Place: Contemporary and luxurious, Vumbura Plains, lies in an area that is a mix of water and land habitats – from the beauty of the vast floodplains, to deep waterways and crystal clear channels, permanent swamp and island acacia woodlands, this is a truly premium year-round Okavango delight. The wildlife is abundant and diverse, so that both water and land based activities on vehicles, mekoro and boats deliver an extraordinary all-round African safari experience. The 60 000-hectare (148 263-acre) Vumbura Private Wilderness Area 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.

Wildlife: The Vumbura 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 inland Delta, means year-round adventures on land and water. The annually inundated grasslands of the Delta surrounding Vumbura Plains are locally referred to as “melapo”, and offers superb seasonal viewing of elephants, giraffes, impala, sable antelope, kudu, zebra, common waterbuck and reedbuck, tsessebe, wildebeest, red lechwe and Cape buffalos. Hippos and crocodiles are common in the waterways. Predators include the African wild dog, several resident prides of lion, as well as leopard, occasionally cheetah and African wildcat. Birding is exceptional all year round.

Accommodation: Vumbura Plains is an artful, contemporary balance of wood, glass, and canvas, reflecting the 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 idiosyncratic objets d’art. Perched on raised decks, the fourteen luxury tented suites (eight, including two family units, and six with no family accommodation, at North and South camps respectively – each of the two family units have private decks linking the two separate tents) are unique and stylish in design. Vumbura Plains is one of the most spacious offerings in the Okavango Delta as reflected in the camp’s generous suites with private plunge pool and outdoor sala from where you can view the never-ending wildlife parade. Celebrating its sense of space and culture, this artful and well considered camp – that seemingly floats on water – provides the highest level in safari comfort, enhanced by an outstanding menu and superlative hospitality. A truly Okavango experience, with the promise of endless adventure.

Purpose: The Vumbura Private Wilderness Area is leased from remote rural communities organised under the Okavango Community Trust (OCT). The result of this meaningful and long-standing partnership includes socio-economic benefits, livelihood diversification, and benefits from training and skills development for the people of the villages – as well as building on more positive attitudes to tourism and conservation.

NOTE: Hot air ballooning excursion (weather permitting, and at an extra cost) is offered from mid-April 2022 to mid-September 2022, as well as start May 2023 to mid-September 2023.

Unique Selling Points 

• Vumbura Plains lies in the far north of Botswana’s Okavango Dleta, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest inland delta on Earth
• The annually inundated grasslands provide a spectacular photographic paradise, including phenomenal herbivore and predator sightings – arguably the best antelope diversity in the Delta, particularly sable and sitatunga
• Design elements showcase the core purpose of the camp, and successful partnership with the Okavango Community Trust (OCT) since 1996, with art installations highlighting Vumbura’s heritage through cultural stories and local traditions