LITTLE VUMBURA CAMP
Okavango, Botswana

Introduction

Little Vumbura is another of our very small camps. The camp accommodates ten guests on a wonderful island in the same region as its sister camp Vumbura in Botswana's Okavango Delta. The focus at Little Vumbura is slightly more on the water activities than at Vumbura as the camp is surrounded by water. This camp is also closer to the permanent waters of the big, fast~flowing rivers. However game viewing by vehicle is very much one of the highlights.

Camp Description
Little Vumbura has five tents under an enormous canopy of ancient Okavango forest with ebony, marula, knobthorn, garcinia and fig being the dominant trees. Attractive palms give the island a wonderful tropical feel and bring the Elephants onto the island, especially towards the end of winter. Each tent is large and roomy and has en suite facilities, as well as an outside shower for those who want to be even closer to nature. The dining room and pub are under canvas and have been built in and around the existing trees. There is a pool for relaxing by in the quiet of the day. One of the camp's attractions is the outdoor dining area. Wooden decks have been built on the floodplains and dinners under the stars are a wonderful experience.

Game Viewing

Little Vumbura has both the wetland and savannah species of wildlife ~ Red Lechwe, Waterbuck, Hippos, Crocodiles, as well as Sable, Kudu, Wildebeest and Tsessebe, who roam the open plains. On game drives we often see more Sable than we do Impala. Herds of Buffalo and Elephant occur here, along with the predators ~ Lion, Leopard, Wild Dog and Cheetah. Guests who enjoy their birding will love the combination of all the Okavango water "specials" with acacia and dry woodland species.

Like Vumbura, this camp offers the full house of activities in boats, mekoros, walks, drives and fishing. Game drives are conducted in open 4x4 Land Rovers with experienced guides. Night drives are possible nearly all year, but may be restricted for a few months in the middle of each year if we have extremely high flood levels. The variety of wildlife here is stunning. Guests can go out by boat in the morning and see Hippos, Crocodiles, Red Lechwe and all the aquatic wildlife ~ and then travel out by Land Rover in the afternoon to see Elephant, Sable and all the dry savannah game.

The Owners

Dereck and Beverly Joubert, two of the most successful wildlife film makers in the world, are partners in Vumbura, Little Vumbura and Duba Plains. They are also dedicated conservationists who are committed to the preservation of wildlife, in particular in Botswana. Dereck and Beverly have worked in the remotest of wild places around the world for the National Geographic Society, producing some of the Society's highest rated and awarded films, books and magazine articles. They lived and worked in Savuti and Linyanti for years and made that area world famous through their films: "The Stolen River", "Eternal Enemies", "Zebras: Patterns in the Grass" and "Lions of Darkness" before moving on to Linyanti. There they continued their work with "Journey to the Forgotten River" and "Reflections on Elephants" that put another area in Botswana into the public's hearts and minds. Working very closely with the Botswana Defence Force, they teamed up to expose poaching in the far north, and through their joint efforts have created the support and means to all but completely eradicate poaching in Northern Botswana. Their latest film, "Whispers: an Elephant's Tale", is yet another first. For Walt Disney Pictures, this film brings the adventures of a baby Elephant to the big screen, the first mainstream wildlife film in theatres in recent history. All the Jouberts' films follow a similar goal: to bring the wonders of wild places to audiences around the world, to break down barriers between us and them ~ and to show that animals have personalities. After all these adventures, having lived and worked in some of the most exciting wildlife land in the world, and editing films in London, Washington and Los Angeles, the Jouberts have returned to Africa and turned their sights and cameras on the Vumbura/Duba area. They have carefully chosen this place and for them the area is perfect. The untamed wildness, the abundance of "big game" and the variety of exciting habitats make it ideal. But, most of all, it is a place where they can implement their conservation principles. For years the Jouberts have had a belief in the importance of communities in the successful future of wildlife. At Vumbura, Dereck and Beverly are working to create a model for community/wildlife partnerships that will lead the way for that future.

Location

o Okavango Delta, north side
o Borders Moremi Game Reserve
o In private reserve

Accomodation

Number of tents:
4 tents in total consisting of:
3 ¾ twin bedded tents
1 kingsize-bedded honeymoon tent
1 guide tent (same as guest accommodation)
This camp can accommodate 8 guests with tour leader
Tent details:
o Canvas tents, en-suite facilities
o Beds look out over the view
o Verandas
o Entrance to tent through double door
o Bathrooms en-suite under same canvas roof within same tent as bedroom
o Outdoor shower
o Soaps, shampoos and insect repellents are supplied in each room
o Fans
o Tents are the same as at Makalolo in Zimbabwe, both bedroom and bathroom have a view, ie they are landscape shaped.

Activities

Type - 50% Game drives, 50% Water activities (but can change depending on flood levels)
Game Drives:
o Game drives via 2x 10 seater open 4x4 Land Rovers each accommodating a maximum of 7 guests, allowing all guests an outside seat.
o Night Drives
Walking Safaris:
o Walks can be arranged on nearby islands (on request)
Water Activities:
o Water game viewing in mekoros (a traditional dug-out canoe) 4x 2 seater mekoros
o 1 Power boat seating 8 guests

Laundry policy

Laundry is done on a daily basis and inclusive in the nightly tariff with the exception of 'smalls' ie underwear, which are not washed due to local customs.

Extras payment

Curios and or imported drinks will be billed to the guest and settled on check out. Payment can be effected by cash (US$), travellers' cheques or the following credit cards: Visa or MasterCard. If guests feel that they want to tip, our recommended tipping schedule is as follows:
Guides - US$5.00 per person per day
General Camp Staff - US$3.00 per person per day
Specialist Guides (if applicable) - US$10.00 per person per day
(This is the suggested gratuity schedule only and is subject to service standards)

Flying times

to/from Maun 38 minutes
to/from Kasane 1hr 15 minutes
Kasane to Victoria Falls 20 minutes but allow additional time for customs and immigration

Air strip details

Located 25 minutes' drive from camp Is licensed for heavier aircraft up to 5700kg, such as King Airs provided that they have flotation gear.
Uses Vumbura's airstrip.
Air strip co-ordinates: S18.57.13, E022.48.71.
Guests are transferred by boat or mokoro into camp.

Electricity

o Camp has a 220v generator. Electricity is run in the kitchen and main areas when guests are not in camp. When guests return from daily activities, generators generally switched off (for peace in camp).
o 12v battery power (charged by the generator) is used for lighting and fans in each guest tent 24hrs a day. Hairdryers etc cannot work here.
o Video battery can be charged by the generator when guests on game drives. Hence bring spare battery and charging unit.
o Solar heated water for showers etc.

Guest Comments

I am trying to think of an appropriate introduction to my report. "Our honeymoon was spectacular" - "I don't know if I am ever going to be able to take P on another holiday without disappointment!!" You did a wonderful job - our trip was fabulous. The flights up to Botswana - Maun - Vumbura went smoothly - The team from Little Vumbura were awaiting our arrival followed by an interesting game drive to camp. The last part of the journey by water is exciting to be welcomed by the whole staff singing on arrival on the dock. A beautiful camp - very well run with great management good food. Our guides / trackers were brilliant. Rex and Kosi found a full variety of game - just before the first evening drive was about to end they spotted the eyes of a Lion - next - we were off driving to three Lions within 10 ft of the Land Rover. We were amazed. Our morning on the mokoro was a highlight to me - but a little low ... in the water for P. Our favorite guide was probably Rex - who also barrelling in daylight after two Cheetahs who brought down a Lechwe - but failed to kill. The next day / evening we were lucky enough to witness the Cheetah successfully kill an Impala. I just wanted to send a quick note about the excursion to Botswana and Victoria Falls. I had the greatest time and it was more than I expected. Thank you for the recommendation. It is truly a place I would return. I especially enjoyed Little Vumbura. It was intimate as there were only 2 others there and the accommodations were superb. The guides Rex and Kit were incredible and we saw much game. I would highly recommend Little Vumbura and Duma Tau. The River Club was fantastic and the accommodations were also wonderful. I would also highly recommend this too. They would do anything for their guests and they did everything for me. Very romantic and relaxing.

D.U.

My husband and I have recently returned from a month's stay in Southern Africa, 6 nights of which were spent in your camps in the Okavango Delta. Our first stop was at Little Vumbura camp and we were so impressed by the warmth and friendliness of all the staff that I wanted to write to you direct to highly commend them. Nothing was too much trouble for Shanny, Laura or Brendan and they were excellent company at all times. Pride of mention, however, must go the guides, Doctor and Kit, who were superb and worked extremely well together as a team. Doctor's enthusiasm was infectious and his knowledge outstanding, each game drive took us to a different part of the area with fresh and exciting sights each time, to say nothing of the wonderful scenery on its own without animals or birds. Please pass on to them our thanks for making our stay so enjoyable and keep the magic going!

G. & A. L S., U.K.

All activities were excellent - well planned, all details attended to. The extra touches added were fantastic, all in all a wonderful relaxing and enjoyable five days in a memorable environment.

G.P. and N.P., Johannesburg

Neither of us can think of anything which could possibly have improved our time at Little Vumbura. The attentiveness of the team was superlative, the guides were excellent, the food superb - it is difficult to describe how grateful we are for the work put into making our stay enjoyable. Everyone in England is going to hear about the memorable time you gave us.

L.C. and C.C., Nottingham, U.K.

We especially enjoyed the approachability of the general staff. Fynn was by far the most knowledgeable of all our guides - tremendous source of information and a really nice guy too, quite an exceptional crew.

C.B., California, USA

Absolutely fabulous so much to see and do. So much wildlife to see on dry and swampy terrain. Need to stay longer, already planning to return and have started to save up the pennies.

V.D and E.D., Cheshire U.K.

Little Vumbura Team, we salute you! it was a privilege to meet you all. We would love to visit you again soon. All the best.

G.R. and G.R., Kleinmond, South Africa

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