Mombo

Mombo Camp overlooks a floodplain at the northwestern end of Chief’s Island, deep within the Moremi Game Reserve. It is one of Botswana’s flagship safari lodges with a reputation for excellent service, luxury accommodation and exceptional game densities, and a price tag to match.

The main area of Mombo Camp is very large indeed, with a couple of beautifully furnished seating areas and a library with a good selection of reference and fiction. At one end is a well-stocked bar, open throughout the day and where pre-dinner drinks are served. The deck in front of this main area incorporates a firepit and an alfresco dining area, where brunch and dinner can be served. A second, covered dining area lies off to one side. Tea and coffee are available here all day.

The first of Mombo’s two plunge pools lies at the end of a short walkway leading from the firepit. This pool has sunloungers and also a couple of ‘salas’, or day beds. A second, elevated, pool area is reached via the walkway that links Mombo Camp to its smaller, sister camp: Little Mombo. Beside this pool, you’ll find a small lounge with a ‘help yourself’ bar, a couple of relaxing sala beds and a firepit. On another deck there’s a gym, complete with a running machine and some exercise bikes. All afford great views across the floodplain.

All of Mombo’s nine tented suites are raised high off the ground. Large and luxurious, these are timber framed with canvas walls, and mesh windows from floor to ceiling affording great views across the floodplain. A wooden deck at the front shares the views, which can be enjoyed from some very comfortable chairs or the sala bed – which is also a great place to catch a siesta after an early-morning start.

Inside, each suite is furnished with a very large, very comfortable bed complete with bedside lighting and bedside controls for the ceiling fan, which is set within the mosquito net. There is ample storage space for clothes in the form of a wardrobe designed to look and function like an old trunk turned on its side.

Every suite has its own lounge, incorporating a couple of sofas with a coffee table and a small selection of reference books. A cleverly disguised minibar/fridge – a converted travelling chest covered in linen – is stocked with soft drinks, beers and cider, and an assortment of bar snacks. There’s a tea and coffee station and a writing desk with a stack of international plug adaptors (including US and British configurations).

The open-plan bathroom boasts his and hers showers and basins, and a toilet housed in a separate cubicle. A door leads out to an open-air shower, which shares those views across the floodplain. Shampoo, conditioner, body lotion and soap are all provided.

*For a full list of available activities, the best time of the year to visit, and any other relevant enquiries, please contact a Sister Hippo Travel Consultant!