Reviews of Little Vumbura
Wildlife sightings and reviews
121 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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"Lovely setting"
It is possible that this may have been due to the exceptionally high water levels this year. Quality of guiding a bit mixed (we had several different guides during our stay)" See all these reviews: 7n in Botswana; 5n in Namibia; 2n in South Africa
"Elephants!!"
Our guide Sevara and trainee guide Piet were both friendly and professional. Sevara grew up in the Okavango Delta and was happy to share with us his extensive knowledge of not just the flora and fauna but also the way of life of people who live in this vast area. He is also a very skilled driver of the all terrain vehicle we used, demonstrating impressive get away tactics when we we were driving off track and came close upon a sizable herd of very large elephants and a very upset matriarch, all of whom decided not simply to charge us but to chase us for some distance. The rest of our animal encounters were spectacular but less adrenalin demanding.
The in-camp highlight was the traditional dinner organized by the staff in the boma area and preceded by singing and dancing which all guests were invited to participate in and of course did. Other camps we visited organized a similar activity but the one at Little Vumbura really stood out in terms of the warmth and enthusiasm of the staff." See all these reviews: 13n in Botswana
"Little Vumbura review"
They offer mokoro trips here and rides on the boat, but most people only do the mokoro as you get a boat ride every day. The mokoro was fun, as an elephant walked across the river right in front of us and we saw baboons in a tree as well as river life.
However, if we did it again, I would not go to a water camp. Other land camps also seem to offer experiences on a river, and I think that makes more sense." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana
"The floods in to the Okavango Delta have been absolutely tremendous this year and have been recorded as the highest since 1963. A number of scenarios have contributed to this including above average rainfall over the past couple of years in the catchment area in Angola; good rains over the Okavango Delta; and heavy late rains. All three factors resulted in a vey high water table which meant when this year's flood came down in to the Delta, instead of seeping in to the ground it rose to cover a far great area than usual (since 1963).
From an environmental perspective, the high water levels will lead to a fantastic regeneration process for the years to come. From an experience perspective for our guests, Chris is correct in that rather than the normal 40 minute drive from the airstrip to the boat station and a 10 minute boat transfer in to camp, the transfer became a 10 minute road transfer to a new "boat station" and a 40 minute boat transfer in to camp. This new transfer route was in place for most of June and part of July and we had hoped that the beauty of the transfer and the phenomena of the floods would increase the experience for our guests. However for those guests who were visiting Little Vumbura for predominantly the land/game experience, the boat transfers may have felt too repetitive. Little Vumbura is what we call a combination camp and, by virtue of being located on an island deep in the Okavango Delta but in an area where there is permanent dry land close by, it offers both superb water and game activities.
The flood has now pushed its way quite a long way down and as a result the water levels have dropped in the Little Vumbura and Vumbura Plains area and we are now [Ed: comments received on 31 July 2009] back to using our game drive transfer route in to camp."
"Little Vumbura review"
Big game a little more elusive but water based camp and mokoro trip were highlight of the stay. Personally, I found the night trip back on the channel in the dark, quite scary but it was one of the features my husband loved the most!
The birdlife was amazing and wasn't something I had anticipated before travelling. Our guide, usually Kay, was a font of all knowledge and really made an effort to show all aspects of the area.
Overall, I found the concept of all staff introducing themselves very friendly but overwhelming. I then couldn't remember who was who and was embarrassed by this. I woudl appreciate if staff always wore their name badges." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana; 3n in Zambia
"Little Vumbura review"
Rain ,our guide , was excellent and his knowledge of birds and passion for the wildlife added greatly to the trip" See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana; 3n in Zambia
"Resourceful team at watery Little Vumbura"
Shop was the best of all the camps and camp open layout was the best design. Staff exceedingly helpful and friendly - meeting guests on jetty with glass of sherry a particularly nice touch. Suvara the guide excellent with good viewing of lion with cubs and pangolin!!!!
Less game evident here overall, compared to other camps - ?due to prevalence of surrounding water. This should not dissuade others going there. The experience was very varied and a trip to the Delta would not have been representative without visiting Little Vumbura. Lovely camp!" See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana; 2n in Zambia
"Wonderful start to holiday at little Vumbura"
The exceptionally high water levels in the Okavango, did keep some animals like the Sable antelope I had been looking forward to seeing, away but we still saw plenty of fine Kudu and others. The exhilarating boat rides in to camp and the Mekoro trip were great ways to appreciate the delta. Our landrover did get stuck a couple of times in floodwaters but I have great admiration for the skill of everybody in resolving the "problem".
The managers and staff were all first class and it was very nice to see the singing and dancing, and enjoy the traditional dinner in the Boma on Monday night.
One morning the "resident" camp bull elephant made for entertainment as he pulled down branches nearby as we ate breakfast! before promptly wading across the channel into the reed beds opposite
I can think of nothing negative to say about this camp, and if I had to choose afavourite on my trip this would probably be it." See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana; 2n in Zambia
"Interiors and exteriors at Vumbura"
The decor in this camp was beautiful. I was torn between trying to photograph the animals and capture the interiors of our room! All the staff were friendly and very helpful; it was like a houseparty with friends instead of visiting a 'hotel'. As a typically reserved Brit I was initially sceptical of this arrangement but thanks to the lovely staff (Uno and Karen in particular) it was home from home.
Highlight had to be the mokorro ride where we felt we were truly 'in the Delta'. (But watch out for sunburn from the reflections from the water.) Sharp-eyed guides found us Cape Clawless Otters and were patient as we tried to photograph the jewel-like frogs whilst not upsetting the dugout.
We might have appreciated a little more local knowledge/opportunity to seek out more of the Delta's endemic species of birds - as at all camps the emphasis was on the mammals and as birders we sometimes felt that we would have liked support from a local fellow birder eg no-one semed to know if the Pels Fishing Owl was around. (We did find a pair!).
The drives were through lots of high water but Lazarus our guide was an expert off-roader!" See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana; 1n in Zambia
"Lovely position and a great guide"
The bedroom/bathroom standards were somewhat higher than in Chitabe.
The variety and standard of the food did not match that of the other camps. Orange juice was not available on one of the morningsI
Much more serious, however, was the absence of temperature controls. Food was always warm, never cold or hot. There was one exception to this - a hot mousse(spinach).
In any event I contracted food poisoning. I believe the culprit to be the duck, I never did find out whether it was meant to be hot or cold!" See all these reviews: 7n in Botswana; 2n in Zambia
"Little Vumbura review"
Wildlife viewing was slow to start with the main interest being 3 male lions and the boat trip. Again weather was mixed with one drive being curtailed. Things really picked up though for our last 2 game drives as we saw Sable antelope and a large herd of elephants with young.
The real highlight on both drives though was spending large amounts of time with a pack of 20 Wild Dogs including 2 kills in 5 minutes. Our guide, Rain, really pulled out all the stops to get us in the right place at the right time and allowed us unforgettable views of these wonderful animals." See all these reviews: 15n in Botswana
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