Reviews of Machaba Camp
Wildlife sightings and reviews
35 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Machaba Camp and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa
82% success
94% success
6% success
76% success
100% success
100% success
100% success
94% success
94% success
71% success
69% success
17% success
7% success
7% success
0% success
"Machaba Camp review"
All the staff at the camp were friendly and efficient and one day brunch was set up for us all out in the bush which was great, and one night we had a bush bbq , everyone had gone to such a lot of trouble to make both occasions very memorable.
The game drives were very good too, our guide BD provided us with plenty of sightings of all manner of wildlife including following wild dogs at speed when they were on the move, it was amazing how he sensed which direction they were going.
The only slightly negative point regarding this camp was the number of vehicles which would be around at some of the less common sightings, this was something that we did not encounter at Lagoon or Gomoti, but inspite of this we still had a great stay." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe
Buffalo
10 sightings
Elephant
10 sightings
Giraffe
3 sightings
Hippo
10 sightings
Leopard
3 sightings
Lion
6 sightings
Sable antelope
1 sighting
Spotted Hyena
2 sightings
Wild dog
3 sightings
Wildebeest
10 sightings
Zebra
7 sightings
"Very welcoming "
We really enjoyed every minute we were at the camp and we were paired with guests with similar Safari experience.
This is so important and will make or break a trip." See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana; 3n in Zimbabwe
Buffalo
Multiple sightings
Elephant
Multiple sightings
Giraffe
Multiple sightings
Hippo
Multiple sightings
Leopard
Multiple sightings
Lion
Multiple sightings
Spotted Hyena
Multiple sightings
Wild dog
Multiple sightings
Wildebeest
Multiple sightings
Zebra
Multiple sightings
"Plenty of Game"
Meals were tasty and offered good variety. Good selection of South African wines on offer. The lounge & dining area was nicely fitted out. Service was generally good. Perhaps some of the elephant dung mulch that we saw at a previous camp could have been put over the dirt in the outdoor area to help settle the fine dust. Nice outlook over the river - mostly with elephants or hippo in view.
Tent decor was quite minimalist which we liked. Very comfortable bed. Also enjoyed a 1st rate massage. Note - massage is in your room. There isn't a spa. This wasn't spelt out when I booked and caused a minor confusion.
We did have some issues with the internet. As we had a little work to do online throughout our African holiday I had checked the internet situation at all accomodation before booking. I understood that Machaba had WiFi in the public area. This sounded like we would have no issues getting a short job done & then return to enjoying our holiday. The reality was a little different. The outdoor Wifi hot spot is away from the lounge, near to the camp office. No problem except that we discovered the connectivity was very poor. We really appreciate that the camp manager Richard went the extra mile to ensure we could deliver a job to a client. He allowed us to work in their office at a time when internet was performing better. So drama averted. The take away from this is, if you do need reliable internet, check exactly what is meant by Wifi. We understand Machaba is getting a new service soon which could change things completely.
We certainly enjoyed our 3 nights at Machaba Camp - especially the abundant game." See all these reviews: 7n in Botswana
Buffalo
Multiple sightings
Elephant
Multiple sightings
Giraffe
Multiple sightings
Hippo
Multiple sightings
Leopard
Multiple sightings
Lion
Multiple sightings
Spotted Hyena
1 sighting
Zebra
Multiple sightings
"Chasing wild dogs chasing"
This is a sister camp to Gomoti Plains Camp but the tents feel a little bit more tired compared to Gomoti due to the Camp being older. We didn't see much of management but our guide was excellent and very flexible.
Significantly more vehicles in the area compared to Gomoti as the area also attracts self drivers, but our guide was good at trying to minimise locations with too much vehicle movement." See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana; 2n in Zambia
Aardvark
1 sighting
Buffalo
3 sightings
Elephant
10 sightings
Giraffe
10 sightings
Hippo
10 sightings
Leopard
1 sighting
Lion
1 sighting
Sable antelope
2 sightings
Spotted Hyena
5 sightings
Wild dog
2 sightings
Wildebeest
3 sightings
Zebra
10 sightings
"Warning: Think wice before booking"
1. The Machaba jeeps did not have canopies. We were told different stories as to why that is the case, but the bottom line is that management has apparently decided the sun is not hot enough to justify installing the canvas canopies until sometime in September. Management is wrong! It was miserably hot for the last one and one-half hour or so of the morning game drives, and miserably hot for the first one and one-half hour or so of the evening game drives. The sun was so intense that we used umbrellas as a shield. We saw jeeps from at least 9 other safari companies operating in the area, and every single one had canopies. All the pictures we saw of Machaba Camp when we were booking showed jeeps with canopies and we read nothing that indicated the clients would be exposed to full sun in jeeps without canopies. Had that been disclosed up front, we would have booked elsewhere. While we get that some clients may prefer full sun, management should get that other clients do not.
2. It was the most crowded concession we visited in Botswana. While we read that we would experience more vehicle traffic, we underestimated how much. During one drive there were as many as 12-13 vehicles following a pack of wild dogs! We much preferred the less crowded concessions we toured while at Splash Enclave and Selinda Explorers.
3. The game was few and far between compared to Splash Enclave and Selinda Explorers.
4. The guides (at least ours) were not as knowledgeable or as enthusiastic as our guides at Splash Enclave and Selinda Explorers (perhaps because of #3 above).
The bottom line, if we were to redo our itinerary, we would not go to Machaba. This camp should not be on Expert Africa's recommended list (or at least it should be earmarked with a warning that the safari/game viewing experience will not match other areas in the Okavango Delta)." See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana; 4n in Rwanda
The area around Machaba is not private and it is true that it can be crowded compared to the private concessions. I am sorry that this was a disappointment. Though we usually recommend it because the wildlife is exceptional. So we were really surprised to hear that it was not. These travellers were clearly very unlucky with their wildlife viewing.
The guiding at Machaba is usually very good in our experience. We do sometimes hear that the guides spend a little to much time working off what they know other guides have seen. They talk to the other guides to learn where the animals are. But that should in turn lead to great game viewing.
Elephant
6 sightings
Giraffe
5 sightings
Hippo
3 sightings
Leopard
2 sightings
Spotted Hyena
2 sightings
Wild dog
2 sightings
Zebra
6 sightings
"Great game and guiding"
The game was fantastic - saw dogs a couple of times, including a litter of about 10 pups and a thrilling time following a chase across the landscape. Leopards several times, including a mother with her sub-adult daughter interacting together.
Amazing elephants - big breeding herds which allow you to get right in the middle of them. Very good birds, particularly owls.
All made incredibly special by Shaun, whose passion for the job made it a real joy - he even made a compilation video of our trip and sent it to us as we were leaving.
The camp itself is very nice, lovely main building, nice food. Would definitely go back...." See all these reviews: 7n in Botswana
Elephant
5 sightings
Giraffe
5 sightings
Hippo
5 sightings
Leopard
2 sightings
Lion
5 sightings
Spotted Hyena
3 sightings
Wild dog
2 sightings
Wildebeest
3 sightings
Zebra
5 sightings
"Wonderful river edge lodge "
Guiding / tracking / driving excellent eg following a wild dog hunt .Birds in quanity with particularly eagles / owls .Game wise saw leopard , elephant , croc , hippo , giraffe and most antelope ( particularly waterbuck )A highlight was wild dogs with 12 puppies.Game however was less abundant than at Shinde and guide needed to work hard
Dinner was excellent food / service wise with lovely outside big table .Also they did surprise bush lunch for our party only which was a great treat . Breakfast was however less interesting / rather basic
Makoro trip was very good on beautiful river and bush walk was very interesting .However night drive not very fruitful.
Tents were well appointed with good aspect to river - laundry good . Very nice swimming pool by river with fairly warm water .
Internet connection was poor / frustrating" See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana; 3n in Zimbabwe
Elephant
Multiple sightings
Giraffe
2 sightings
Hippo
10 sightings
Leopard
2 sightings
Roan antelope
1 sighting
Spotted Hyena
2 sightings
Wild dog
10 sightings
Wildebeest
1 sighting
Zebra
10 sightings
"Great camaraderie at Machaba"
Machaba has a lovely relaxed and friendly feel and great camaraderie at dinner. The food is generally extremely good and varied with choices available.
The game drives were great, thanks to our very knowledgeable guide BD. There were generally 6 of us in the jeep, sometimes 4, with some lovely sightings of Leopard, Lion, Wild Dog, Elephant and Hippo.
Machaba Camp doesn't have the immediate visual appeal that some other camps have as everything is in tents, but it is far from basic and has the feel of being "on safari" more than others. The tents have very comfortable beds, a double washstand area, a good inside shower, and there was always plenty of hot water. There are recharging points in the tent. At night the wildlife is all around you, hippos grunting and coming on land to feed at night right by the tent, baboons crashing around and lions roaring, which feels very exciting but might keep you awake at night. Bring earplugs if this bothers you.
The camp is very well run with a good management team and we had a brilliant stay there." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana; 3n in Zimbabwe
Elephant
6 sightings
Giraffe
1 sighting
Hippo
7 sightings
Leopard
2 sightings
Lion
1 sighting
Wild dog
3 sightings
Wildebeest
2 sightings
Zebra
2 sightings
"Machaba Camp review"
"Machaba Camp review"
Food was good" See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana
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