Pom Pom Camp - Kwando Safaris — Hotel in North-West District

I had punctual, smooth flights over the Delta with Moremi Air and, on being met by the guides Ryder and O.B. they combined a game drive with the trip to the lodge where a leopard sighting welcomed us on the outskirts – a good omen for the game we saw later.||||The raised tent chalets are spacious with good bathroom lights so putting on make-up is not a hit and miss affair! At the front there is an open decked veranda, for an unimpeded view of the lagoon and then another veranda behind sliding screen doors so you can sit “outside” but not be bothered by insects or curious animals. Then another strong gauze sliding door to the bedroom area. Perfect for viewing and for peaceful sleep despite any animals you hear during the night. Don’t forget to use the little book you’ll find in your chalet which lists the animals, birds etc. so you can tic them off and better remember what you’ve seen and what their names are.||||The drives were varied and exciting with big cats, little cats (genet) hyena with pups and many species of antelope, jackal, elephant even a big porcupine at night – rattling into the river, then deciding we were a safer bet than the crocodiles and swiftly turning back towards us.||||We were provided with a warm blanket and hot water bottle on the truck as the early morning and evening can be cold in winter months. Bring your own warm kit because sitting up high, where you get the best game viewing, can be cold. ||||Stopping for sundowners later we were offered the “The Sentinel” Okavango gin which has just been awarded a medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition for being delicately delicious. I sipped and sipped and concurred with the judges.||||The food in the lodge was tasty and plentiful and diverse enough for vegetarians. The manager and all the staff I met were helpful and cheery and full marks to Veronica, who had been cleaning my room after I left it to check out, and rushed to return a blouse that I’d forgotten in the wardrobe. ||||Cruising along in a boat in the early evening set the hippos off, harrumping warnings at us not to encroach their habitat. The sunset on the river was spectacular and the birds many and varied:- Colourful/musical/noisy/large/small/hovering/diving/fishing/squabbling/flirting and the guides can give you all the information better than I can. There is a marvelous variety of game but I don’t want to spoil the surprise so it’s better to go and see...

I had punctual, smooth flights over the Delta with Moremi Air and, on being met by the guides Ryder and O.B. they combined a game drive with the trip to the lodge where a leopard sighting welcomed us on the outskirts – a good omen for the game we saw later.||||The raised tent chalets are spacious with good bathroom lights so putting on make-up is not a hit and miss affair! At the front there is an open decked veranda, for an unimpeded view of the lagoon and then another veranda behind sliding screen doors so you can sit “outside” but not be bothered by insects or curious animals. Then another strong gauze sliding door to the bedroom area. Perfect for viewing and for peaceful sleep despite any animals you hear during the night. Don’t forget to use the little book you’ll find in your chalet which lists the animals, birds etc. so you can tic them off and better remember what you’ve seen and what their names are.||||The drives were varied and exciting with big cats, little cats (genet) hyena with pups and many species of antelope, jackal, elephant even a big porcupine at night – rattling into the river, then deciding we were a safer bet than the crocodiles and swiftly turning back towards us.||||We were provided with a warm blanket and hot water bottle on the truck as the early morning and evening can be cold in winter months. Bring your own warm kit because sitting up high, where you get the best game viewing, can be cold. ||||Stopping for sundowners later we were offered the “The Sentinel” Okavango gin which has just been awarded a medal at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition for being delicately delicious. I sipped and sipped and concurred with the judges.||||The food in the lodge was tasty and plentiful and diverse enough for vegetarians. The manager and all the staff I met were helpful and cheery and full marks to Veronica, who had been cleaning my room after I left it to check out, and rushed to return a blouse that I’d forgotten in the wardrobe. ||||Cruising along in a boat in the early evening set the hippos off, harrumping warnings at us not to encroach their habitat. The sunset on the river was spectacular and the birds many and varied:- Colourful/musical/noisy/large/small/hovering/diving/fishing/squabbling/flirting and the guides can give you all the information better than I can. There is a marvelous variety of game but I don’t want to spoil the surprise so it’s better to go and see...

Why are there not more reviews of Pom Pom camp? This was hands down our favorite camp during our Botswana trip as a family of 4 with two teenage girls. We loved the cold lemongrass-scented towels and welcome 'Djumela' song on arrival and the warmth of the staff, especially our exceptional tracker Gordie and guide Oni, and the managing team of Onks and Ritz. We stayed in the family tent, which was wonderful, with an exceptional setting overlooking a lagoon with tons of wildlife, comfortable and luxurious beds for being in the middle of the bush, two outdoor showers with hot water, two indoor flush toilets, free laundry service, wifi in the tents, and above all, serenity. We had uniformly exceptional game drives with Gordie and Oni, seeing the beauty of the Okavango Delta up close with its totally unique landscapes (compared to our prior safaris in Sabi Sand, the Serengeti, and Namibia). The game drives were ridiculously awesome - we thought each one could not be topped, with close encounters with roaring lions, leopards (MANY close leopard sightings), elephants, cape buffalo, red lechwe, and even the one white rhino who lives in the neighborhood! On our last game drive, we saw the 'big 5' in a span of 2 hours - not just seeing them from afar, but really seeing them all up close and getting a chance to really see their behavior, smell them, and experience the magic of being in the proximity of these amazing animals. We love the philosophy of going out to see what we're going to find and not rushing back on any specific schedule but staying with an interesting group of animals for a long time - it felt like an omakase safari experience and one perfectly tailored to our interests. We happened to be there at a low occupancy time before a large group was scheduled to arrive, and the camp bent over backwards to make our stay as wonderful as possible, even setting up a private candlelight dinner on our last night in our tent, which was absolutely magical and a great time to reflect on life and our trip as a family. Thank you so much to Onks, Ritz, Oni, Gordie, and the whole team at Pom Pom for giving us the most memorable safari experience...