Pom Pom Camp Botswana

Known for its ‘soul’ and appeal to safari traditionalists, Pom Pom Camp is an eco-friendly camp located on Pom Pom Island in a private concession in the heart of the Okavango Delta and on the head waters of the Xudum river system.

The area lies on the western boundary of the Moremi Game Reserve and not only offers superb Okavango scenery but also consistent game viewing all year round. Pom Pom is the real deal for those who live & breath Africa.

Pom Pom Camp consists of nine luxury safari tents in true traditional safari style, furnished with en-suite, semi-open ablutions. The tents are uniquely positioned under the shade of the surrounding trees that overlook the Pom Pom lagoon.

Our family safari tent, which is close to the main lodge, accommodates four (two adults and two children), with en-suite facilities. The Camp is set in the tree line overlooking Pom Pom lagoon and each tent has stunning, private views. The camp also boasts a dining room, lounge, bar and swimming pool.

Morning and evening game drives with our qualified guides are an opportunity to view the ‘big game’ and night life that this breath-taking environment can offer. A mokoro trip is a fantastic way to enjoy the sights and sounds of the Okavango’s waterways and wildlife.

Although seasonal, boating and fishing are possible at Pom Pom and our guides will be happy to take you to their secret spots to try for African pike and a variety of bream species. Mokoros, boat cruises & fishing are water level dependent.

Pristine Wilderness
Each of our spectacular camps are set in unique and diverse wildlife destinations. The Kwara Reserve in the Okavango Delta is 175,000 hectares while the Kwando Reserve in the greater Kwando-Linyanti region spans 232,000 hectares (that’s 30 times the size of Manhattan!) and only has only two camps as well.

Our Tau Pan camp is just one of two camps within the vast expanse of the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, while we are the only camp within Nxai Pan National Park, with the best access to the magnificent Baines’ Baobabs.

Trackers
The guide and tracker combination on every game drive is Kwando Safaris’ forte, providing the benefit of two sets of roving eyes and keen ears that miss nothing as you traverse the wilderness of northern Botswana.

Your experienced guide is also able to fully focus on imparting interesting information and bush folklore to you, while the skilled tracker guides you through the undergrowth and across the open plains.

Flexible Timings
We believe the bush dictates the time of your meals, and your safari as a whole, and not the other way around. This is why you’re here, in the wild.

Should your vehicle be out following an amazing sighting, your meals will be kept toasty and warm, awaiting your return. Similarly, families with younger children may opt to return earlier in line with their children’s preferences.

Private Concessions
We operate in exclusive concession areas offering some of the most consistently high-quality game viewing in the country.

Don’t fret about missing a photographic opportunity in the Kwara or Kwando Reserve, as these private concessions mean that you can go off-road and closer to sightings for that money shot. Night drives are also available in which shyer nocturnal animals can also be spotted.

The Personal Touch
We pride ourselves on the personal attention from committed staff. With no more than 18 guests per camp, your safari is in the hands of experienced and talented managers with whom you will definitely create a personal connection with.

Each safari vehicle with three rows of three seats, only takes a maximum of 6 guests, in which you are assured the attention of your guide and also the comfort to have sufficient space to spread out your gear.

Digital Detox
There were never any phones or laptops back in the early days of safaris. Kwando subscribes to this mindset and your safari is dominated by the sounds of nature (more often than not, right outside your tent!) and not the pinging of your mobile phone. Disconnect: your phone is now just a camera. Relax, recharge and revitalize yourself… The bush is a healing place.

Game Drives
Our custom game vehicles comfortably seat maximum of 6 guests in three rows of three seats at all our properties. At Kwara, we take no more than 4 guests at a time in the same 9-seater vehicle.

Guests are guided by a two person team, enabling the guide to communicate points of interest while the tracker ensures no sightings or tracks are missed.

Night drives are a Kwando Safaris speciality. Beginning in the late afternoon as the sun sets, the African day is transformed into a soft colourful evening canvas; unexpectedly revealing the creatures of the night!

Nature Walks
While game vehicles traverse much greater distances, nature walks inspire, humble and afford a remarkable appreciation of Africa’s natural environment. Your eyes will be opened up to a world of smaller plants, insects and tracks easily missed while in a vehicle.

Game walks are not hikes, and are meant to be comfortable strolls providing you with a chance to experience the wilderness in all it’s beauty. Walks can be combined with game drives or mokoro trips and the length of walk can be adjusted to suit your personal desires or level of fitness.

Fishing
The Okavango and Kwando Rivers are both renowned as an excellent destination for fly fishing and traditional spin fishing. Unfortunately fishing is not possible during the months of January and February due to government regulations.

Species targeted by sports fisherman are several species of tilapia (including the olive bream or nembwe, red breasted tilapia, purple faced largemouth and three spot tilapia), the sharp tooth catfish, African pike and the mighty Tiger fish.

Boat Cruises
Available at Lagoon, and the Kwara Reserve camps, the boat experience is soothing and relaxing as you drift along the river. Watch elephants bathe, gaze at a multitude of spectacular birds species or hear the snort of a territorial hippo! Double-decker boats are used to provide a better vantage point and offer a wonderful position to enjoy the waterways and their varied inhabitants.

Mokoro
This traditional dug out canoe is surely the experience definitive of the Okavango Delta. The complete stillness of an early morning in the Delta is truly a sublime experience. Glide through its varied and unique waterways and floodplains in this traditional mode of transport.

Private Vehicles
Move to the beat of your own drum… Should you wish to go out on a full day drive, long walks or simply want to benefit from the 1 on 1 interaction and knowledge of your guide, you may choose to book a private vehicle for your stay, and perhaps one of our seasoned private guides.

Botswana Safaris
Kwando Safaris is owned by John Mynhardt, a citizen of Botswana and prominent businessman. John and his wife, Janie, have a deep appreciation for the wilderness regions and recognise the special place that the wilderness occupies in their lives.

To this day John, Janie and their three children continue to enjoy the remote Kwando concessions as often as possible and believe in sharing their love of the bush by promoting an intimate and traditional safari experience for all the Kwando Safaris’ guests.

You can be sure that when you come to Botswana on a Kwando safari, there will be a friendly and welcoming atmosphere that will prevail from the time you step off the plane to the day you leave.

Take Your Family On An Adventure
We love the wild, and we want your children to learn to love it too. Kwando Safaris believes in providing opportunities for families to come on safari, with personalized schedules for each family, made possible with booking a private vehicle – which includes your dedicated guide and tracker at each camp.

Caring for children is a full time job and we know that. Your guide will be with you through your stay, and will take your children under his wing while you take a well-deserved break.

Programmes vary for each family and are based on the ages, gender and interests of the children.

Our guides’ aim is to not only keep them entertained but ensure that they learn a great deal under their expert guidance. Activities on offer include spoor castings, using spotlights, fishing, mammal, bird and plant identification, making greeting cards out of natural materials and identifying wildlife sounds at night.

The staff also involve the children in camp duties and they are often found preparing snacks for their game drives with the chefs!

At Kwando Safaris we also understand the importance of a good guide who understands your childrens’ needs. Please speak to your agent about reserving a family guide who will introduce your children to the bush and keep their curiosity piqued about learning all about the wild.

Take A Picture, Not A Trophy
Kwando Safaris is considered by many to be the safari operator of choice for the discerning wildlife photographer, due to our long experience in guiding and hosting professional photographers and filmmakers.

Basic Equipment
Many of today’s ‘all-in-one’ (no removable lens) point and shoot digital cameras will allow you to take excellent pictures, as the animals are often within close enough range of the vehicle.

Although having one with you is great, it isn’t entirely recommended as your primary camera. A DSLR camera (digital single lens reflex) is highly recommended should you wish to take exceptional, quality wildlife images.

While not always practical, one should consider bringing two cameras even if the second is a smaller, less functional backup. If something happens to your ONLY camera on your safari, you will lose opportunities which may never be repeated.

Batteries
It goes without saying that these are very important. You do not want to miss that ‘once in a lifetime’ sighting because your batteries have died. Ideally one should bring two sets of rechargeable batteries so you can swap them when one runs out. All Kwando Safaris camps have recharging stations.

The electrical voltage in Southern Africa is 220V (versus 110V in the U.S.). Remember to check the recharging device you have to make sure it accepts 220V. If not, you’ll need the converter to avoid irreparably damaging your re-charger.

Lenses
One can take excellent images of nearly all wildlife with wide-range zoom lenses such as a 200-300mm or 300-400mm, and a 600mm f/4 may being a better choice for bird photography enthusiasts. A 400mm lens with auto-focus capability will allow you to take advantage of virtually every photo opportunity from your vehicle.

Camera Support
Stabilising your camera becomes more pronounced when using longer focal-length lenses. We recommend bringing your own empty stabilising beanbags that you are accustomed to using with your photographic equipment.

We are happy to provide dry rice grains to fill your beanbags (due to weight limit on the light aircraft flights). You are also welcome to use your tripod and gimbal (2 legs on the floor of the vehicle and the 3rd leg on the seat), should it not obstruct anyone else’s view.

Binoculars
This is a great piece of equipment and will contribute hugely to your safari experience. A specialist birder would likely choose a 10x magnification, while for general wildlife viewing the smaller 8x magnification will be sufficient.

Explore Botswana In Summer
The summer rains are a time of plenty in Africa; mammals are fat and healthy and for many species, it is a time to bring their young into the world. The bush is an emerald green, dotted with an abundance of flowers and migrant bird species arrive in their thousands.

For the experienced African traveller and specialist photographer, this is the time to visit southern Africa. The 5 Rivers Program is a strategic alliance between long-standing partners offering an affordable range of safari camps, covering all major wildlife locations that occur around the five major rivers in the region.

The 5 Rivers Safari runs from 15th November to 31st of March, a very special time of the year to visit southern Africa.

During this season; rainfall and vegetation are plentiful, mammals are healthy, and many species bring their young into the world at this time. The bush is emerald green in colour with an abundance of flora and large flocks of migrant bird species.

Website: www.kwando.co.bw

Rooms: 9

Price: from 1.080 EUR per night