Pom Pom Camp

OVERVIEW:

Pom Pom is an old-school island camp with a picturesque lagoon-facing setting west of the Okavango Delta’s iconic Moremi Game Reserve. Highly recommended for the traditional safarist, this rustic bush experience combines classic canvas tents with a quintessential Delta setting and great year-round game-viewing opportunities. Owned and run by the Kwando portfolio, the company operates 12 camps across the Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park, the Makgadikgadi Pan, and the Central Kalahari Game Reserve, each within a private concession. Accommodation is booked on a full-board basis, including all meals and snacks, all local-brand drinks, scheduled activities, and a laundry service.

ACCESS & LOCATION:

Pom Pom Camp is located within the Pom Pom Private Concession at the headwaters of the Xudum River system, west of the Okavango Delta’s Moremi Game Reserve. The camp is accessed by light aircraft flight (20 minutes from Maun or an hour and a half from Kasane), followed by a 5-minute drive from the airstrip.

ACCOMMODATION & FACILITIES AT POM POM CAMP:

There are nine guest tents at Pom Pom Camp, including a designated honeymoon tent and one family unit, all shaded by trees and overlooking the picturesque Pom Pom Lagoon. Each is raised on a lagoon-facing wooden deck, arranged simply with foldable safari chairs and a table. As the tents are Meru style, an exterior layer of canvas extends over their inner layer to provide a shady veranda. The interiors are simple in design and comprise three separate spaces. On entering a standard tent, you’ll find a living area with comfy seating, a tea-and-coffee facility, a charging station (international multi-plugs and USB), and a writing desk that doubles as a vanity table. Timber-framed mesh doors lead into the bedroom, which contains a double bed or twin beds, a wooden storage chest, and an overhead fan to keep you cool. Another door towards the back of the tent leads through to the washroom, with a flush toilet, twin washbasins with mirror over, a wardrobe with hanging space and shelving for clothes, a digital safe, spare blankets, insect repellents, and an emergency horn. A further door opens onto the outdoor shower, and the honeymoon tent also has an outdoor bathtub. The family tent benefits from all the features of the standard unit, but it connects to a second, smaller en-suite tent with twin beds (it’s possible to add an extra bed for a third child). Tent 2 has a wheelchair-friendly toilet, and the camp has ramps to public areas.

The canvas, timber, and thatch communal space at Pom Pom Camp is accessed from the guest tents along well-marked sandy paths. Open-sided for guests to enjoy the beautiful views, inside there’s an open plan lounge, communal dining room, and bar stocked with soft drinks, local beers, and spirits, plus a selection of South African red, white, and sparkling wines. Private dining is available on request, and light breakfasts are enjoyed around the fire before morning safari activities. There’s also a small curio shop. A ramp leads down to the inviting open-air fire-pit, the camp’s focal point for guest gatherings during the early mornings and for pre-dinner drinks and storytelling. Adjacent to the main building, there’s a swimming pool with a few sunloungers – the perfect spot for relaxing in between activities, and you might catch sight of some of the resident wildlife, such as bushbucks, baboons, and black-collared barbets!

ACTIVITIES AT POM POM CAMP:

Pom Pom Camp offers a thrilling mix of things to do. Some activities are season dependent, and the minimum age for nature walks and mokoro excursions is 12 years.

• Game drives

  – Expertly led morning and afternoon game drives cover much ground within the diverse Pom Pom concession, with its sprawling savanna, grassy plains, acacia woodlands, and Delta waterways. Close to the famous Moremi Game Reserve, it’s a haven for wildlife here, including four of the Big Five – lion, leopard, elephant, and buffalo! Don’t forget to look out for smaller predators and herbivores too, such as cheetah, hyena, jackals, wild dog, hippo, giraffe, wildebeest, zebra, and a fine assortment of antelopes. Bird enthusiasts will marvel at the variety on show, not least jacana, pied kingfisher, and Pel’s fishing owl. Please note that a private vehicle must be booked for any groups containing a child or children aged 6–11 years.

• Night drives

  – Venture out after sunset, and you can enjoy exciting sightings of the concession’s nocturnal beasties! Your guide will introduce you to such species as honey badger, dwarf mongoose, porcupine, and the delightful pangolin.

• Bush walks

  – Take to the bush on a fascinating nature walk led by an experienced guide and take note of the concession’s smaller lives, often unseen from the confines of a vehicle, including plants, insects, and feathery friends.

• Boat cruises

  – There’s endless fun to be had exploring the concession’s waterways on a boat cruise. So much life inhabits the Delta’s water channels, from hippo to Nile crocodile, and tiny reed frogs to abundant waterbirds.

• Mokoro excursions

  – A mokoro is a dug-out canoe led by an experienced poler, offering guests the chance to experience the Okavango Delta’s waterways by traditional means. This is a hypnotically tranquil experience, and since the mokoro doesn’t have a motor, you’ll be able to dedicate your full attention to the sounds of mammals, reptiles, and birds all around.

• Helicopter flights

  – With doors off for unrestricted views, a scenic helicopter flight allows guests to explore some of the Delta’s less accessible permanent waterways, palm islands, and lagoons. This is a truly spectacular way to take in the magnificent, unfenced landscapes of the Okavango in the company of knowledgeable pilot guides. Please note that this activity incurs an extra cost.

*This property is unfenced and located in a wildlife area, so large and potentially dangerous animals do pass through. If you opt to stay here, always be alert when walking around the camp and request for a member of staff to escort you if you have any concerns. Any guest is escorted after dark as a matter of course.