Wilderness Mombo Has Introduced Night Drives
Wilderness Mombo has introduced night game drives for the first time in its 35 year history a genuine milestone for a camp that has operated under strict daytime only rules since it opened in 1991.
Why This Is a Bigger Deal Than It Sounds
Mombo sits on Chief’s Island, inside the Moremi Game Reserve and until recently, Moremi’s regulations strictly prohibited driving after dark anywhere on the island. That rule has now been lifted by recent regulatory changes, and Mombo has moved quickly to add night drives to its activity list. For a flagship camp that’s spent over three decades restricted to daytime 4×4 safaris, this isn’t a minor tweak it’s a fundamental change to what a stay here can include.
It also lands alongside Mombo’s introduction of mokoro and boating earlier this year, driven by exceptionally high water levels in the Delta. Between the two changes, Mombo has gone from a purely daytime, land-based experience to one that now covers day, night, land, and water a rare combination for any single camp in the Delta.
The Traveler's Advantage
Historically, if night drives mattered to your Botswana itinerary, Mombo wasn’t the camp for it travelers had to look to private concessions elsewhere in the Delta or Linyanti, where reserve rules don’t apply. That trade-off is now gone. Guests can experience Mombo’s renowned daytime game viewing among the highest predator and prey densities in Botswana and add a genuine after-dark safari in the same stay, without switching camps or regions.
What Happens After Dark
Night drives reveal a different side of Chief’s Island than the daytime game drives Mombo is famous for. Nocturnal and rarely seen species become far more accessible after dusk animals that are active, hunting, or simply out and about at night, but easily missed on standard daytime drives. Combined with Mombo’s already exceptional predator density, an after-dark drive here is likely to be one of the more productive night safaris in the region, guided by the same experienced trackers who’ve made Mombo’s daytime sightings legendary.
Our Take
This is a significant, needle moving change for one of Botswana’s most iconic camps not a small add-on. Combined with the newly introduced water activities, Mombo now offers a genuinely complete range of ways to experience Chief’s Island. If Mombo has been on your list, this is a good reason to revisit what a stay there could now include.
Reach out if you’d like night drives built into a Mombo itinerary.
