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Little Vumbura
Little Vumbura
Little Vumbura
Little Vumbura
Little Vumbura
Little Vumbura
Little Vumbura
Little Vumbura

About Little Vumbura

Little it may be, but this intimate lodge deep in the Okavango still packs quite a punch.

From its remote island hideaway, Little Vumbura looks out across the private Vumbura Reserve. With seasonal floodplains criss-crossed by permanent channels, and drier areas punctuated by tracts of woodland, this is an exceptionally varied area.

Key to its appeal is that diversity, which attracts a phenomenal range of wildlife – from big cats and wild dog to elephant and vast herds of buffalo.

It also opens the door for land and water activities, be it a gentle paddle in a mokoro or a leisurely motorboat trip, a guided walk or a full-on 4WD game drive. And if that’s not enough, consider fishing, or even a scenic flight.

Back at camp, lofty roofs rising up from tented structures are redolent of a circus big top – while enhancing the feeling of light and space. Brilliant blue décor defines the lounge – as well as the ceramic basins in each smart but comfortable chalet.

Rouse yourself from your private deck, help yourself to a drink and cool off in the plunge pool – or head for the library, where a wooden chair swing invites an afternoon of pure escapism. If escape were needed, that is.

Accommodation
6 tented chalets
Children
Suggest for children 13+
Open
All year

Activities

4WD Safari

4WD Safari

Birdwatching

Birdwatching

Boat trip

Boat trip

Fishing

Fishing

Guided walking safari

Guided walking safari

Helicopter

Helicopter

Mokoro

Mokoro

Night drive

Night drive

Little Vumbura: Full Report

Safaris visiting Little Vumbura

Just ideas, we'll always tailor-make a trip for you


Map

Bushbuck Safari

8 days • 3 locations • 1 country
MAUN AIRPORT TO MAUN AIRPORT

Discover three of Botswana’s best game-viewing regions with stays in the private Linyanti, Chitabe and Vumbura reserves. Intimate, smart camps offer a range of activities by which to discover these stunningly varied habitats.

Visiting Okavango Delta, Kwando-Linyanti

US$13,570 - US$31,740 per person

Read more about the Bushbuck Safari

Map

Slaty Egret Safari

4 days • 2 locations • 1 country
MAUN AIRPORT TO MAUN AIRPORT

Two luxurious, intimate camps provide a highly personalised exploration of the Chitabe concession and private Vumbura reserve within the Okavango Delta. A range of water and land activities allows for stunning sightings.

Visiting Okavango Delta

US$7,000 - US$14,130 per person

Read more about the Slaty Egret Safari

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Traveller reviews of Little Vumbura

138 real, un-edited reviews from Expert Africa's travellers.


96%
138 reviews since August 2007
Excellent
115
Good
20
Average
3
Poor
0
Terrible
0
LBfromToronto

Arrived 1 Nov 2023, 3 nights

"Little Vumbura review"

"Beautiful setting...very friendly staff, had a very personal/family feel. …" Read LB’s full holiday review

Overall rating: Excellent

Mr & Mrs GfromDartmouth

Arrived 12 Oct 2023, 3 nights

"Little Vumbura review"

"saw 3 "kills" in one day; dogs, lion and leopard …" Read Mr & Mrs G’s full holiday review

Overall rating: Excellent

B & HfromUckfield

Arrived 16 Sep 2023, 3 nights

"A comfortable but slightly jaded camp"

"We came here in 2018 but felt that it looked a bit jaded and the food and service …" Read B & H’s full holiday review

Overall rating: Good

Jan & NinafromDüsseldorf

Arrived 23 Sep 2023, 3 nights

"Magical"

"..a magical place. Staff is very kind and very helpful.. …" Read Jan & Nina’s full holiday review

Overall rating: Excellent

Mrs A.fromHenley

Arrived 16 Aug 2023, 3 nights

"Little Vumbura review"

"The room was lovely and probably the best of our trip.. …" Read Mrs A.’s full holiday review

Overall rating: Excellent

G & CfromAnn Arbor

Arrived 11 Aug 2023, 3 nights

"Little Vumbura review"

"Little Vumbura camp was amazing... with a variety of animals right outside …" Read G & C’s full holiday review

Overall rating: Excellent

Mr & Mrs FfromLondon

Arrived 9 Nov 2022, 3 nights

"Little Vumbura review"

"Excellent - top of the range all round …" Read Mr & Mrs F’s full holiday review

Overall rating: Excellent

Mr & Mrs SfromUK

Arrived 13 Sep 2022, 3 nights

"Little Vumbura review"

"our guide Sam worked tirelessly to find sightings of interest.. …" Read Mr & Mrs S’s full holiday review

Overall rating: Good

Mr & Mrs MfromLondon

Arrived 9 Nov 2022, 3 nights

"Little Vumbura review"

"Great place..friendly staff..excellent guide, the best we had. Loads of game... …" Read Mr & Mrs M’s full holiday review

Overall rating: Excellent

Mr & Mrs BfromAvon

Arrived 26 Sep 2022, 4 nights

"Little Vumbura review"

"... the room was great and the setting was magnificent. …" Read Mr & Mrs B’s full holiday review

Overall rating: Excellent

See all Little Vumbura reviews

Our travellers’ wildlife sightings from Little Vumbura

Click an animal to see our traveller's success in sighting them.
How we work this out.


Elephant

100% success

Giraffe

100% success

Lion

100% success

Zebra

96% success

Hippo

93% success

Leopard

74% success

Wildebeest

74% success

Buffalo

73% success

Sable antelope

70% success

Wild dog

54% success

Cheetah

28% success

Spotted Hyena

21% success

Sitatunga

9% success

Pangolin

4% success

Roan antelope

4% success

Aardvark

0% success

Black Rhino

0% success

White Rhino

0% success

Little Vumbura's location

Look closer at the environment and surroundings of Little Vumbura.


When to go to Okavango Delta Safari Reserves

Our month by month guide: What it's like to visit Little Vumbura in Okavango Delta Safari Reserves


Jan

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Jul

Aug

Sep

Oct

Nov

Dec

Botswana in January

January is at the peak of Botswana’s rainy season. These rains are often in the evening and are short but heavy, with occasional thunderstorms. Temperatures will still be high but cooler than October–December. Animals are generally dispersed, and not easy to spot, with the best game viewing found in the north of Chief’s Island and on the eastern and southern sides of the Okavango Delta.

January is also one of the best months to see the zebra and wildebeest migration in the Makgadikgadi salt pans and at Nxai Pan. Migratory birds abound throughout northern Botswana, along with a large number of breeding flamingos in the flooded salt pans. Rates are generally relatively low, making this a good time to visit on a budget.

  • Temperatures are still warm, with occasional thunderstorms
  • The bush feels alive; birdlife is at its most spectacular
  • Big game is dispersed
  • Zebra & wildebeest migration at its height
  • Availability in lodges and camps is often very good

Our view

A good time to visit, with pros & cons

Weather in January

Botswana in February

The weather in February is very similar to January, with heavy rain most days – often towards evening – and temperatures on the high side, albeit cooling off from the rains and surface water. Across northern Botswana, the landscape feels green and alive; insects and smaller animals are more easily seen, and many birds and animals are raising their young. However, the rains have created pools and waterholes in the bush and thicker vegetation and tall grass makes it trickier to spot larger animals.

Further south, the game viewing is beginning to pick up in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve. Visitor numbers remain low, with attendant rates and availability in camps and lodges.

  • Temperatures still warm with occasional thunderstorms
  • Many animals with young; birdlife at its most spectacular
  • Big game is dispersed
  • Game viewing picking up in the Central Kalahari
  • Visitor numbers are low, so camp availability can be very good

Our view

This is not a great time to visit

Weather in February

Botswana in March

March usually sees Botswana’s main rains starting to tail off. Many days will be clear, with a strong sun raising temperatures. On some days clouds will build, and the late-afternoon may see a short thunderstorm. Across the country, the landscape is green and alive. Many birds and animals are finishing raising their young. Much of the migration is now moving north towards the Savute area or Chobe National Park, though thick vegetation still makes it trickier to spot even larger animals.

March is one of the best times to be in the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, where many of the pans fill up and animals come to drink, closely followed by predators. With few visitors in most areas, rates may still be relatively low.

  • Variable weather: rains tailing off but still hot
  • Occasional small thunderstorms
  • Many animals finish raising their young; birdlife still spectacular
  • The best time to visit the Central Kalahari Game Reserve
  • Few tourists visit during March, so rates often low

Our view

A good time to visit, with pros & cons

Weather in March

Botswana in April

During April the rains have usually stopped, though there may be still be the odd late downpour. This results in clear skies and a lovely green, lush landscape. Night-time temperatures usually start to drop during April with this being most noticeable in the Central Kalahari and the Makgadikgadi areas. The Central Kalahari is really coming into its own at this point and from April through to May/June the Savute region is a particular favourite of ours, with good predator/prey interaction.

In much of northern Botswana, the camps are coming into their “shoulder” season, so rates are on the rise but still relatively low.

  • Evening temperatures cooling with just the odd shower
  • Northern Botswana is green and lush
  • Many animals still with young; good predator/prey interaction
  • Central Kalahari and Savute the best places for wildlife
  • A popular shoulder season time to book. Rates relatively low

Our view

A good time to visit, with pros & cons

Weather in April

Botswana in May

May is a very popular month to visit Botswana, often the last month of the “shoulder” season before camp rates hit their peak. While there is very little chance of rain, the annual floods from Angola are starting to make their way through the northern part of the Delta, and will eventually reach the majority of the Okavango late June.

With cooler temperatures morning and evening, predator activity tends to be higher, although tall grasses can still obstruct game viewing. With cool crisp evenings, and the game viewing really picking up, this is the favourite time to visit for many of our team – and camp bookings throughout Botswana are snapped up quickly.

  • Cool mornings and evenings with little chance of rain
  • Game viewing is beginning to pick up
  • Predator activity increasing, though grasses still quite high
  • Last month of “shoulder” season for most camps
  • Availability goes quickly throughout Botswana

Our view

A very good time to visit

Weather in May

Botswana in June

June is the real start of the dry season. Temperatures are still cool in the morning and evenings with night-time temperatures sometimes reaching freezing, rising to 25–30 degrees Celsius during the day, with blue skies. Along with this comes a certain clarity to the air, favourable for serious photographers. Surface water and waterholes begin to dry up during this period and many animals begin to congregate around the remaining areas with water.

Visibility is improving as the grass is beginning to die back, and game viewing is very good everywhere, with particular improvement in the Kwando–Linyanti areas. Not surprisingly, camp availability is becoming scarce and rates are high.

  • Warm, comfortable days; cold nights, morning & evenings
  • Air clarity favours serious photographers
  • Wildlife is gravitating to waterholes, making game-viewing productive
  • Grasses beginning to die back
  • Most camps are into peak season, with rates correspondingly high

Our view

Fantastic: the very best time to visit

Weather in June

Botswana in July

Evenings and mornings are still cool in July, and this combined with great game viewing makes it one of the most popular times to visit Botswana. Vegetation is really thinning out now making game easier to spot, with the few remaining waterholes attracting lots of wildlife. The north-eastern side of Chobe National Park, along the Chobe River, is also very rewarding, although this area can become very busy.

Game viewing is extremely good in the Khwai areas, too, but again, this is a public area and – unlike in the private concessions of the Delta – vehicle numbers can be high. Camps are now very much into the peak season, and tend to be full.

  • Comfortable days; cold nights, morning & evenings
  • Game viewing very good as vegetation dies back and waterholes dry out
  • Chobe Riverfront and Khwai areas become very busy
  • Private concessions helps to avoid potentially high vehicle numbers
  • Now very much into peak season

Our view

Fantastic: the very best time to visit

Weather in July

Botswana in August

August is a popular time to visit Botswana, coinciding with the European summer holidays, and camp availability is difficult. Temperatures are generally cool at night, and comfortable during the day, although towards the end of the month they can rise above 35 degrees Celsius (albeit with low humidity). Cloudless skies bring spectacular star-gazing. Wildlife has congregated around the few remaining water sources, and much of the vegetation has now died back, so wildlife viewing tends to be varied and rewarding, particularly in the Okavango Delta.

Depending on the rains in Angola this can also be one of the best times to see the delta floods at their peak.

  • Dry, warm days, with mainly cool nights
  • Cloudless skies with spectacular stars at night
  • A fantastic time for wildlife watching, particularly in the Okavango
  • Traditionally one of the best times to see the Delta in full flood
  • Peak season: so high rates and many lodges full

Our view

Fantastic: the very best time to visit

Weather in August

Botswana in September

September is another favourite month for some of our team members. Daytime temperatures are getting warmer, but nights remain cool. With the drier conditions, most of the greenery has faded from the landscape, and dust or even smoke create hazy conditions that aren’t great for photographers – though this does result in fantastic sunsets.

This is another extremely good month for game viewing, with large numbers of elephant and buffalo congregating in the Chobe region and migrant birds begin to return to Botswana. Rates remain high – and availability correspondingly low.

  • Warmer days and cool nights
  • One of the best months for wildlife viewing
  • Large congregations of elephant & buffalo in the Chobe region
  • Hazy conditions less good for photographers, but brilliant sunsets
  • High season rates; many lodges & camps are full

Our view

Fantastic: the very best time to visit

Weather in September

Botswana in October

October is the one of the hottest months of the year, and usually one of the driest. Towards the end of the month the chances of rain can increase, and along with this can come greater humidity. The air is usually dry and hazy, making photography more challenging, but the lack of water and vegetation result in very good big-game viewing.

Water levels are now much lower, so water-based activities such as boating, mokoro trips and fishing cease in many of the camps which are not on major tributaries.

  • Hot temperatures, with the chance of rain towards the end of the month
  • Great big-game viewing
  • Less opportunity for water activities in camps as floods recede
  • Hazy air not great for photographers
  • Final month of the peak season in camps

Our view

Fantastic: the very best time to visit

Weather in October

Botswana in November

November usually marks the end of the dry season in Botswana, when increasing temperatures drive a rise in humidity, sometimes culminating in the first rains. These are often short but very heavy showers in the late afternoon or during the night, and can be spectacular. The rains lower the temperatures slightly but bring a flush of green back into the dry landscapes. As waterholes in surrounding areas fill, wildlife will gradually begin to disperse as it is not restricted by the availability of water.

November is a great time for birdwatching, with the arrival of many migrant birds. The first couple of weeks are very popular with travellers looking for great game viewing at lower rates as Botswana enters the “shoulder” season.

  • Hot in the middle of the day; sometimes humid
  • Heavy showers increasingly likely as the month progresses
  • Wildlife watching still good, but less reliable once it rains
  • Migrant birds start to arrive
  • “Shoulder” season brings mid-range rates in camps

Our view

A good time to visit, with pros & cons

Weather in November

Botswana in December

The rains in Botswana have now started, bringing some respite to the high temperatures. Game viewing becomes harder as wildlife is more dispersed but great sightings can still be had in the right areas such as Khwai and the Kwara and Mombo concessions.

Areas such as the Makgadikgadi Pans change completely with the salt pans becoming covered in a shallow layer of water attracting large numbers of breeding flamingos. Low-season rates at many camps are a draw.

  • Temperatures starting to fall from the highs of October/November
  • Very high chance of rain, usually large heavy storms for short periods
  • Flamingos return to breed at the Makgadikgadi Pans
  • Wildlife more dispersed, so game viewing more challenging
  • Typically low-season rates in the camps

Our view

A good time to visit, with pros & cons

Weather in December

Botswana fact file

Useful information and advice to help you prepare for a trip including Little Vumbura


Excursions from Little Vumbura

Optional extra day-trips and excursions possible whilst you're staying at Little Vumbura. Talk to us: these are usually best arranged before you go.


Helicopter Flight - Botswana

Helicopter Flight - Botswana

Various: from 30 minutes to half a day.

Low-flying, agile and offering superb views, helicopters are an ideal way to move around the Okavango Delta.You can use them instead of fixed-wing inter-lodge transfers or as an addition to other wildlife watching activities, and of course, helicopters can hover to allow that perfect pic, whereas fixed-wings can’t.

More about Helicopter Flight

Other lodges in Okavango Delta Safari Reserves

Alternative places to stay in this same area.


Kwara Camp

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.


93% (219 reviews)
Shinde Camp

Shinde Camp

With experienced staff and a wealth of activities, Shinde offers a traditional safari in an exceptionally varied and wildlife-rich environment.


94% (100 reviews)
Chitabe Lediba

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.


97% (86 reviews)
Splash Camp

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.


96% (77 reviews)
Sandibe Safari Lodge

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.


94% (76 reviews)
Kanana

Kanana

In a beautiful part of the Delta, Kanana focuses on fantastic water activities and birding – including exclusive access to an impressive heronry.


95% (75 reviews)
Chitabe Camp

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.


96% (69 reviews)
Shinde Footsteps

Shinde Footsteps

Small and very rustic, Footsteps across the Delta focuses on walking safaris; it also runs a special children’s programme so is particularly suitable for families.


98% (45 reviews)
Gomoti Plains Camp

Gomoti Plains Camp

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.


93% (38 reviews)
Tubu Tree Camp

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.


98% (37 reviews)
Nxabega Okavango Tented Camp

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.


95% (36 reviews)
Vumbura Plains

Vumbura Plains

Indulgently stylish and luxurious, Vumbura Plains offers superb game viewing and birding on an exceptionally varied private reserve.


96% (37 reviews)
Jacana Camp

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.


99% (27 reviews)
Kwetsani Camp

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.


96% (23 reviews)
Mapula Lodge

Mapula Lodge

For an affordable yet varied safari encompassing a range of eco-systems, the traditional Mapula Lodge takes a lot of beating.


94% (20 reviews)
Duba Plains Camp

Duba Plains Camp

Duba Plains Camp is a traditional safari camp, best known for the thrilling lion and buffalo interaction that is often found here in broad daylight.


94% (18 reviews)
Baines' Camp

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.


92% (17 reviews)
Stanley's Camp

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.


93% (16 reviews)
Duba Explorers Camp

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.


95% (15 reviews)
Little Tubu

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.


100% (14 reviews)
Pom Pom Camp

Pom Pom Camp

Pom Pom Camp lies amidst stunning Okavango Delta scenery. Come for idyllic mokoro trips and great birdwatching, and accept that big-game sightings here are a bonus.


94% (14 reviews)
Pelo Camp

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.


96% (10 reviews)
Mma Dinare

Mma Dinare

Beautifully located in a private concession overlooking the Gomoti River, the traditional Mma Dinare is very well-priced for the Okavango Delta.


98% (9 reviews)
Xaranna Okavango Delta Lodge

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.


90% (8 reviews)
Jao 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.


87% (6 reviews)
Seba Camp

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.


90% (6 reviews)
Abu Camp

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.


70% (2 reviews)
Rra Dinare

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.


90% (2 reviews)
Setari Camp

Setari Camp

Setari Camp stands on an island dotted with palm trees, close to the base of the Okavango’s ‘Panhandle"


100% (2 reviews)
4 Rivers

4 Rivers

4 Rivers is a new camp in a previously in accessible area of the excellent Kwara concession.


100% (2 reviews)
Duke’s Camp

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.


100% (1 review)
Kiri Camp

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.


100% (1 review)
Okavango Delta Walking Safari

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.


100% (1 review)
Atzaro Okavango

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.


No reviews yet
Mokolwane

Mokolwane

Deep in the heart of the Okavango, Mokolwane promises adventure in a largely untouched area.


No reviews yet
Sitatunga Private Island Camp

Sitatunga Island Camp

Sitatunga Private Island: in this pristine corner of the Okavango Delta, even the name is evocative.


No reviews yet
North Island Okavango

North Island

Deep in quintessentially 'Okavango' territory, between deep-water and dry-land habitats, promises to be a great combination from a team who know all about the best in the Okavango.


No reviews yet
Karangoma

Karangoma

New for 2024, Karangoma is a classic, tented camp offering walking, canoeing and game drives, in partnership with the local Bukakwe San clan.


No reviews yet
Qorokwe Camp

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.


No reviews yet
Eagle Island Lodge

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.


No reviews yet

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