Roccco

mv,

I have received pricing from Mad Mike Penman (Wild Lifestyles) and it is about $1000 pppns. I would like to do this for a shorter safari, but I do think that it would be too intense an experience for my wife to do a one week mobile safari, especially with Mad Mike Penman, so that is not possible for now (until she is willing to spend a week in Cape Town with a guest while I bring along someone else for this one week...I think it would be an awesome experience).

I am still liking this itinerary:

Lebala (3)
Savuti (3)
Vumbura Plains or Duba Plains (3)
Little Mombo (3)
Kwara Island (3)

I do wish I could fit Lagoon in there, as well as Chiefs Camp, but unless I start doing 2 nights at each place, it isn't going to happen.

Any idea on whether or not Kwara Island is supposed to be a water camp? I am interested in the exclusivity and luxury (as well as strong wildlife) of the camp, but I would be less interested if it were nothing more than Kwando's version of Jao.

mv

Rocco

to my understanding Kwara Island will be situated in the delta but will offer all activities on an equal basis (game drives, powerboats, mekoros and walks). It will still have access to the same land based areas as the "old" Kwara camp. My "suggestion" for "Mad" Mark Tennant was to use him as a guide in one of the Kwando camps not as a mobile tented safari. He would also be able to teach you a lot about photography. Actually several of the Kwando guides are either photographers or very good about understanding positioning of the vehicle and getting the best light.
I am curious about your selection of Vumbura Plains. In many ways it sounds like a nice camp but to me part of the exclusivity goes away when you have 2 * 7 tents total?

Roccco

mv,

You are right about the high capacity of Vumbura Plains, but I do think it is a very beautiful camp in a beautiful location.

Also, maybe I am being a wimp, but I do not know if I really want 3 nights of lions devouring buffalo at Duba Plains. I mean I like the fact that there is an opportunity for this wherever I go, but it almost seems like I am popping in a "Faces Of Death" video by booking into Duba Plains.

Any idea on when the flood reaches Mombo each year? I have read on their website that it happens in July, but, then again, their website looks like it has NEVER been updated and their updates go back to about 2002!

mv

Rocco

If you read the May newsletter from Mombo (dated June 10) it states that the floods have arrived and the flood is about average this year.
In late June 2002 when I stayed at Stanleys which is on the southern tip of Chiefs Island the flood started arriving there.
You will probably need 3 days at Duba Plains. Apparantly the kill a lot of Buffalo but you have to remember that they dont eat every day unless they have to. Spending 3 days there maximises your chances of seeing at least one kill

Roccco

mv,

That is true about Duba Plains. Just because I visit does not mean I will necessarily see more than one kill...I think I can stomach one kill.

As far as the flood, it is my understanding that it will reach the Jao concession first and the Kwando concession is usually one of the last places each year for the flood to arrive. Does anybody know if this is correct?

tashak

Just for fun, I looked up the W-S website about the Vum camps. Interestingly, they have changed the way they talk about Little Vum. The text used to emphasize water activities, now it sounds like this camp gets all the opportunity to drive that big Vum does. If this is the case and they cover the same area on drives, I'd opt for LV-- smaller camp, bushier atmosphere, same great drives, smaller price. Sounds like the winner to me...

mv

Rocco

Since the Jao, Duba Plains and Vumbura concessions get flooded by the Okavango River and the Kwando concession by the Kwando River I do not think that there is a simple answer to the question. The Jao, Duba Plains and Vumbura concessions will get flooded early in the season. The question is then if the main push will go down the western or eastern side of Chiefs Island which in turn will decide
how much water and when the water will reach the Kwara and Chitabe oncessions on the Eastern side or the Pom Pom concession the western side.
As a general statement I do believe that the peak of the flood is much earlier in Jao/Vumbura than it is in Kwando

Kavey

Tashak, you're right about WS' write up on LV... how strange. Although it was listed as a camp that did offer land activities as well as water (back in 1999 and 2000 when we made the booking for our 2001 trip) it was certainly marketed most strongly as a water camp.

I wonder if it's because their other water camps are proving to be more popular on that front OR whether it's because of a slight change in the patterns of the floods and they are actually able to offer land activities more easily than previously?

tashak

We can only guess...but this also seems to be happening at other water camps. When I considered Jao in 2001 it was a pure, no drives at all water camp. I decided that I preferred to be in a camp that could offer both activities, so I chose Vumbura. When I was at Kwetsani last year, I ran into the vehicles from Jao doing regular game drives during the height of the flood season. A pretty good indication that they are ready to do drives any time of year. So I think they have changed too.
My guess is that they found that the market for pure water is just much smaller than the market for a true do-it-all camp. I know that my travel companion last year would have absolutely refused a pure water camp, but he loved Kwetsani. I think many people fall into this category.

Carol_Hill

We just returned from Little Vum at the end of May. They do have game drives available there at the end of May, at least. In general, although we did see some nice stuff, the level of the game at LV was not nearly what it was at Mombo or Savuti--at the end of May, at any rate.

My trip report regarding LV is at http://www.traveltalkonline.com/foru...o=&fpart=1

girlpolo33

I agree with Carol in regard to the gameviewing at Little Vumbura. There were some good sightings, but we felt the game was somewhat sparse in early June. To be honest, we would never consider returning and much prefer Chitabe and Kwetsane. As Carol mentioned, it was mainly game drive.

tashak

girlpolo, I loved the posts about your latest trip. And I'm a big fan of your other favorite camps, Kwetsani & Chitabe. I do think that sometimes our luck-of-the-draw experiences really color our impressions of camps. (Ex: I'm really down on Duma Tau early in the season, and no one will convince me otherwise.) But I have talked to others who were at Vum last year in early June...as well as Wilderness Safaris employees (when I caught them offduty on flights, etc) and all would seem to indicate that Vum is actually very good in early June...other than that "luck of the draw" factor. For example, when we were at Kwetsani it was all lions, all the time...but the manager told us that for the three weeks before we arrived, there had not been a single cat sighting in the whole area. If that had been our trip, what would I think of Kwetsani? Luck of the draw...

You know, for the statistics minded, I wish that there were actual sighting statistics available, by month, for each camp...maybe by guide? Wow, would that be valuable.

napamatt

Tasha

Good point on stats, the only on line resource I found for that was Mala Mala, but I know that at Savuti last year our ranger was doing counts on all kinds of things for the Govt. I will ask at camps this year if they keep game records and check them out.

Roccco

ttt

Starting to consider my options for this November...however, it was likely this thread that drove me so nuts, that I couldn't even concentrate on Botswana anymore...too confused to even think about it before switching to Tanzania shortly thereafter!

FOR SURE, I am spending about 8 nights at Kwando's four camps and I would like my 6 nights at Vundu and Somalisa in Zimbabwe.

The options are to either add more time in Botswana or:

Islands In Africa's properties

and/or

Sabi Sand

and/or

Madikwe

Maximum of about 22 nights to work with.

santharamhari

HI! Wonder how i missed this thread so far,

Let me add my 2 cents into rating my fav Botswana camps.........

1.) Mombo
2.) Kwando Lebala
3.) Duba Plains
4.) Kings Pool
5.) Kwando Lagoon
6.) Jack's camp
7.) Kwando Kwara.

Those are the only ones i hv been to:

My wish list for future trips include:
1.) Chitabe or Trails
2.) Selinda
3.) Duma Tau
4.) Maybe Vumbura/little vumbura

In terms of wildlife:
1.) Mombo (Cats, Cats and more Cats)
2.) Lebala (Big game......)
3.) Kwara (diversity-cats, dogs, sable)

In terms of camp lounge/tents
1.) Mombo
2.) Lebala
3.) Jack's

Kings Pool is very nice, but IMO it is a bit too over the top...i.e, the rooms

The old Kwara tents are not comparable to any of the other ones on the list. Very average.

Food:
1.) Mombo (hands down #1 with chef Craig)

All the camps are good with food, but, i think Wilderness camps are a little more decadent with it's food and imagination. With Kwando, food is still very good......but the breakfasts are mundane and boring (especially if you travel with them for any length of time)

In terms of staff and camp management

1. Lebala (Wont bother rating the other ones in comparison! The camp managers Harry and Monique are the best

Close second would be Lagoon/Kwara (Jonah/Mel and Grant are great)....Mel and Grant were sub managers during my stay at Kwara, but, Mel is going to be full time in charge of the new Kwara.....Awesome choice by Kwando.....

The Wilderness camps are very good too.....these stand out for me simply because my Kwando trip was more recent and planning my nxt trip bk to Kwando.....

Hari

santharamhari

There's a lot of chat on this thread about Lions/leopards/dogs........top camps for cheetah in Botswana include (in no particular order)

1.) Kwando (lebala and lagoon)
2.) Selinda
3.) Duma Tau
4.) Kwara
5.) Chitabe

High possibility that the same cheetah induviduals and coalitions move through from Duma Tau/Selinda/Kwando. Kwara has had some good cheetah sightings in the recent past. Chitabe, according to other posts from fodorites, is good also.

DJE

Have only visited the following camps/lodges in Botswana and rated them according to the overall experience.

1. Mombo
2. Kings Pool
3. Chobe Chilwero

napamatt

Having now been to more camps in Botswana

Game
Mombo
Kings Pool
Chiefs
Savuti
Lagoon
Mashatu
Sandibe

Accomodation
KP
Mombo
Chiefs
Sandibe
Mashatu
Savuti
Lagoon

crystalsong

ttt

This has been a very interesting and helpful thread. I now have a couple more questions:

Has anyone been to both Chittabe and Little Vumbura, and if so, what are the positives and negatives to each camp? Where is each located, and what are the accommodations like? I understand what Tasha was saying about being in the right place at the right time, with seeing game a luck of the draw, but taking into account personal experiences from all of you on the board, at which one of these camps might we be more likely to see/hear lions?

We will be staying at King's Pool for two or three nights, and Chitabe and LV were recommended to us as good additional choices to King's Pool. Do any of you disagree with this recommendation, and if so, why?

In addition to King's Pool, if we could choose only one other camp in which to stay, what would your recommendation be? We will be in Botswana in very late March/early April.

Thanks for any assistance; all the info I read heere has been so incredibly helpful!

Lin

Rocco do not leave out Jack's Camp! You need to experience it to the full so you can tell your clients how perfect it is!

crystalsong, I have been to both Chitabe and Little Vumbura. RE:location, each camp is just outside of the Moremi Game Reserve. If you picture the Okavango Delta as a sort of hand-shape with the fingers pointing south-east, Chitabe would be at the knuckle of your ring finger and LV at about the spot where the outside of your hand meets your wrist. (sounds kind of silly oh well) But the main difference in location has to do with the fact that Chitabe is a 'dry' camp and LV a 'wet camp'. Chitabe is all about game drives and walking and is located within a huge, dry concession with excellent wildlife viewing and a good chance to see wild dogs. LV is located on a small island in the midst of several delta channels. Access to and from camp and the safari vehicle is via boat.

Chitabe's accommodations were much nicer, but that was in '04 and I hear that LV has now been upgraded. If I had to choose only one of these camps, it would be Chitabe.

However, if you want to experience the delta, and take a mokoro ride, then you should choose LV. The mokoro ride might be nice for you - the sounds will be completely different in the absence of the safari vehicle's loud motor. You'll hear the birds better and the lapping of the water, and maybe even a hippo or two snorting and surfacing.

If hearing the lions roar at night is your dream, I'd choose Chitabe because even if you hear them at LV, they'll be further away, off the island.