Wilderness Vumbura Plains

Character and identity

Vumbura Plains sits on stilted decks above the floodplain in the northern Okavango Delta, rebuilt from scratch as a contemporary timber, glass and canvas camp with thatched roofs and raised walkways high enough for a hippo to pass beneath. Just 14 rooms span two mirror-image camps, with palettes of blue and green and waterlily motifs threaded through upholstery, shower screens and throws. Days alternate between game drives, mokoro paddles, delta boat trips and optional helicopter and balloon flights. Cooking leans plant-forward and hyper-local (try Mma Glo's tswii, a waterlily-rhizome stew), and service runs warm and familial, with staff drawn from the surrounding villages.

Who's it for

Bottom line

The draw here is the water: this is one of the few camps in Botswana from which you can genuinely explore the Delta's channels and lagoons by mokoro and motorboat, paired with strong land game and an unusually heartfelt local staff. Book it as the wet-country leg of a multi-camp Botswana itinerary, target the May to October flood season for peak waterway access, and budget for a helicopter flight while you're there.