Reviews of Pelo Camp
Wildlife sightings and reviews
11 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Pelo Camp and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa
80% success
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100% success
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83% success
80% success
80% success
67% success
40% success
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"Pelo Camp review"
On the last day our guide Johnny let us decide whether to look for wildlife on land or water. We all chose water as we wanted to see the hippos up close. Boy did we ever get our wish! In the deeper waters the hippos congregate as a pod or family except the aggressive male hippos who are outcast by the group. The males can be dangerous as we found out. They were very aggressive and extremely fast for their size. It was an exciting and memorable evening to say the least!
We also had a mother elephant charge our vehicle one afternoon after her young male offspring kept trumpeting at us for no apparent reason. She suddenly appeared from bush trumpeting wildly and came after us to protect her baby! Johnny gunned the vehicle and we were out of harm's way in a matter of seconds. Luckily a woman in our group had her camera on so we got a special video of the episode.
The were fewer species of large mammals but we did see lots of elephants, hippos, crocodiles, giraffes and hyenas. There was also an amazing bird population with many species we had never seen nor heard of before.
I would highly recommend Pelo Camp to others." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana
Buffalo
6 sightings
Elephant
10 sightings
Giraffe
10 sightings
Hippo
10 sightings
Lion
6 sightings
Spotted Hyena
10 sightings
Zebra
10 sightings
"Pelo Camp review"
The central lounge, dining area and bar also sits on an elevated platform and is shaded by large trees and overlooks the seasonal floodplain. We enjoyed breakfast inside the dining area with a nice view. Breakfast started with a buffet of cold cereal, yogurt, fruit and muffins with a hot breakfast cooked to order if we wished. Lunch was a buffet. Dinner under the stars was beautiful and began with a starter, then a buffet of salads, vegetables and meats with dessert to finish. The food was varied and really delicious with lots of vegetables and salads in addition to meats. The pool is just beyond and is connected by a path; it’s a good place to cool off in the afternoon.
The water level in late October was too low for boating activities, but still high enough for a mokoro excursion. It was a peaceful experience and we had a very good viewing of a sitatunga twice along the way. There were lots of birds too.
Game drives were surprisingly productive given the warm temperatures. The waterways that remain are populated with many birds and red lechwe are common. We were fortunate, thanks to our guide Jhonny’s great instincts, to see a small pack of painted wolves (wild dogs) one evening during sundowner; he knew just where they were likely to cross a marshy area after seeing them earlier in the day. We gave chase and watched from a respectful distance for quite a while. We saw lots of elephants and buffalo, some zebra and tsessebe and a few lions.
There is an electric fence surrounding camp to deter elephants from breaking down the trees, but the fence is high enough to allow other wildlife to pass through camp. For that reason, we had to be escorted from our tent in the morning and back to it after dinner. In the daytime we were free to walk on our own but warned to keep an eye out for wildlife.
We thoroughly enjoyed our time at Pelo. The staff went out of their way to give us an enjoyable experience. We really enjoyed dinner and singing in the boma one evening. The landscape is beautiful with large open grassy plains, waterways, and many tree islands. Next time we will visit earlier in the season so we can enjoy the boating activities in addition to game drives and mokoro excursions." See all these reviews: 12n in Zambia; 10n in Botswana; 6n in Zimbabwe
Buffalo
8 sightings
Elephant
10 sightings
Giraffe
5 sightings
Hippo
5 sightings
Lion
1 sighting
Sitatunga
4 sightings
Spotted Hyena
3 sightings
Wild dog
2 sightings
Wildebeest
4 sightings
Zebra
4 sightings
"Pelo Camp review"
Our welcome was not great and there were issues with catering for our dietary requirements due to (it would appear) our requests not being passed on to the kitchen. However, once we made our concerns known, the food dramatically improved, and we finished on a high with a celebratory last dinner on the deck replete with champagne – all delicious it was too. Chefs were superb. Food is help yourself buffet. Maybe better if like other camps, main course could be pre-ordered to save food being cooked unnecessarily?
Our guide Lesh was charming and knowledgeable. He was competent on birds but not outstanding. Nevertheless, the birding here was possibly the best of the three camps - which more than compensated for us for the lack of big predator sightings. While we were aware that his was supposed to be a ‘water-based’ activity camp, the water levels had fallen to such an extent that the camp had reverted to more traditional game driving. Take this into account when booking. Lesh did take us on a great walking safari as well.
Our tents (with solid sliding doors) were comfortable if not quite as well equipped as our previous camps. We think some attention to maintenance is due ( e.g. a broken shower bottle holder resulted in smashed glass in the shower).
To make up for the lack of game sightings – our mokoro trip on the last afternoon was a highlight – a beautiful languorous way to spot birds and animals (some great sightings of the rare Sitatunga antelope).
A
s we said previously, the camp staff were charming but some of them lacked confidence and initiative – and the standing and watching while you eat is a bit disconcerting. Probably better when the camp has more guests – after the first evening we were the sole guests in the camp.
Overall, we’ d say Pelo is a great camp for birding and, when the water levels are high, water-based activities. Not so great for more conventional game viewing through the landscape and flora are fascinating and worth exploring." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana
Buffalo
3 sightings
Elephant
4 sightings
Giraffe
Multiple sightings
Hippo
Multiple sightings
Sitatunga
1 sighting
Wildebeest
Multiple sightings
"Pelo Camp review Good substitute for Jacana"
Good sightings of wide variety of birds, and of many animals which aren't on the sighting list eg steenbok. bushbuck,lechwe, crocodiles, warthogs etc.
Lovely location.
Due to good level of water this year, the grass was rather too high to see much from mokoros, but still a lovely experience." See all these reviews: 11n in Botswana; 7n in Namibia
Buffalo
1 sighting
Elephant
9 sightings
Giraffe
1 sighting
Hippo
7 sightings
Sitatunga
2 sightings
"Pelo a lovely small camp"
We liked the small size of the camp and the staff were all very friendly. Due to the lack of water, game drives were on offer and again we had game drives to ourselves with Lech(?). He was very good at making sure I had my binoculars lined up for animal sightings. We saw 2 leopards, a sitatunga. wild dogs as well as many elephants, buffalo etc. We enjoyed a couple of mokoro trips and saw the rare Pels fishing owl, wattled crane and slatey egret.
Although there was wifi in the rooms this was not working whilst we were there.
The only concern was the lack of co-ordination for boat transfers to and from the lodge. When we arrived from the airport and arrived at the water one of the managers had just arrived and after introducing himself he said to Lech there was no petrol in one of the boats so he would have to transfer some from the other boat At the end of the trip we were ready 30 mins before departure and then heard the helicopter, for our return to Maun arrive, admittedly a bit early. However the lodge then realised there was no boat available for our transfer. Lech took us by mokoro so far and then we transferred to the boat which was returning with guests from their game drive. this was therefore a much slower journey and the helicopter pilot had to wait for our arrival and the other guests had longer in the boat." See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana; 2n in Zambia
Buffalo
4 sightings
Elephant
7 sightings
Giraffe
2 sightings
Hippo
4 sightings
Leopard
2 sightings
Lion
1 sighting
Sitatunga
2 sightings
Wild dog
1 sighting
Wildebeest
1 sighting
Zebra
2 sightings
"Pelo, a lovely island camp"
The camp is very small and intimate with only five tents. The food was excellent and the staff very friendly and helpful, one evening providing some excellent singing and dancing prior to dinner which took place outside in their boma.
The only downside were the clouds of mosquitoes which are prevalent at this time of year." See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe
Buffalo
5 sightings
Elephant
6 sightings
Hippo
5 sightings
Lion
1 sighting
Wildebeest
2 sightings
Zebra
5 sightings
"Pelo Camp review"
We were there for 3 days and we were a bit surprised that we only had one mokoro trip in that time. With hindsight 2 nights here would probably have sufficed.
We really enjoyed our 'traditional' evening in the boma with the attendant choir." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe
"A world apart at Pelo Camp"
David, our guide, was superb. We saw lots of animals of antelopes and elephants and, of course, many wondrous birds. It was a thrill to encounter elephants hidden among the bush on the shore, but also crossing from island to island. The watery scenery with all its plant types--and the compete absence of any sign of humans--was essential to the experience.
The camp is intimate with just five tents so this is a personalized experience, not a group one. I rate the room as average because the toilet is not very private, separated by a curtain from the room. I prefer it to be in its own room as was the case at Sable Alley. However, the views, size and privacy were outstanding. The food was good but nothing special. This is not to complain as Pelo is, after all, a camp in a wilderness. All were excellent considering where we were." See all these reviews: 5n in Botswana
"Pelo Camp review"
The management team is well on top of everything and they are charming. Nothing was too much trouble. The guide who we had was very knowledgable and took great trouble to find out what we wanted to do and see." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana
"Pelo Camp review"
The staff were friendly and helpful. The guides were interesting and informative and the managers Newman and Rauve' were exceptionally friendly and welcoming.
I would thoroughly recommend this camp." See all these reviews: 12n in Botswana
Holiday styles & special interests in Botswana
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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.
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Shinde Camp
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Splash Camp
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Kanana
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Tubu Tree Camp
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Jacana Camp
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Baines' Camp
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Stanley's Camp
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Little Tubu
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4 Rivers
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Duke’s Camp
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Sitatunga Island Camp
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Eagle Island Lodge
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North Island Okavango
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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.
