Highlights

• Private NG27A concession west of Moremi with genuine off-road tracking and night drives
• Kwando's guide-and-tracker teams, widely regarded as among the best in Botswana
• Mokoro and boating trips departing directly from camp during flood season, May to September
• Nine canvas tented suites on a hippo-filled lagoon, one with an outdoor honeymoon bathtub
• Consistent leopard sightings in the woodland habitats plus resident wild dog and lion activity

You Should Know

• Minimum age is 6; families travelling with children aged 6 to 11 must book private activities
• Walking and mokoro activities are for children aged 12 and over
• Charging points suit sleep apnea machines but not hair dryers
• Wi-Fi is limited to basic messaging and email
• Tent 2 has a wheelchair-friendly toilet and ramps to public areas; other tents are on raised decks

The Details

Pom Pom sits in the Pom Pom Private Concession (NG27A), just west of the Moremi Game Reserve, overlooking a lily-strewn lagoon at the headwaters of the Xudum River system. The camp airstrip is around a five-minute drive away, roughly 20 minutes by light aircraft from Maun and an hour and a half from Kasane.

This is a camp for traditionalists. Canvas tents, thatched public areas, a firepit set into the sand, and long evenings debriefing the day's game viewing over dinner. Kwando has kept the property small and intimate rather than glossing it up, and the appeal is the old-school Okavango feel: rustic, warm, and unpretentious.

The surrounding woodland and floodplain hold strong populations of leopard, lion, wild dog, elephant and spotted hyena, and the concession's private status means genuinely off-road driving and night drives that most public reserves in Botswana no longer allow.

Accommodation

There are eight tented suites plus one family suite, each raised on a private viewing deck with outside seating that looks over the lagoon or into the treetops. Interiors are furnished with armchairs, a ceiling fan, tea and coffee facilities, a writing desk and a charging station with international multiplugs and USB. En-suite bathrooms have double vanities, flushing toilets, indoor and outdoor showers with hot and cold water, and gowns. Rooms can be configured as a king double or two three-quarter twins.

One tented suite includes an outdoor honeymoon bathtub. The family suite is a standard en-suite tent connected to a smaller tent with its own bathroom, and an extra bed can be added for a third child. A digital safe, spare blankets, insect repellent and an emergency horn are provided in each tent.

Game Drives

All activities are hosted by Kwando's guide-and-tracker teams, with a maximum of six guests per vehicle so every seat is a window seat. Game drives run in open 4x4s fitted with USB ports, and photographic beanbag supports are available on request. Roof canopies can be removed at the guide's discretion when conditions allow.

Because Pom Pom sits on a private concession, guides can drive off-road to follow leopard, lion or wild dog on foot, and night drives are a standard part of the offering. Nature walks with specialist walking guides are available for guests aged 12 and over. During the flood season, roughly May to September, mokoro and motorboat trips depart from camp; fishing is available in open season, March to December.

Dining

Meals follow the rhythm of the game viewing rather than a fixed timetable. A light breakfast is served around the fire before the morning activity, followed by a tea and coffee bush break and brunch on return. High tea precedes each afternoon drive, with snacks and sundowners in the bush, and dinner is served when guests return to camp. Communal dining is standard, with indoor and outdoor options and private meals on request.

Soft drinks, local beers, spirits, and a selection of South African red, white and sparkling wines are included, along with a water fountain. Specific wines and premium spirits can be arranged in advance at extra cost. Vegetarian, vegan and most dietary requirements are catered for with notice.

Price Includes

• All meals and a fully inclusive drinks selection, including house wines, local beers and spirits
• Twice-daily safari activities, including game drives, night drives and nature walks
• Seasonal mokoro and boating trips from camp during flood season
• Complimentary laundry service (delicates excluded)
• Return road transfer between Pom Pom airstrip and camp