TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums Africa Okavango Delta - Worth it or skip it?

Been rereading your reports and itineraries of various tours and it seems they all involve the Mokoro rides. Do you see a lot on these canoe rides that you haven't seen on land drives? While I'm into this and that (small birds/animals), I'm wondering if my kids will be excited or bored? Is it safe? Picture 4 of these little craft...crocodiles here?

Anyway, I'm trying to maximize really cool and minimize cost.

Would I be better off to skip and head straight to Moremi Game reserve?

I personally did not enjoy the canoe ride, as I was scared to death that a crock or more likely, a hippo would come up and turn over the canoe. Had never been in a canoe in my life before, so that could have been a good part of it. For our personal trip, if I were to do it again, I would skip the 'water camp', which in our case was Little Vumbura. I could be wrong, it's been a long time, but I thought Mombo was still in the Okavango?? If you can afford it, Mombo is it......

thanks for the quick reply.....you are right they are both in the delta.......in researching the cheaper overland tours.....the vehicle game drives are an extra cost but these canoe rides are always included. I certainly wouldn't want to encounter anything I really want to see while being trapped in a canoe

The mokoro was, for us, a nice change of pace. We were in very shallow water so I did not worry about a hippo or croc. It was fun to glide over the water, quietly, just inches from the reeds, etc.

Do you see a lot that you don't on land rides? Yes, but smaller things, mostly birds (fascinating in their own right, of course). Truthfully, after a while on the land drives, it got to be: "Ho hum, just some more zebra." Hard to imagine, I know!

Will the kids be bored? Possibly, I suppose. We enjoyed hearing the poler talk about the area, the animals, etc. but it was more of a peaceful ride than an exciting one.

Is it safe? Nobody in our party got eaten by a croc. Seriously, I felt very safe. We didn't even get wet.

I readily admit I'm probably weird, as I was very uncomfortable during the mekoro ride. I had never been in a canoe before and did not enjoy myself at all. Frankly, I was't really a fan of that whole camp, as I much preferred seeing the land animals and the game drives.

I'm not saying you're weird, Carol. Don't know you that well. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/Grin.gif" alt="" />

Maybe we are the weird ones, as we liked Tubu Tree best (if we were in a "water camp" I guess that was it), and would rank Mombo third of the three we visited.

Our time at Tubu Tree also included a powerboat ride that we did not care for as much.

As I have heard someone say, "chocolate and vanilla".

Wow, yes we are different!!!! I LOVED Savuti, I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Mombo. Little Vumbura? Not so much.. Although some of it could well have to do with the other people that were in camp with us, our guides, etc. The anniversary celebration that they threw for us at Mombo ranks as one of our single best moments of the trip--along with the helicopter transfer to get to Mombo. Our guide at Little Vumbura stunk... The guides at the others were magnificent.

Liked savuti and also vumbura plains