For the first time since opening in 1991, Wilderness Mombo on Chief’s Island in Botswana’s Moremi Game Reserve is offering guests the opportunity to experience its wildlife-rich floodplains from both land and water.
Known as one of Botswana’s flagship safari camps, Mombo has long been renowned for exceptional wildlife viewing, with its nutrient-rich floodplains attracting abundant prey species and high concentrations of predators.
Until now, guests have experienced the area exclusively from game-drive vehicles. However, recent regulatory changes have opened the camp’s private traversing area to after-dark activities, allowing guests to embark on night drives for the first time.
Wilderness said that, at the same time, exceptionally high water levels, fuelled by strong local rainfall and seasonal water flowing from Angola’s highlands, have reconnected channels and floodplains around Chief’s Island.
The renewed water flow has made boating and mokoro excursions possible around the camp.
“For more than three decades, the Mombo story has been told from the seat of a game-drive vehicle,” said Simon Stobbs, Wilderness’ Chief Business-to-Business Sales Officer. “Now our guests can head out after dark on a night drive, and glide across the reconnected channels by mokoro or boat.”
Night drives offer a different view of Chief’s Island, with genets, civets and springhares among the animals that become active after dark, alongside Mombo’s resident lions and hyenas.
Wilderness said boating excursions depart from Kubu Jetty on a dedicated six-seater boat fitted with a covered canvas canopy. Guests can enjoy an afternoon safari on the water, with snacks and refreshments included. Mokoro excursions, meanwhile, provide a more intimate experience, with experienced guides poling traditional-style canoes through the newly inundated channels.
According to Wilderness, despite the addition of water-based activities, the area’s renowned game viewing remains a central attraction. Chief’s Island’s private traversing area continues to support high densities of predators and prey, while the reconnected waterways offer a new perspective on the surrounding wildlife and landscape.
