Wilderness Vumbura Plains
A modern-style safari camp that wouldn’t look out of place in an architecture magazine, Wilderness Vumbura Plains is designed and operated in total empathy with its diverse surroundings. Partnerships with local communities in this region of the Okavango Delta have created empowerment opportunities while allowing guests access to its many treasures.
Fourteen light, airy guest suites feature designer fittings and touches of unabashed luxury, including private plunge pools and salas, as well as indoor and outdoor showers. Safari activities focus on day and night game drives through a variety of game-rich terrains. Seasonal water activities can be very rewarding.
INSIDER'S TIP: Enjoy the use of the spotting scope for exceptional viewing of birds and wildlife. If you are lucky, you may even catch a glimpse of the resident otter family!
About the Wilderness Vumbura Plains
Highlights
- A sublime location in the far north of Botswana's iconic Okavango Delta – a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest inland delta on Earth.
- Finest multi-purpose concession in the Okavango Delta for wildlife, and year-round land and water activities.
- Annually inundated grasslands offer a photographic paradise, showcasing phenomenal predator and prey action.
- Dreamy Delta waterways, riverine and island woodlands and vast floodplains invite adventure: day and night game drives, nature walks, and boating.
Destination: The Vumbura Plains Private Wilderness Area is found in the northern-eastern Okavango Delta adjoining the Moremi Game Reserve. Its prime position in the dry savannah interior, set on one of the main channels that feeds the Delta, means year-round adventures on land and water. Contemporary and luxurious, the camp is as lavish and lush as its beautiful surroundings, which are home to an abundant and diverse array of wildlife, including large – and small – predators. The 60,000-hectare (148,263-acre) private concession is leased from five villages through the Okavango Community Trust (OCT), a partnership that spans many successful years of impactful conservation tourism in the area.
Experience: The camp offers exceptional opportunities for families and friends to reconnect and enjoy shared adventures in one of the world’s most pristine wilderness areas. Guests can look forward to thrilling game drives spotting iconic wildlife. Here water safaris by boat or traditional mokoro (dugout canoe) explore the waterways where elephants wade, and countless birds brighten the sky. Guided walks are also on offer with our passionate guides, who enthral with their deep knowledge and love of the bush. In camp, guests can enjoy a leisurely afternoon at their suite’s private pool, soaking in the glorious views and watching the wildlife parade. Evenings are a sensorial adventure, recounting the day’s safari by a crackling fire and feasting on our chefs’ local delights.
Purpose: The Vumbura Private Wilderness Area is leased from remote rural communities who are members of the Okavango Community Trust (OCT). The result of this long-standing and impactful partnership includes socio-economic benefits, livelihood diversification, and training and skills development for the villagers – as well as building on a positive attitude to tourism and conservation. The largest number of employees within our Botswana operation are employed from these five villages.
Wildlife: The annually inundated grasslands of the Delta surrounding Wilderness Vumbura Plains are locally referred to as melapo, and deliver prolific seasonal viewing: elephants, giraffes, impala, sable antelope, kudu, zebra, common waterbuck as well as reedbuck, tsessebe, wildebeest, red lechwe and Cape buffalo. Following this exceptional diversity of ungulates is a vast array of predators, including iconic African species such as lion, leopard, the occasional cheetah, African wild dog and wildcat. This all results in an immensely rich and thrilling wildlife experience. Hippo pods and basking crocodiles can often be spotted in and along the waterways, while birding is exceptional all year round.
Wilderness Vumbura: Celebrating its sense of space and purpose, this stylish and contemporary camp provides the highest level in comfort, wonderful local cuisine and impressive attention to detail from the warm and professional staff members.
Set on raised decks in the midst of annually inundated grassland the camp is a marvel of engineering design. An artful, contemporary balance of wood, glass, and canvas, reflecting the rich colours of the Delta.
It comprises two satellite camps, each with its own main area encompassing expansive vistas across the vast floodplains, and furnished with beautiful local objets d’art, which showcase the camp’s successful partnership with the Okavango Community Trust (OCT) – created to highlight Vumbura's heritage through design and art.
The camp is one of the most spacious offerings in the Okavango Delta, with generous and supremely private guest suites each featuring a plunge pool and outdoor sala.
The lodge is located in the Okavango of the North-West.
Features
The lodge is rated as Premier Camp by Unspecified.
Room facilities include Electrical Outlets, En-Suite, Fan, Hair Dryer, Internet Access (Complimentary), Laundry Service (Complimentary), Lounge Area, Mini Bar, Mosquito Nets, Outside Shower, Plunge Pool, Safe, Tea / Coffee, Verandah,
The lodges appeals to a number of special interests such as Birding, Nature, Wildlife,
There are numerous activities on site such as Bird Watching, Boating, Catch-and-release Fishing, Game Drives, Massages, Mokoro Excursion, Night Drives, Walks (Guided),
Activities off site include Cultural Tours, Helicopter Scenic Flights,
The property boasts a number of facilities Bar, Library, Pool, Private Vehicle Available,
Languages spoken include and available services are Credit Card,
Activities
The lodge offers some unique activities to suit your tastes.
Wilderness Vumbura Plains – Game Drives
Morning and afternoon game drives are offered in open 4x4 vehicles. Bringing you closer to many thrilling interactions being played out in the wild, our knowledgeable guides are the vital link between guests and the intricacies of the natural world.
Wilderness Vumbura Plains – Guided Nature Walks *
Wilderness Vumbura Plains’ unique community concession agreement means that many of the professional guides here grew up in this area, adding an extra layer of authenticity and cultural relevance to their expert tracking and identification skills. Swap your game drive for a nature walk, and marvel at the smaller things you may miss when travelling by vehicle.
* Seasonal and subject to the availability of a qualified walking guide.
Wilderness Vumbura Plains – Night Drives
After dark game viewing with filtered spotlights allow you to find intriguing nocturnal animals.
Wilderness Vumbura Plains – Mokoro Excursions *
Wilderness Vumbura Plains truly an Okavango experience, and there is no better way of viewing game and exploring the channels than by traditional mokoro (dugout canoe). The wondrous wetland habitats result in a multitude of aquatic life, and these excursions reveal the fascinating smaller creatures of the Delta including colourful frogs and lively waterbirds.
* Water levels permitting.
Wilderness Vumbura Plains – Boating *
Excursions by boat are another idyllic form of water wildlife exploration in the amazing paradise of the Okavango Delta.
* Water levels permitting.
Wilderness Vumbura Plains – Fishing *
Fishing is on a catch and release basis, and the Vumbura Private Wilderness Area, is considered one of our best fishing areas as there is permanent water all year round. A limited supply of basic equipment is available at camp, whereas all fly fishing equipment is to be supplied by guests if required.
* Note that fishing is seasonal as it is prohibited by Botswana law in January and February due to breeding purposes.
Wilderness Vumbura Plains – Birding
The birding at Wilderness Vumbura Plains is as varied as it is exceptional all year round. Search for some of the the hundreds of bird species, from lilac-breasted rollers, to carmine bee-eaters, and secretary birds. Or even the Pel's fishing owl! In the summer months many migrant species are present, while other specials which are regularly seen include wattled crane, slaty egret, chirping cisticola, fan-tailed widowbird, pink-backed pelican and possibly rosy-throated longclaw for the dedicated birders.
Wilderness Vumbura Plains – Wilderness & Olympus, A Visionary Partnership *
As part of this unique collaboration, lightweight and compact OM-D photography equipment has been provided for guests to try out a number of the impressive features offered by Olympus. The picturesque vistas at Wilderness Vumbura Plains will amaze even the most seasoned safari explorers, and we hope that you will enjoy learning more about wildlife photography with our passionate guides.
* Olympus Photo Hub experience dependent on camera availability.
Wilderness Vumbura Plains – Children in the Wilderness
Children in the Wilderness (CITW) is a non-profit organisation supported by ecotourism company Wilderness Safaris, which aims to facilitate sustainable conservation through leadership development and education of children in Africa.
Insight, care and commitment are required to conserve Africa’s pristine wilderness and wildlife areas. If we are to ensure that these places continue to exist – in this generation and those to come – we need the rural children of Africa to understand the importance of conservation and its relevance in their lives. Hence, our Children in the Wilderness programme: an environmental and life skills educational programme for children, focusing on the next generation of decision-makers; inspiring them to care for their natural heritage and to become the custodians of these areas in the future.
This is achieved in a variety of ways – from hosting Eco-Club programmes at local schools, to running camps at Wilderness Safaris and partner camps, for the children within the rural communities that live on the edges of the wild areas of Africa.
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