals were family style; that would have been great to be very clear before getting there. They accommodated solo dining but it was quite awkward. After being with people all day it was really a lot to also dine with them. To consolidate the memories it helped me to have some quiet time. Others are different, I know, but options are important.
Also, staff do not get to see their families for 2 months (guides) or 3 months (everyone else) and they are not allowed access wifi (which does exist at camp). That truly is not ok. The divide between us is huge already; compassion is important.
At times I felt a little unsafe -- on the boat ride and once with the elephants in particular; I wished we had been further from a bull who was protecting his family. On the boat ride it was beautiful but that is also the highest mosquito time. I wished that there had been mosquito spray available right on the truck or some other provision." See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana; 1n in Zimbabwe
Regarding concerns about staff spending extended periods away from their families, this setup is common across many industries globally - hospitality, mining, marine, and the military to name a few. This is usually due to the location of the workplace. Typically, staff work on a rotation of 8 to 12 weeks on duty followed by 2 to 4 weeks off. This scheduling accommodates the reality that many staff members face lengthy and sometimes challenging journeys to reach their homes.
Wi-Fi was recently installed at Splash Camp, and initially priority has been given to guest access due to limited band width. However, plans are underway to enhance the internet facilities for staff.
We are looking into the safety concerns raised by this traveller.
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Buffalo
Multiple sightings
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Cheetah
Multiple sightings
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Elephant
10 sightings
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Giraffe
10 sightings
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Leopard
3 sightings
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Lion
6 sightings
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Roan antelope
Multiple sightings
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Spotted Hyena
Multiple sightings
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Wildebeest
10 sightings
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Zebra
10 sightings
"Splash Camp review"
The rooms are spacious with a very good bed. The fan beside the bed was a life saver during the hot nights. From the main building you follow a sandy path to your room. If it's dark you are always accompanied to/from your room by your guide because the camp is not fenced. From your room you cannot see your neighbors, which we liked, because privacy is important to us. The pool is small but clean; although we didn't use it we know how refreshing it can be on hot days. Since you are in a wet part of the wilderness keep in mind that there are a lot of insects.
The food was very tasteful and we admire the creativity of the kitchen. We liked the concept of 1 long table with all the guests; the best way to share experiences, photo's and to get to know people. We also loved the singing and dancing of the staff. The curio shop is small but very complete. The also sell good safari clothes, might you need anything.
There is NO Wifi in the camp. Perfect for a digital detox!" See all these reviews: 12n in Namibia; 5n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe
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Elephant
Multiple sightings
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Giraffe
7 sightings
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Hippo
10 sightings
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Leopard
1 sighting
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Lion
1 sighting
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Sitatunga
Multiple sightings
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Spotted Hyena
3 sightings
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Wild dog
1 sighting
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Wildebeest
10 sightings
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Zebra
Multiple sightings
"Splash Camp review"
Safari guide was just amazing both as a person and as a professional.
As for accommodation we would wish it to be a bit cleaner." See all these reviews: 7n in Kenya; 3n in Rwanda; 3n in Botswana; 3n in Tanzania; 2n in South Africa; 2n in Zimbabwe
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Cheetah
2 sightings
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Elephant
3 sightings
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Hippo
2 sightings
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Leopard
1 sighting
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Spotted Hyena
2 sightings
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Wild dog
4 sightings
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Wildebeest
3 sightings
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Zebra
3 sightings
"Splash Camp review"
The rooms have a modern twist to them, and are well spaced out, facing onto the lagoon.
The team are delightful, with many familiar faces. The food is of a very high standard.
Game sightings are good, ranging across the whole of the southern part of the concession.
Kwando appear to have taken on board feed back and the guides in Splash and Kwara are now co-operating better so there is less overlap than I have encountered previously." See all these reviews: 11n in Botswana
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Buffalo
Multiple sightings
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Cheetah
Multiple sightings
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Elephant
Multiple sightings
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Giraffe
Multiple sightings
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Hippo
Multiple sightings
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Leopard
1 sighting
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Lion
Multiple sightings
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Roan antelope
1 sighting
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Wild dog
Multiple sightings
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Wildebeest
Multiple sightings
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Zebra
Multiple sightings
"Splash Camp review"
"Splash Camp review"
The camp facilities and tent were excellent: the tent had indoor and outdoor showers and mosquito nets were put down at night, although we weren’t aware of these pests during our stay in Botswana in September.
We were staying at Splash on Botswana’s Independence Day, during which the staff provided us all with special memories as they sang and danced. Staff were all friendly and helpful and the food was excellent." See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana
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Buffalo
4 sightings
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Cheetah
1 sighting
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Elephant
7 sightings
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Giraffe
3 sightings
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Hippo
2 sightings
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Leopard
1 sighting
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Lion
3 sightings
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Spotted Hyena
1 sighting
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Wild dog
2 sightings
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Wildebeest
1 sighting
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Zebra
6 sightings
"Splash Camp review"
The chalet-style rooms were extremely spacious and comfortable.
Food was tasty, and there was a help-yourself bar, with branded spirits included, and this was a nice area for guests to mingle.
Just for info, there is no Wi-Fi anywhere in the camp - a good excuse to switch off!
Laundry was included (and they did 'smalls!)
Our guide (Dave, with Village the Tracker) was great - really went the extra mile to make things perfect for us, and to find the special animals. We felt very safe and cared-for in their hands.
The sundowner on the boat, with hippos nearby, having seen elephants crossing the river, was the highlight of our trip.
As a tip for others, we didn't really need any non-safari clothes, as we went to meals straight after the game drives." See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana; 3n in Namibia
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Buffalo
10 sightings
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Cheetah
1 sighting
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Elephant
10 sightings
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Giraffe
10 sightings
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Hippo
10 sightings
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Leopard
3 sightings
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Lion
8 sightings
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Wildebeest
8 sightings
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Zebra
10 sightings
"Splash Camp review"
The welcome and staff service were excellent throughout and everything worked well. Although the camp was newer I felt the maintenance of the rooms could have been better.
Unfortunately, a week or so before our arrival, a fire had destroyed much of the surrounding vegetation and had also damaged one of the rooms. This had closed the camp for a week but whilst it didn't impact what we did, the view from the rooms was impacted and there was a smell of smoke in the air.
The rooms surround a large open area which normally would contain a fairly large water hole, but water levels were very low and there was only a small pool a long way from the camp. This meant wildlife sightings at the camp here were much lower than the others we visited. Viewing otherwise on the drives was good. Despite the low water levels we were able to go on a short mokoro trip as well as an evening boat ride.
Food and service were excellent. Wildlife highlights included Sable and Roan antelopes as well as night viewings of Serval and Wild Cat" See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana
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Buffalo
10 sightings
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Cheetah
1 sighting
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Elephant
10 sightings
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Giraffe
10 sightings
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Hippo
10 sightings
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Leopard
4 sightings
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Lion
4 sightings
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Roan antelope
1 sighting
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Sable antelope
2 sightings
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Spotted Hyena
2 sightings
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Wildebeest
6 sightings
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Zebra
8 sightings
"Splash Camp review"
Our room was right at the end of a walk right through the bush, which was a bit nerve- wracking as lion, leopard and elephant pass through to the waterhole and also the camp; however, our guide, T.J, kindly escorted us during daylight, as well the usual during the dark. The room itself was beautiful, large, clean with a terrace overlooking the waterhole, with great sightings of grazing animals and elephant.
The staff were welcoming and friendly and seemed to appreciate our efforts to say a few words in Setswana. The food was delicious and plentiful.
The game drives were really exciting, in many cases going off road to get sightings. It was fascinating to watch T.J and the tracker, Iba, at work, driving through the bush and sometimes getting off the vehicle to locate tracks and, ultimately, the animal.
We saw many animals; lion, leopard, hippos, hyena and many elephant and giraffe. Drives continued after dark allowing sightings of more nocturnal animals, such as wildcat and spring hare. It was very cold in the early mornings, but we were given warm ponchos and hot water bottles, so were quite snug in the vehicle.
We also did the evening river cruise and spotted an elephant crossing the river, a monitor lizard and many birds. Sun downers, as with the game drives, a treat." See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe
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Buffalo
5 sightings
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Elephant
10 sightings
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Giraffe
10 sightings
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Hippo
10 sightings
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Lion
6 sightings
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Roan antelope
1 sighting
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Spotted Hyena
3 sightings
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Wildebeest
6 sightings
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Zebra
10 sightings
"Splash Camp review"
The camp is set around a watering hole that was a popular afternoon spot for zebras, elephants, warthogs, impalas, and more. Watching the comings and goings at the watering hole from our cabin deck or the common areas was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon, and we even had an elephant visitor in camp two of our three evenings.
Our cabin was beautiful and comfortable and spacious with a mesh wall across the entire front of the cabin overlooking the watering hole. It felt more like a luxurious resort suite than a cabin in the middle of the African bush. There were universal (including UK but not sure about US), European, and S African outlets in the room.
Chef Patella was a fantastic cook! Everything we ate was very tasty and there were always plenty of options for me as a vegetarian. We were served a good variety of cuisines and never had the same meal twice.
All the staff were fantastic—friendly, welcoming, and ready to go above and beyond to ensure an amazing stay.
Our animal viewing at Splash Camp was excellent, with lots of variety of animals and plenty of them. We had some longer stretches on drives when we wouldn’t see anything, but then we would get to a new landscape and there would be tons of animals that more than made up for the less lively parts. Our guide, Dave, and tracker, KB, were truly amazing. Together, they tracked down and spotted tons of animals we never would have had a chance to see on our own, including some long tracks to two lion prides, a cheetah, a leopard, and even wild dogs on the hunt.
We also spotted 3 honey badgers and 2 wild cats with their help. Dave was incredibly knowledgeable and while we tried to come up with a question he wouldn’t be able to answer (all in good fun), we couldn’t stump him. He was also amazing at communicating what they were looking for and what the plan was each step of the way. They were also really fun to spend time with and made for a truly enjoyable experience.
We were at Splash Camp in late July and think it would probably be even better in late August–October, as Dave, our guide, said more animals would continue to move into the area as the dry season continued and the watering holes to the north and east dried up.
Of note, Dave also told us that for the safety of the rhinos, they have been moved out of the area so it is no longer possible to see rhinos from Splash Camp." See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana
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Buffalo
3 sightings
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Cheetah
2 sightings
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Elephant
10 sightings
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Giraffe
10 sightings
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Hippo
6 sightings
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Leopard
2 sightings
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Lion
2 sightings
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Sable antelope
1 sighting
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Spotted Hyena
1 sighting
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Wild dog
2 sightings
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Wildebeest
7 sightings
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Zebra
10 sightings
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.