The History of Mombo Camp; Wildlife Haven to Luxury Lodge

Mombo is one of Africa's most highly rated safari locations, due in part to the late discovery of its natural wealth of treasures. In the late 1970’s Mombo, or Borea as it was then called, was known to only a few expert safari hands. The area, seemingly out of reach due to the high water levels that flooded the region at that period in time, remained untouched and on the most part unexplored.

The high water levels meant that the area was known for good numbers of sitatunga and lechwe, both water-dwelling species of antelope sought after by hunters. Needless to say, in 1984 a leading Botswana businessman set up the first hunting camp at Mombo.

Exceptional Wildlife Lures Current Owners

The 1980s however saw a dramatic increase in the popularity of photographic tourism and in 1991, after a brief ownership by another safari company, the lease for the concession was bought by the current owners of Mombo. They had heard of the abundance of the wildlife in the area and were increasingly fascinated by the populations of Wild Dog that had taken up residency in the area.

Over the next few years Mombo’s wild dog were studied, becoming the starring role in a film by National Geographic and the lead characters in Running Wild, a book written on the wild dogs of Mombo. It was at this point that Mombo’s reputation of hosting some of Africa’s finest predator game viewing had started.

In 2000 the camp was moved to its new location, where it stands today. The old site had become somewhat overused and the constant shift in the Okavango’s flood meant that the original site no longer had views of the floodplains.
On June 16th 2000, twenty guests moved from the original site to Mombo Camp. One guest commented ‘I could not believe that this was a camp that had just opened. It did not feel like we were the first guests. The camp looked like it was part of its surroundings. The tents nestled into the trees as if they had been there for many years’. It has not changed and now, six years later, Mombo is Botswana’s most sought after camp, regularly booked 9 months in advance.