The word Pelo means 'heart' - a fitting name as, from the air, the island on which Pelo Camp is situated is heart-shaped. It is also found pretty much as deep into the heart of the Okavango Delta as it is possible to be. The camp is completely eco-friendly with solar power providing all energy requirements. The main area comprises a tented dining area and lounge situated under impressive wild date palms, jackalberry and Natal mahogany trees with a spacious deck overlooking the waterways. There is also a swimming pool, an outdoor boma area and a raised platform built onto an old anthill. Small and intimate, the five spacious guest tents have en-suite bathrooms and a covered front veranda with an outdoor bucket style shower. Given the camp's situation on an exquisite, small island surrounded by permanent water, activities focus on mokoro (traditional dug-out canoe) excursions in the open, shallow floodplains as well as boating and walking.
Star ratings are intended to indicate the general level of features, amenities, and services to expect. This property is classified according to Giata.
Arriving in Pelo is a bit like finding paradise. The location, on an island in the Delta makes it feel particularly secluded and special. It really is the most beautiful camp and the tents are luxurious. The food was excellent and the staff so very attentive and friendly (special mention for Manila). Our guide, Jonny, was a star; so knowledgeable and a wonderful sense of humour; his bird impersonations were endlessly entertaining and amazingly accurate. You may not see the sheer volume of mammals you will see in other parts of Botswana but what we did see was breathtaking and the birdlife is abundant and varied. I only hope we get to go back someday.
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Date of stay: May 2024
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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Response from Wilderness Destinations, General Manager at Wilderness Pelo Camp
Responded 23 May 2024
Dear Phil M We are thrilled to hear about your experience at Pelo! It really is a piece of paradise and our staff are definitely a huge part of the experience. Thank you for acknowledging them as well as your guide Johnny (he is a great guide and an absolute asset to the Pelo family). We will be sure to pass on your kind words. Thank you for taking the time to share your experience and we look foward to hosting you again. Yours in Safari,
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We recently stayed at Pelo camp as part of our safari holiday in Botswana. What an amazing camp. Set on a heart shaped island in the heart of the Okavanga Delta it is a beautiful camp with a stunning outlook.
The drive from the airstrip to the boat that took us to the island was fantastic. Our guide, johnnie, took us on a jeep safari, seeing wild dog, leachway, hippo, crocodile, elephants and warthogs, as well as birdlife. An amazing start.
The camp was small, compact and lovely. With only 5 huts, it has a family feel, eating on a shared table with our guests and guides. The hit was lovely, clean and comfortable. The food was wonderful and plentiful. The safaris were boat and canoe. Our guide for those, chaps, was knowledgeable and easy to get on with.
On our way back to the airstrip we had another jeep safari seeing more elephants, giraffe, monkeys, a lioness and three cubs and much more.
I cannot recommend this camp highly enough.
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Date of stay: September 2022Trip type: Travelled as a couple
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Response from Tenneil Zondagh, General Manager at Wilderness Pelo Camp
Responded 06 Dec 2022
Dear JuneG266 Thank you for your wonderful review, and recommendation. We are delighted to see how much you enjoyed your time with us as well as the time spent with Johnnie and Chap; we will be sure to pass along your kinds words to them. Your sightings sound amazing, and hope you got some good images to take back home. Bush regards Wilderness
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Pelo Mokoro Camp is one of the smallest in the Delta and therefore very intimate. The current manager Bevan is top notch and saw to every detail. The food was excellent and always in a new and delightful setting. Our water cruise driver, System, really knew how to handle the mud buddy. The evenings were full of hippo sounds.
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Date of stay: July 2021
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Room Tip:There are only 5 rooms; all in a secluded location near the water.
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Response from Tenneil Zondagh, General Manager at Wilderness Pelo Camp
Responded 12 Oct 2021
Thank you for your wonderful review, we are delighted to see how much you enjoyed your stay with us on our beautiful Delta island, and can just imagine the adrenaline filled encounter with the pod of hippos. We will be sure to share your kind words with Bevan and his great team. Bush regards, Wilderness Safaris
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This was the final leg of our safari, and we found this gem of a camp to be a welcoming, relaxing, back-to-nature destination. The tent facilities were the most basic of our destinations, but perfectly adequate and enhanced the authenticity of our experience. All the staff were lovely, with our guide Chaps being outstanding. He helped us to see all the birds we hoped for, plus more, and was a great source of photographic advice and opportunities. Sharing meals with fellow guests and staff was lovely, and a special fuss was made for us on our Anniversary evening. We could have happily stayed longer!
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Date of stay: August 2022
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Response from Tenneil Zondagh, General Manager at Wilderness Pelo Camp
Responded 11 Oct 2022
Dea843hilaryt Thank you for your wonderful review, we are delighted to see how much you enjoyed your time with us as well as the time spent with Chaps, and all our great staff in camp. We too look forward to enjoying your company again soon. Bush regards Wilderness Safaris
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We spent only two days at Pelo Camp, but had an amazing time and wished we could have stayed longer! From the moment the camp came into view, accessed by boat, we were in awe. We were greeted at the dock by our wonderful host Bevin to find out we were the only guests in camp. It’s a shame that COVID has impacted tourism so much - but having this island to ourselves for two days was a treat! The staff was incredible and attentive, the food delicious, and the view was out of this world. Our tent was comfortable and private, except for the majestic Pel’s Fishing Owl roosting in the tree above! I loved the sounds of the hippos, frogs and fish eagles serenading us. We had our choice of activities from game drives, mokoro canoe rides, fishing and sunset boat trips. Our guide Gora was amazing and helped us spot so many amazing birds and animals. Pelo Camp was a fantastic place for us to experience the Okavango Delta!
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Date of stay: June 2021Trip type: Travelled with family
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Response from Tenneil Zondagh, General Manager at Wilderness Pelo Camp
Responded 12 Oct 2021
Thank you for the fabulous review we are delighted to see how much you enjoyed your stay with us. Given the camp's location on an exquisite, small island surrounded by permanent water, there is no better way to experience the amazing Okavango than from a mokoro .Birdlife is exceptional with the largest concentrations of Endangered wattled cranes found here as well as slaty egrets, rosy-throated longclaws, African skimmers and Pel's fishing-owl. We will be sure to share your kind words with Bevan and all the great staff in camp. Bush regards Wilderness Safaris
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This was our first stop on our trip and we loved the size of the camp and in general I love this category of Wilderness camps as it has everything you need but isn’t over the top with luxury. Since we were early in the season with the water still coming in, we only did mokoro and land based game drives (after a short boat trip from camp). The schedule here was a lot more relaxed with a later start to the day and short mokoro rides at night. Our guide Chaps was great and we saw some good land based sightings, while in general the mokoro rides were light on viewings. I would say this is a good stop if you have hopes of seeing a Pel’s fishing owl (not viewed while we were there but were around). While we enjoyed our stay, I would recommend coming later in the season (at least May on).
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Date of stay: April 2022
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Response from Tenneil Zondagh, General Manager at Wilderness Pelo Camp
Responded 09 Jun 2022
Dear Staceytann Thank you for the fabulous review we are delighted to see how much you enjoyed your stay with us. Given the camp's location on an exquisite, small island surrounded by permanent water, there is no better way to experience the amazing Okavango than from a mokoro. Birdlife is exceptional with the largest concentrations of Endangered wattled cranes found here as well as slaty egrets, rosy-throated longclaws, African skimmers and Pel's fishing-owl. We will be sure to share your kind words with Chaps. Bush regards Wilderness Safaris
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A peaceful, tiny island in the Okavango Delta with daily boat rides to view the incredible bird species with our very knowledgeable guide David. Not to mention the huge Nile crocodile, hippos, and elephants, and incredible sensets! Power boat in the morning and mokoro canoe in the late afternoon with very comfortable tent accommodation and tasty, abundant food in between. Look for the rare Pel's fishing owl who resides nearby! Excellent staff who go the extra mile to please.
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Date of stay: May 2017
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Trip type: Travelled solo
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Response from WildernessSafaris, Public Relations Manager at Wilderness Pelo Camp
Responded 21 Jun 2017
Dear floridatraveler34216, Thank you for the wonderful review, we are so glad to see how much you enjoyed the tranquility of the water in our wonderful mekoros. The birdlife is fascinating here with a wide diversity of species to be seen. This is also a perfect habitat for some of the rare and endangered IUCN “Red List” species, especially the wattled crane that can occur in large flocks, as well as “specials” like Pel’s fishing-owl, rosy-throated longclaw and slaty egret. We hope you were able to cross many of these off your check-list. Kind regards Wilderness Safaris
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My wife and I booked our Africa trip through a South African company called Africa Geographic. We filled out a lengthy questionnaire and they put together a fabulous trip for us. The visit to Pelo Camp was sandwiched between a camp in South Africa near Kruger and one in Savute, both more traditional African, arid areas. The Okavango Delta was a good contrast and Pelo Camp above and beyond any expectations.
The Delta, in the wet season, is beyond description. Rains in the Angolan Highlands come flowing 1200 km south and flood an area that is 250 km x 150 km (155 mi x 93 mi). The Delta is flat with only 2 meters of variation over its 15,000 sq. km. area. Every year, approximately 11 cubic kilometers (11,000,000,000,000 liters) of water flow into the delta. It is mind boggling. This creates an unique environment for game. All this water is interspersed with islands, just mounds that remain above water all year and allow for trees and land based vegetation.
From the bush planes that bring you into the Delta, it looks like there is much more land, but you are seeing vast swatches of water with reed stems reaching 4 and 5 feet above the surface. This is home to Hippos, Elephants and Crocodiles and the usual Impala and other antelope on the larger "islands". There are an amazing variety of birds. Fish Eagles (which at first glance look like bald eagles) were plentiful.
Game drives here are in outboard-powered aluminum skiffs and the dug-out canoes known in the Delta as mokoros. It is definitely a unique experience. The mokoros fit two guests with a guide standing in the rear poling you along. It is slow, intimate and peaceful.
Pelo Camp is wonderful. The young couple that manage the place are hands on, friendly and professional. The staff and guides are exceptional. The “tents” are installed on a concrete slab and supported under a roofed structure. They even have permanent sliding doors. The beds are comfortable and the wet/dressing area is behind a partition with a flush toilet, hot/cold running water and a shower. The room is tended every day. It is clean and comfortable.
The term luxurious is often used to describe these nicer lodges, I think accurately, but not luxury in terms of a 5-star Chicago hotel. More in the sense that you are in the middle of the bush surrounded by amazing wildlife and you have a clean room, clean sheets, running water, fantastic food, cocktails and your every need or concern is attended to. As compared to packing the kids up and heading off to a park and setting up camp on your own, it is the height of luxury.
Pelo Camp scores top marks in every category. There are nice large decks with great views for whiling away your downtime. The dining tent is a cross between your favorite expensive restaurant and Swiss Family Robinson, very enjoyable. Both lunch and dinner are sit down affairs. The camp is on a middle-sized island, maybe 100 m x 40 m, with plenty of trees and greenery. We saw no game on the island during the day, but had strict orders to stay in our tents at night as a bull elephant likes to spend his nights there and hippos come ashore to forage.
There was a couple there who had come to Pelo some years ago during the dry season. They didn’t understand why they kept referring to the little hills as islands. They had to come back and see what it was like under water and they were amazed. I’m sure the Delta is very interesting when there are just a handful of permanent channels, but for us, the magic was tied to the water.
Some of our more memorable experiences happened at Pelo – drifting up to a pod of 9 hippos, snorting and bobbing, maybe 10 meters away – the silence of drifting through a tight channel in a mokoro, just before sunset, the reeds whispering against the sides – a big crocodile sunning on a small island – the colors of a malachite kingfisher an arm’s length away – lying in bed at night and hearing a hippo come ashore right outside out tent.
It is a magical place with special people.
MurphyG Houston, TX
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Date of stay: May 2017
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from WildernessSafaris, Public Relations Manager at Wilderness Pelo Camp
Responded 21 Jun 2017
Thank you Murphy for the fabulous review, we thoroughly enjoyed reading about all your adventures during your stay with us and can just imagine the adrenaline filled encounter with the pod of hippos. To keep the magic of Pelo alive we have converted it into a seasonal camp and therefore only open when the waters are at there best and in addition making it a more exclusive experience for everyone. We are delighted to have been able to share this with you and hope you will visit us again soon. Kind regards Wilderness Safaris
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The Pelo camp is a small camp in the Jao Concession of the Moremi Game Reserve within the Okavango Delta. Very private and quiet (other than the occasional elephants who visit). This is a water camp and wildlife viewing is done by way of boat or traditional mokoro canoes.
Location: The Pelo Camp is located on a small island in the northwest portion of the Okavango Delta and is surrounded by water so transportation to the camp is by way of boat.
Accommodations: The tents here as well as the main lodge have been recently updated and are very nice. Each tent has its own shower and deck is is very well appointed and comfortable. The common areas include the eating tent, lounge tent and open decked area where the pool is located with one of the best pool views in the world as it overlooks the Okavango Delta.
Service/Food: Incredible service from the singing as you are greeted in camp to the singing as waving goodbye upon departure. You will never want for anything and there are numerous options for food and drink and plenty of both available. Excellent chef who takes great pride in his food whether served in the dining tent or in the bush, they are equally as good. Nice common areas each with fire pits and chairs for settling in after dinner.
This is a unique camp and the sights and sounds of the Delta come alive at night in this exceptional water camp.
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Date of stay: September 2015
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
Room Tip:Tent furthest from the main common areas is the quietest (other than occasional elephant eating...
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from WildernessSafaris, Manager at Wilderness Pelo Camp
Responded 06 Jan 2016
Dear ColdCorona, Thank you so much for sharing this detailed feedback on your recent visit to Pelo - high praise indeed that is greatly appreciated. The word Pelo means "heart" and apart from that being the shape of the island from the air, it would seem from your comments that the camp and the staff had lots of "heart" too! We are so pleased to hear that you enjoyed your stay at this very special spot in the Delta and hope that you will visit again one day... Warm regards Pelo Management
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An outstanding experience. From arrival to departure, we have been treated in the best manner possible. The expertise of the management, the staff and last but not least the guides was outstanding. At the time of departure we all were very disappointed to have to leave this paradise.
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Date of stay: October 2018
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Trip type: Travelled as a couple
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Response from Wilderness_Safaris, Public Relations Manager at Wilderness Pelo Camp
Responded 29 Oct 2018
Dear Günter, We too were sad to say goodbye but hope you will visit us again very soon. The camp’s low-impact, carbon-neutral activities allow unobtrusive wildlife viewing and a sense of being at one with nature. Thank you again Wilderness Safaris
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Johannesburg, South Africa211 contributions1 helpful vote
Hello bornin42,
Thank you for your question, a daily laundry service is included when booking on a fully inclusive basis - this is however, dependent on the weather conditions. Which in March are quite warm (average temperatures range from 60 to 90 Fahrenheit) with occasional afternoon rains.
Each tent is fitted with a ceiling fan and is designed to allow a cooling breeze to travel through the tent keeping you cool throughout the night.
Hope this answers all your questions.
Wilderness Safaris
There are more places to choose from in the Moremi Game Reserve area.
LOCATION
BotswanaNorth-West DistrictOkavango DeltaMoremi Game Reserve
NUMBER OF ROOMS
5
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