Wilderness's flagship camp on the north-eastern tip of Chief's Island, where the game density is the whole point of the trip.
Mombo sits where the Okavango splits into its main channels, and the water on either side of Chief's Island keeps the animals close. Lion, leopard, wild dog and big buffalo herds are the usual business of a morning drive here, not a lucky day. If you only have three nights in the Delta and want to spend them watching predators, this is where I send people.
The suites are big wood-and-canvas rooms with their own plunge pools and outdoor showers, and the newer Sanctuary adds a lap pool, sauna, ice bath and treatment rooms for the long middle of the day. Game drives run day and night, and mokoro and boat trips are offered when the water levels allow.
Be honest with yourself about the price: Mombo is one of the most expensive camps in Africa, and its reputation means it books out a year or more ahead in the dry season. Families should know that children under 13 can only go on drives if you book a private vehicle. If walking or long water days matter more to you than cats, a camp in the permanent Delta will suit you better.
One of eight double suites of wood and canvas, each with a plunge pool, an outdoor shower and wide windows onto the floodplain.
Two adjoining safari tents, each with its own bathroom, set up for a family of four who want to stay together.
Meals are shared in the main camp and on the decks overlooking the floodplain. The kitchen builds its menus around indigenous and heirloom ingredients, baobab among them, and a private dinner with South African wines can be arranged.
The Sanctuary at Mombo has a lap pool, a gym with treadmills and weights, a sauna and ice bath, meditation cocoons and private rooms for massages, facials and body treatments.
There is a family suite for four. Children under 13 are not allowed on game drives unless you book a private safari vehicle for your group.
| Suites | Eight double suites and one family suite |
|---|---|
| Setting | North-eastern Chief's Island, Moremi Game Reserve |
| Activities | Day and night game drives; boating and mokoro when water levels allow; hide |
| Wellness | Lap pool, gym, sauna, ice bath and treatment rooms |
| Getting there | Light aircraft on Wilderness Air's daily circuits between camps |
| Rate includes | Meals, twice-daily activities, park fees, laundry and local drinks |
Chief's Island, Moremi Game Reserve, Okavango Delta, Botswana
A few of the things we plan for guests in Botswana.
A mokoro is a shallow dugout, poled by a guide standing at the stern. You sit at water level among lilies and papyrus, watching for painted reed frogs, malachite kingfishers and hippos to give a wide berth. It works best from a water camp between June and September, when the flood is high. Ask for an early outing, when the channels are glassy.
The eastern edge of the Delta, where Moremi Game Reserve meets the Khwai River, is some of the most reliable predator country in Africa: lion, leopard and wild dog, which often den here mid-year. Camps in the Khwai community area can drive at night and off-road, which Moremi itself does not allow.
In the late dry season, elephants come down to the Chobe River in their hundreds each afternoon to drink, swim and cross to the islands. A small boat out of Kasane puts you at eye level. The park is busy, so we favour private boats, and Victoria Falls is a short drive away.
Three camps and one waterfall: Chief's Island for big game, the Duba Plains for lion and buffalo, the Chobe riverfront for elephants, and two nights above the Zambezi to see Victoria Falls from the Zimbabwe side.
Tell us your dates and who is travelling. We will check availability, suggest the right room and send a price.
