Vumbura Plains Camp
The new Vumbura Plains (pronounced Vumbera) Camp is a luxury camp situated to the north of Mombo, in a private concession bordering the Moremi Game Reserve in the extreme north of the Okavango Delta.
The Vumbura Reserve offers both land and water activities in a park that has a wonderful variety of habitats and a great diversity of wildlife. Mokoros (dug-out canoes) traverse the flood plains under the guidance of polers from the BaYei tribe, who have been using mokoros as their traditional form of transport for hundreds of years. Boats take guests onto the larger and deeper areas of water (water levels permitting). Open 4x4 Land Rovers allow close proximity to animals in the savannah areas.
This is possibly the only area in the Okavango where one can see red lechwe from a mokoro in the morning, then a Sable antelope from a game vehicle in the afternoon. Add in lion, leopard, elephant and buffalo along with all the plains game, and one has an excellent all around animals, experience in a remote corner of the Okavango. Walks on the islands give guests the opportunity to enjoy Africa from a different perspective.
Vumbura Plains consists of two seperate camps linked by raised boardwalks and each has its own dining, lounge and bar area although all 28 beds or parts thereof can be utiliszd for larger parties. All 14 of the luxury rooms are raised off the ground on wooden platforms with walkways connecting them to the main living areas. Each room has a large, very comfortable bedroom, a lounge, a "sala" and en-suite facilities with a shower, a flush toilet and an outdoor shower under the stars. The main dining, lounge and bar area is also raised off the ground and tucked beneath a canopy of shady, indigenous trees with a wonderful vista across the floodplains. Each room has its own plunge pool.
Vumbura Plains and Little Vumbura are part of the same community participation plan as Duba Plains. The aim is to bring the communities around the Okavango Delta into the tourism mainstream. The villagers who live to the north of the Okavango have been granted the rights to this area, which allow them to derive direct benefits from the wildlife through significant concession fees, employment opportunities and training.
While at Vumbura, you will be in the filming area of Dereck and Beverly Joubert, two of the most successful wildlife film makers in the world, with documentaries such as Eternal Enemies: Lions and Hyenas and Reflections of Elephants under their belt. They are also dedicated conservationists who are committed to the preservation of wildlife and believe that the future is dependent on a partnership with the community. Dereck and Beverly have worked in the remotest of wild places around Africa for the National Geographic Society, producing some of the Society's highest rated and awarded films, books and magazine articles. After more than 20 years of searching for the best areas in Africa, they have chosen Vumbura and Duba as their base, an indication of just how good the area is. As reclusive as they are, you just may see them sitting in the hot sun waiting for the lions to spring into action, or come across them digging their vehicle out after a difficult water crossing to get to a leopard.