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Mbamba

Where the wildlife action never stops.
Location
Northern Okavango Delta
No. of rooms
12 Rooms
Price Range
US$ 995 – US$1,995 per night
Dates Open
Year Round (from April 2025)
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Mbamba

Wildlife adventure awaits

Our new tented camp, brought to you by the Uncharted Africa team in the private NG12 concession in northern Okavango Delta, is where your wildlife adventure awaits. Located in an area that offers excellent game viewing year-round, here the wildlife action never stops. Every bit a Ralph Bousfield camp, it offers a blend of remarkable guided wilderness experiences and a classic safari style.

The camp is in a superb setting where you’ll instantly be immersed into the Okavango Delta’s true wonder.  With some of the best safari guides in the business, and a variety of land and water-based activities,  you can look forward to a rewarding wildlife experience in this game-rich private concession. In-between action filled game viewing activities, relax around the camp pool or take a siesta in the comfort of your air-conditioned tent. This is an ideal camp for those seeking a deeper understanding of the natural world in a very relaxed environment.

PROTECTING A CRUCIAL WILDLIFE CORRIDOR

Simply by making the choice to visit Mbamba you are already leaving a positive impact on conservation in the area. Human-wildlife conflict is one of the biggest issues that we face in conservation, and it’s particularly prevalent in areas where villages and predators are within close proximity. Our award-winning Elephant Express project and our support of communal herding programmes on the border of the concession help to minimize human-wildlife conflict in this crucial wildlife corridor.

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LOCATION

Mbamba is situated in the northwest sector of the Okavango Delta adjoining the renowned Moremi Game Reserve. The unusually large size of the concession, coupled with limited human impact and a vast abundance of wildlife, ensures a stay at Mamba offers reliable game watching.

When to Visit

Mbamba is open year-round, offering unique adventures in the Okavango Delta during each season. The best time to visit is between April and October, the dry winter months when the Delta is in full flood, providing ample opportunities for mokoro and boat activities. Game viewing is exceptional during this time, with elephants and antelope navigating flooded channels for excellent photo opportunities.

From October to March, the landscape transforms during the Green Season as the first rains bring a fresh flush of growth and vibrant colour. While the main rains usually arrive from November onwards, the build-up brings warmer days, dramatic skies, and the occasional early thunderstorm. As conditions change, water levels in the channels gradually recede, and access to perennial channels for boat safaris and mokoro excursions is dependent on the local rains and flood conditions.

Signature Experiences

Predator Action

Night Game Drives

Mokoro

Birding

Boat Safari

Amenities

Over-Bed Cooling System

Pool pavillion

Library

Wi-Fi

Outside Dining

Get up close

Watch the
livestream

Livestream Highlights

Why you'll Love It

Superb game viewing year-round

This private concession is home to an impressive density and variety of wildlife, including rare and sought-after species.

Reliable predator viewing

The area around camp is known for its reliable predator viewing, especially for observing endangered African wild dogs and lions.

Classic safari style

Every bit an Uncharted Africa camp, it offers a blend of exceptional guided wilderness experiences and a classic otherworldly safari style.

Wild & Exceptional experiences

With top quality guiding on a variety of land and water-based activities this is a rich and rewarding wildlife experience.

Ideal for families & larger groups

Well suited for families and larger groups, this is an ideal camp if you’re looking for comfort, affordability and an epic wildlife experience.

CLAWS

CLAWS (Communities Living Among Wildlife Sustainability) plays an integral part in protecting both lions and livestock. By collaring and tracking lions and facilitating a return to traditional herding practices, whereby a herder accompanies livestock, lion-livestock interaction is reduced and the perceived conflict between lions and farmers can be alleviated.
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Vintage Safari Feel

Accommodations

Designed in the iconic Ralph Bousfield safari style, Mbamba offers 12 stylish canvas tents (4 double, 6 twin and 2 family), carefully positioned under the shade of an impressive stand of large leadwood trees. The tents are on slightly raised wooden decks and revel in the much-loved Bousfield vintage safari aesthetic of plush fabrics, mahogany sideboards, Persian rugs and romantic four-poster beds, all infused with a yesteryear charm. Each tent offers spacious en-suite bathrooms, over-bed cooling systems, and a private veranda that sits elegantly under the bows of the trees to offer respite from the heat, and stunning views of the Okavango Delta.

The main mess area at Mbamba is a delight with its draped fabric and collections of ancient artefacts. Relax in the two lounges where you can spend your time perusing the cabinets or grabbing a drink from the well-stocked drinks cabinet, read a book from the small library or relaxing around the camp swimming pool. Meals are served family-style at the long table. Dine under the stars or under canvas, followed by stargazing around the firepit before saying goodnight.

At a Glance
  • 12 tents: 4 doubles, 6 twins and 2 family units
  • En-suite bathrooms with indoor showers
  • Over-bed cooling system, mosquito net and standing fan
  • Swimming pool pavilion
  • Power: 24-hour electricity in all guest tents (100% solar-powered)
  • Wi-Fi available: Yes
  • Hairdryers: No
  • Complimentary laundry service
  • Child Policy: Children from 6 years are welcome
  • Disabled access: Please enquire with reservations
Amazing Encounters

Wildlife

Mbamba occupies a 220 000-acre concession in the northern Okavango Delta, neighbouring Vumbura, Duba Plains, and adjoining the renowned Moremi Game Reserve. Its vast size, limited human impact, and abundant wildlife make it a truly wild and untouched Delta experience. The camp itself is pitched under a stand of large leadwood trees and the surrounding landscape of tawny grasslands interwoven with shimmering channels, ancient woodland and ilala palm-islands, is beautifully pieced together to create a wildlife utopia.

With the high carrying capacity of this concession guests can look forward to impressive wildlife sightings throughout the year. Lush grasslands sustain large herds of herbivores – including African buffalo – while the Okavango’s iconic elephants are here in abundance, with guests often enjoying thrilling sightings. And where the prey go, the predators follow, this corner of the Okavango Delta is said to have some of the highest concentrations of lions in the Delta, where prides are known to hunt big prey. It is also particularly renowned for observing endangered African wild dogs with a top denning area close to camp.

The birdlife in this region is equally remarkable, with more than 350 species recorded in the region, including the endangered wattled crane, Hottentot teal, carmine bee-eater, Pel’s fishing-owl and the African fish eagle adding to the enchanting Delta soundtrack.

Experiences

What to see and do

Get access to a range of experiences that can be enjoyed during your stay

Game Drive

Game drive through this rich habitat in search of thrilling wildlife. The area is known to be a top denning area for wild dog.

Night Drives

With your high-voltage spotlight, head out just before dark on a night drive to observe the nocturnals that come into view after dark.

Predator action

Where the prey go, the predators follow and this area is said to have some of the highest concentrations of lion in the Okavango Delta.

Explore the waterways

Explore the winding waterways on mokoro or motorised game-viewing boat, witnessing extraordinary wildlife as you float on by.

Birdwatching

The Delta is a haven for birders, with more than 350+ species spotted in the region, keep an eye out for beautiful bee-eaters or the Pel’s fishing-owl.

Visit Tsodilo Hills

With over 4,500 individual Bushmen paintings, this fascinating World Heritage Site is a treasure trove of ancient rock art!

Fishing

From March-Dec, grab a fishing rod to try a bit of fresh water Okavango Delta fishing.
Okavango Delta Activities PDF
Making a difference

Our impact

When you visit, you will be directly supporting the following Natural Selection conservation initatives:

Communal Herding for Lion and Livestock Protection

This communal herding programme by CLAWS safeguards cattle, creates employment, reduces retaliatory killing of lions and restores overgrazed landscape
View project

Elephant Express

Supporting human-wildlife coexistence by providing safe transportation for school children and healthcare providers through an elephant corridor.
View project
Get a glimpse

Watch our video

Mbamba Story

Mbamba story

Mbamba means ‘hello’ in Botswana’s Bukakhwe San Bushman dialect and is a very appropriate name for this welcoming new tented camp. Part of the Uncharted Africa portfolio, Mbamba joins Duke’s Camp and Duke’s East in the NG12 concession in the northwestern region of Botswana where the Okavango River begins to spread out, creating the world’s largest inland delta.

Before the opening of Mbamba, Uncharted Africa owner Ralph Bousfield spent over ten years camping both privately and on mobile safaris in the game-rich area that the tented camp now calls home. The camp’s design was thus developed in intimate connection to the land and the rhythms of the area’s wildlife. The canvas tents and the winding paths between them are laid out under the shade of existing leadwood trees and the aesthetic radiates the vintage charm and communal atmosphere Uncharted Africa camps are known for. While there is plenty of modern comforts to be found at Mbamba the camp’s primary focus remains squarely on offering guests a truly exceptional guided wilderness adventure.

Special Offers

Explore hidden Gems

Botswana Stay 6 pay 4

Combine two 3-night stays and enjoy 6 nights for the price of 4!
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Honeymoon Special Offer

We’re feeling the love! Honeymoon with us and one spouse stays for 50% off in participating camps.
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Long Stay Combination Rates

Book now and enjoy incredible savings with our Long Stay Rates in Botswana and Namibia!
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