Little Vumbura Camp

distinctive Camp | Okavango Delta, Botswana

(5.00)
| Read Reviews | Write a Review

An intimate escape hidden on a picturesque island, Little Vumbura Camp is surrounded by floodplains and the deep, clear channels of the Okavango Delta, a magnet for a diverse array of wildlife. Little Vumbura sits within a private concession in the northern reaches of the delta, with excellent access to the diverse habitats that sustain a multitude of species. Mokoro canoe rides and wildlife drives put guests in the midst of all the wildlife action.

Photo of Court Whelan

Our Expert Says

Little Vumbura is on an island, with a focus on great water activities, but you can also experience traditional wildlife drives—the best of both worlds of the famed Okavango Delta, in my opinion.

– Court Whelan


Little Vumbura Camp, enticing room with bathroom, two twin beds under expansive white canopy, checkerboard sheet design, light stained wood floor

The Camp

Location: Okavango Delta
Number of Tents: 6

A sense of remoteness and adventure grows as you approach Little Vumbura Camp, which is accessible only by boat. The annually flooded grasslands of the Okavango Delta that surround the camp offer optimal viewing of the area’s large wildlife populations and abundant birdlife. Little Vumbura is comprised of six tented rooms shaded by canopies of old trees. Each spacious tent is luxuriously appointed with locally inspired decor, wood floors, en suite facilities, showers with a view, plush towels and scenic vistas of wetlands and wildlife from the private verandas. Open-air lounges and raised walkways make guests feel at one with the delta. A plunge pool and reading area overlook the floodplains, while a stargazing deck is accessible from an intimate outdoor dining area.

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Little Vumbura Camp, pristene blue central pool, sundeck with accompanying reclining seats, large tufts of light green grasses, Botswana, Africa

Facilities & Amenities

  • En suite bathroom with open-air shower (1 tent has outdoor shower and tub)
  • Family Accommodation: 1 family unit, 2 en suite inter-leading bedrooms (1 king bed and 2 twin beds) with private entrances connected by shared deck
  • Shampoo, conditioner, soap, lotion and insect repellent
  • Room fan
  • Tea/coffee in room
  • 220v charging outlets in room
  • Wi-Fi available
  • In-room safe
  • Central pool
  • Laundry included
  • Local drinks included (house alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks)
  • Credit cards accepted (Visa and MasterCard)
  • No air conditioning, hair dryer, telephone or cellular coverage

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Photo: Wildlife Viewing & Activities

Wildlife Viewing & Activities

Surrounded by water and lying close to large rivers, water-based activities are a focus at Little Vumbura Camp. Traditional mokoros meander through the floodplains captained by experienced polers. Motorboats make their way along the permanent channels offering seasonal viewing of elephant, giraffe, impala, sable antelope, kudu, zebra, common waterbuck and reedbuck, tsessebe, wildebeest, red lechwe and Cape buffalo. Encounters with hippo and crocodile are also common along the waterways. Wildlife drives in open 4x4 Land Rovers allow guests to get strikingly close to the wildlife of the drier regions. Predators include African wild dog, several resident prides of lion, leopard, cheetah and the African wild cat. Walks around the islands (seasonal and subject to a walking guide being in camp) provide opportunities to experience nature from a more intimate perspective. Year-round the birding around Little Vumbura is exceptional, with many migrant species present in summer. Highlights are Pel's fishing owl, wattled crane, slaty egret and fan-tailed widowbird.

The Okavango Delta is a year-round wildlife viewing destination, with the peak mammal viewing in the dry winter between June and October and fantastic birding all year. The below chart shows major wildlife sightings. Other typical sightings may include small mammals, such as jackals, foxes, caracal and serval, and a wide variety of birds and reptiles. Exact sightings will depend on weather and wildlife movements and can vary from camp to camp, since many camps are located on islands.

Country Park/Reserve
Buffalo
Cheetah
Eland
Elephant
Giraffe
Greater Kudu
Hippo
Hyena
Leopard
Lion
Sable Antelope
Wild Dog
Wildebeest
Zebra
Botswana Okavango Delta

Usually viewed
Frequently viewed
Occasionally viewed
Sporadically viewed
Rarely to never viewed

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Climate

Month Max Min Rainfall
January 90° F 64° F 4.21 in
32° C 17° C 107 mm
February 88° F 63° F 3.11 in
31° C 17° C 79 mm
March 86° F 61° F 2.8 in
30° C 16° C 71 mm
April 84° F 54° F 0.71 in
28° C 12° C 18 mm
May 79° F 45° F 0.2 in
26° C 7° C 5 mm
June 73° F 43° F 0.12 in
22° C 6° C 3 mm
July 75° F 46° F 0.0 in
23° C 7° C 0 mm
August 81° F 48° F 0.0 in
27° C 8° C 0 mm
September 91° F 57° F 0.0 in
32° C 13° C 0 mm
October 95° F 59° F 0.91 in
35° C 15° C 23 mm
November 91° F 66° F 2.2 in
32° C 18° C 56 mm
December 91° F 66° F 3.39 in
32° C 18° C 86 mm

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Little Vumbura Camp, welcoming wooden path to safari camp, sea of green grasses, enveloping trees above lounge area, Africa safari, Botswana

Conservation

Little Vumbura Camp is part of a community participation plan known as the Okavango Community Trust (OCT), which brings the benefits of ecotourism to the local communities of the Okavango Delta. The five villages, which are located on the northern perimeter of the Okavango Delta in the Moremi Game Reserve, are part of the trust, which helps to manage the affairs of the community to ensure that rewards are fairly distributed. The Okavango Community Trust has developed a partnership with the owners of Little Vumbura Camp in order to create a mutually beneficial ecotourism model for Botswana residents and visitors alike. The land on which Little Vumbura Camp is located is leased from the community. Locals benefit from employment opportunities, skills development and the camp’s ongoing commitment to support higher living standards in the community.

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Reviews for Little Vumbura Camp

(5.00)

Review Little Vumbura Camp
Month of travel: February
"Little Vumbura was our very favourite camp. Everything about it was extraordinary. The camp itself was charming, the food fantastic and the staff were so warm and welcoming. Millie and Hamish, a newlywed couple who ran it were wonderful. They made a point of talking to and getting to know each of us, and usually one of them were there to greet us with a tray of drinks after a game drive and boat ride. Thata, who ran the gift shop was a delight and a gem. We stayed in contact with her via skype after we returned home. Nothing was left to chance as far as comfort was concerned - I would have liked to have our bed shipped home! I loved being able to get out on the water each day as well as on land and each day brought a new adventure. We saw wildlife here that we had not seen in other places such as tsessebees, beautiful sable antelopes and colourful waterbirds like the saddle billed stork. Wonderful memories come flooding back as I write this - I 'd go back in a heartbeat! Pauline Harmon"
- P. Harmon
Month of travel: April
"From your own private island, at the tent camp on Little Vumbura, you can do it all...canoe in a mokoro, fish and explore the papyrus waterways by motor boat, photograph the rich wildlife on land from safari vehicles, watch a hippo slosh its midnight snack on your front lawn, have an elephant eat his way around your tent cabin (I have a pix of his eye so close to the tent that, with his 5 inch long lashes, fills the frame), eat in style under a thatched roof, outdoor dining area, be treated to some native music and dancing, experience some unique species like hammerkops, red lechwes, crocs, saddle billed storks, fish owls, and tsessebes, as well as many of the usual big five and birds galore. The staff there is warm and friendly and treat their guests like family. We arrived by boat with them waving a welcoming hello and left with them waving a sweet goodbye from their dock. Our memories of Little Vumbura and the Okavanga Delta are rich and vivid. I would give this versatile and diverse safari camp the highest rating possible. "
- J. Dixon
Month of travel: May
"The location of the camp was, for me, the perfect compliment of land based and water safaris. Having spent the previous 2 weeks doing daily morning and evening drives, it was a nice change of pace to have the water activities as an option. It added a new element to the safari experience for me and I gained a better appreciation for the dynamic ecosystem present in the delta. The wildlife viewing was spectacular with our visit to a hyena den one of my highlights. Watching their behavior with the little pups was truly endearing - not something I had associated with hyenas before. The camp itself was an ideally located & serene setting where the staff always made us feel welcome and at home - a wonderful addition to our time there."
- C. Abbott
Month of travel: April
"Little Vumbra was a great introduction to the wildlife of the Okavango. The camp is in a great location and wildlife was always close by. The food was exceptional and creative. I especially enjoyed the friendliness of the staff. "
- S. Beer
Month of travel: June
"Beautiful camp and I loved the option for mokoro rides in addition to the game drives. We could have stayed a week here."
- T. Lebsack

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