African Safari Accommodation | Vumbura Game Lodge

Vumbura

VUMBURA AT A GLANCE
Vumbura (pronounced Vuumbera) is a 16 bedded luxury tented camp situated to the north of Mombo, in a private concession bordering the Moremi Game Reserve in the extreme north of the Okavango Delta. Vumbura offers both water and land activities. Mekoros (dug-out canoes) traverse the flood plains under the guidance of polers from the BaYei tribe, who have been using mekoros 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 savanna 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 round game experience in a remote corner of the Okavango.

Walks on the islands give guests the opportunity to enjoy Africa from a different perspective. Each one of the rooms has en-suite facilities with hot and cold running water, a shower, and flush toilets. Each room has an outdoor shower under the stars! The main dining, lounge and pub area is tucked beneath a canopy of indigenous trees with a superb view across the floodplain. The camp has a plunge pool. Access into this area is only by aircraft and then by vehicle to camp. if the waters are high in winter, we may have to access the camp by mokoro.

VUMBURA FACT SHEET

LOCATION

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

PRICING
January - end June - shoulder rates
July - end October - highest prices
November - end December - shoulder rates

ACCOMMODATION
Number of tents:
8 tents in total consisting of:

Tent details:

Canvas tents, en-suite facilities-2 basins on vanity
Beds in middle of the room with view out of tent
Fans
Entrance into tents through single wooden door
Indoor & outdoor shower for each room
Soaps, shampoos and insect repellents are supplied in each room

CAMP DESCRIPTION

Great multi-activity camp with privacy
Views of plains from tents
Main area encompasses open pub, dining room and lounge under canvas, overlooking the floodplains
Curio shop
Swimming pool

GAME VIEWING
Sable, Elephant, Lion, Red Lechwe, Hippo, Buffalo, Tsessebe, Warthog, Crocodile, Leopard, Cheetah, Waterbuck Note: very large Buffalo herds

ACTIVITIES
Type - 50% Game drives, 50% Water activities (but can change depending on flood levels)

Game Drives:

Game drives via 3x10 seater open 4x4 Land Rovers each accommodating a maximum of 7 guests, allowing all guests an outside seat.
Night Drives

Walking Safaris:

Walks

Water Activities:

Mokoro excursions in 8 mekoros
2 boats that seat 6 comfortably

ELECTRICITY & WATER

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).
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.
Video battery can be charged by the generator when guests on game drives. Hence bring spare battery and charging unit.
Solar heated water for showers etc.

DRINKS POLICY
All local drinks beers, wines and mineral water are included in the nightly tariff, with the exception of premium wines & champagne, and premium liqueurs & spirits.

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 20 minutes' drive from camp
Is licensed for heavier aircraft up to 5700kg, such as King Airs provided that they have flotation gear.
Air strip co-ordinates: S18.57.24, E022.48.72
Airstrip services Vumbura and Little Vumbura Camps
If water levels are high, guests are either transferred by boat or mokoro to camp

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.

COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT
Vumbura and Little Vumbura are part of the same community participation plan as Duba Plains. The aim is to bring the communities, who live 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.