After two adventurous nights camping in Xaxaba for the Tapyowa NG32 Experience cultural festival, our journey led us across the Okavango Delta’s vast landscapes. The three-hour drive from Maun to Machaba Safaris’ Gomoti Plains Camp was more than a transfer; it was a safari in itself. Elephants, zebras, buffaloes and antelopes lined the route, a prelude to the wilderness immersion awaiting us on the other side of the NG32 concession.
Nestled along the Gomoti River and framed by towering palm trees, Gomoti Plains Camp feels like a secret oasis. By day, the endless floodplains stretch into shimmering horizons. By night, the camp transforms into a tranquil retreat, where the symphony of the bush replaces the buzz of modern life. Gomoti Plains is a tented eco-luxury camp named after the river it borders, one of the Delta’s smaller water systems. Its canvas suites, including family tents and a private family camp, balance simplicity with sophistication. From the main lounge, guests can even take a mokoro ride across to their tents when water levels allow. Each night under canvas comes alive with the distant call of lions, the chatter of frogs, and the occasional rustle of elephants and hippos grazing nearby.
The camp offers a mix of land and water-based activities. Classic game drives, serene mokoro excursions, boat rides, and guided walking safaris. With fewer vehicles in the concession than in busier parts of the Delta, sightings often feel intimate and unhurried; just you, your guide, and the wildlife. Gomoti Plains Camp lies in NG32, a 260,000-acre community-run concession at the southeastern edge of the Okavango Delta. Managed by the Okavango Kopano Mokoro Community Trust (OKMCT), NG32 benefits six Bayei villages, ensuring that tourism supports local livelihoods. Machaba Safaris has various programs to support the local communities including training and education opportunities as well as basic needs like drinking water and shelter. The majority of Gomoti staff are locals from these communities. The concession borders the famed Moremi Game Reserve, drawing in its prolific wildlife while offering a more exclusive safari experience.
Because NG32 sits at the Delta’s southern tip, it is the last to receive seasonal floods, which means it can be drier than central Delta regions. This unique environment creates prime habitat for cheetahs and other predators. The area is also home to elephants, giraffes, buffalo, and thriving lion populations, alongside an impressive diversity of antelope. Birders will appreciate the mix of dryland and wetland species, from ostriches and bustards to fish eagles and hornbills.
Plant life here tells its own story of water and drought. Swathes of wild sage perfume the air, while candle pod acacias mark the drier zones. Along the Gomoti and its tributaries, lush riparian forests of jackalberry and sausage trees thrive, giving way to papyrus-lined channels and palm islands where the waters deepen. The shifting ecosystem ensures each game drive or mokoro ride reveals a new perspective of the Delta. Access to Gomoti Plains is by light aircraft or overland safari drive from Maun. The dry season, from May to October, offers the best game viewing, though bird enthusiasts will find the rainy months equally rewarding.
For those seeking an authentic Delta safari with a community impact, Gomoti Plains is a place where eco-luxury meets untamed wilderness. It’s not just a camp, it’s a gateway into one of Africa’s most magical landscapes, where every sunrise brings promise and every nightfall a story whispered by the wild.
