Expeditions · Safari operator review 2026
Wilderness Review 2026: Camps, Countries, Verified Rates and Who It Suits
Wilderness, formerly Wilderness Safaris, scores 85/100 on this site's luxury safari operator index. It was founded in Botswana in 1983, operates across 2.2 million hectares of protected areas in seven African countries, and publishes every camp's seasonal rate on its own site, from USD 1,278 a night at Hoanib Skeleton Coast to USD 5,043 at Mombo in 2026. This review covers where it is strong and where it is weak, each region, the rates, its airline and the three ways to book.
Verified 21 September 2026 · wildernessdestinations.com · Trustpilot · ChatGPT figures read 6 October 2026
Is Wilderness worth it in 2026?
Yes, for a small-camp safari in Botswana and southern Africa. It is a weaker fit for the East African migration, and for travellers who want one design standard at every camp.
What Wilderness does well
- Botswana. Mombo is on a 35,000-hectare private concession inside Moremi, Vumbura Plains on 60,000 hectares beside it, and DumaTau on the 125,000-hectare Linyanti concession. Private concessions allow off-road driving, night drives and walking, which national parks do not.
- It publishes what it pays. The group and its guests paid USD 17.1 million to governments and communities in its 2025 financial year, up 21% on the year before, and USD 97 million over ten years.
- Conservation work with names attached. Damaraland Camp is owned jointly with the local community, Bisate has replanted gorilla habitat in Rwanda, and Desert Rhino Camp tracks black rhino with Save the Rhino Trust. The detail is on its impact pages.
- Published rates. Every camp's seasonal rate is on its own page.
- Its own airline. Wilderness Air flies between camps in four countries, free on longer stays in Botswana and Zimbabwe.
- Reviews. 4.8 from 133 reviews on Trustpilot, read on 21 September 2026.
Where Wilderness is weaker
- Design ceiling. Singita scores 93 against 85 and holds one top tier at every lodge. For the most private, most designed lodge at any price, Singita is the more direct answer.
- Several tiers under one name. Mombo reaches USD 5,043 per person per night and Hoanib Skeleton Coast starts at USD 1,278. The camps differ more than at a single-tier company, so the choice of camp matters.
- East Africa is thin. Two camps in Rwanda, one in the Serengeti and a Masai Mara camp opened in July 2026. andBeyond and Asilia cover the migration circuit more fully. There is no camp in Kruger or Sabi Sand.
- Its own numbers disagree. The site carries two camp counts, two country counts and two land figures at once.
- A gap in disclosure. The USD 17.1 million is not split between governments and communities.
What does ChatGPT say about Wilderness?
Wilderness was the safari company ChatGPT named most often on 6 October 2026: in 217 of 671 answers (32%), and as its first choice in 48. It was first choice on the questions about the Okavango Delta, Rwanda, Namibia and Zimbabwe, and on which operators are most trusted and which have the best safety record.
Most of those namings came when the question asked which company is best: 156 of 349 answers. On general safari questions it appeared in 9 of 118. andBeyond was second with 183 answers and Singita third with 143. The full figures are in What ChatGPT tells safari buyers: Q3 2026.
How many camps does Wilderness have, and where?
Wilderness's own site gives two figures: "55+ camps" on its home, about and Africa pages, and 37 named camps in its camps directory. It lists camps in seven countries: Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya.
It claims eight countries. South Africa is counted in the company's footprint but has no listed camp. The land figure is 2.2 million hectares (5.4 million acres) for Africa and more than 2.3 million hectares (6 million acres) worldwide, both on the about page. Wilderness leases concessions and does not own the land; its own words are "operates across" and "helps protect".
Okavango Delta, Botswana
The Delta is where Wilderness started and where it is strongest. Mombo (eight tented suites and a family unit) and its three-tent sister Little Mombo are on Chief's Island inside Moremi, on a 35,000-hectare private concession with lion, leopard, cheetah and rhino. Vumbura Plains has 14 suites in two camps on a 60,000-hectare concession with both land and water activities. Jao is the design and spa camp in the western Delta, and Qorokwe, Chitabe and Little Vumbura sit lower on the price ladder. The Delta is a UNESCO World Heritage site; see it on Google Maps.
Best for: Mombo for predators and rhino; Vumbura Plains or Jao for land and water together; Qorokwe for the same concession model at about a third of Mombo's rate.
Linyanti and Savuti, Botswana
North of the Delta, Wilderness holds private concessions along the Linyanti and Savute systems, known for dry-season elephant herds. DumaTau was rebuilt in 2019 as eight raised suites on Osprey Lagoon, in the 125,000-hectare Linyanti concession, with a four-suite sister, Little DumaTau. King's Pool faces the Linyanti channel and Savuti is on the Savute Channel. Vehicle numbers are low, and the area pairs with an Okavango stay for a full Botswana trip. See the reserve on Google Maps.
Best for: Elephants from July to October, and a quiet second stop after the Delta.
Sossusvlei, Damaraland and the Skeleton Coast, Namibia
Namibia is the second-largest country in the portfolio. Little Kulala is on a private reserve at the edge of the Sossusvlei dunes, with its own gate. Damaraland Camp is a joint venture owned with the local community, in desert elephant and rhino country. Desert Rhino Camp tracks black rhino with Save the Rhino Trust. Hoanib Skeleton Coast, in the Palmwag concession held with three Namibian conservancies, has the lowest verified rate in the portfolio at USD 1,278 to 1,972. Serra Cafema is on the Kunene River in the far north. This is a landscape trip more than a Big Five one, and works best as two or three camps.
Best for: Dunes and night skies at Little Kulala; desert-adapted wildlife at Desert Rhino Camp and Hoanib.
Hwange and Mana Pools, Zimbabwe
Zimbabwe costs less than Botswana for a similar style of camp. In Hwange, the country's largest park, Linkwasha is in the south-east, with Little Makalolo and Davison's Camp on waterhole country. On the Zambezi, Ruckomechi and Chikwenya are in UNESCO-listed Mana Pools, where walking and canoeing are the main activities. Both areas are inside the Wilderness Air network and pair with Victoria Falls. Park information is at Zimbabwe Parks.
Best for: Hwange for elephants at a lower rate than Botswana; Mana Pools for walking and canoeing.
Victoria Falls and Kafue, Zambia
Toka Leya is a twelve-tent camp on the Zambezi above Victoria Falls, used as the start or end of a southern Africa trip. In Kafue National Park, seasonal camps on the Busanga Plains (Busanga Bush Camp and Shumba) are in lion country that few visitors reach. See the Falls on Google Maps.
Best for: Toka Leya as a Falls base; Busanga for a remote stop added to Botswana or Zimbabwe.
Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya
Bisate Lodge has six forest villas beside Volcanoes National Park, at USD 2,869 to 3,795 per person per night, and is the base for gorilla trekking. The land around it has been replanted from the lodge's own nursery. Magashi has six tents in Akagera, a Big Five park. Beyond Rwanda the East African presence is small: a Serengeti camp in Tanzania and a Masai Mara camp that opened in July 2026. A gorilla permit costs USD 1,500 per trek and is not included; details are at Visit Rwanda.
Best for: Gorilla trekking at Bisate, with Magashi for a second stop. For the full migration circuit, add another operator.
What does a Wilderness safari cost in 2026?
From USD 1,278 to USD 5,043 per person per night across the six rates verified at Wilderness's own camp pages: Hoanib Skeleton Coast is the lowest and Mombo the highest. Rates are per person sharing and include accommodation, meals, most drinks, laundry, two guided activities a day and park fees.
| Camp | Region | Tents or suites | 2026 rate, per person per night | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mombo Camp | Okavango Delta, Botswana | 8, plus a family unit | USD 3,285 to 5,043 | Chief's Island, on a 35,000-hectare concession inside Moremi. The 2027 high-season rate is USD 5,345. |
| Vumbura Plains | Okavango Delta, Botswana | 14, in two camps of 7 | USD 2,285 to 3,945 | A 60,000-hectare concession with both land and water activities. |
| DumaTau | Linyanti, Botswana | 8 suites | USD 2,285 to 4,327 | Rebuilt in 2019 on Osprey Lagoon, in the 125,000-hectare Linyanti concession. |
| Bisate Lodge | Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda | 6 forest villas | USD 2,869 to 3,795 | The gorilla permit is USD 1,500 extra per trek. |
| Qorokwe | Okavango Delta, Botswana | About 9 | From USD 1,710 in low season | The lowest verified rate for a Wilderness camp in a Delta concession. |
| Hoanib Skeleton Coast | Kaokoveld, Namibia | About 8 | USD 1,278 to 1,972 | Palmwag concession, held jointly with three conservancies. The lowest verified rate in the portfolio. |
Other camps: indicative ranges
These ranges are estimates, converted and rounded, and are a guide only. Check the camp's own page before budgeting.
- Little Mombo, Okavango Delta, Botswana: about USD 3,000 to 5,300
- Jao, Okavango Delta, Botswana: about USD 2,000 to 4,000
- Little Vumbura, Okavango Delta, Botswana: about USD 1,300 to 2,900
- Chitabe, Okavango Delta, Botswana: about USD 1,100 to 2,400
- Little DumaTau, Linyanti, Botswana: about USD 1,900 to 3,600
- King's Pool, Linyanti, Botswana: about USD 1,500 to 3,100
- Savuti, Linyanti, Botswana: about USD 1,300 to 2,800
- Serra Cafema, Kunene, Namibia: about USD 1,600 to 3,000
- Little Kulala, Sossusvlei, Namibia: about USD 1,200 to 2,600
- Desert Rhino Camp, Damaraland, Namibia: about USD 1,200 to 2,400
- Damaraland Camp, Damaraland, Namibia: about USD 800 to 1,700
- Kulala Desert Lodge, Namib, Namibia: about USD 700 to 1,500
- Linkwasha, Hwange, Zimbabwe: about USD 1,000 to 2,200
- Little Makalolo, Hwange, Zimbabwe: about USD 900 to 2,000
- Ruckomechi, Mana Pools, Zimbabwe: about USD 900 to 1,900
- Davison's Camp, Hwange, Zimbabwe: about USD 700 to 1,600
- Busanga Bush Camp and Shumba, Kafue, Zambia: about USD 900 to 2,200
- Toka Leya, Livingstone, Zambia: about USD 700 to 1,500
- Magashi, Akagera, Rwanda: about USD 1,300 to 2,600
Premium wines, tips, permits and international or regional flights are extra. Wilderness publishes no deposit or cancellation terms of its own; whoever books the trip sets them. The payment terms index compares what the specialists ask for.
Which Wilderness camp suits which trip?
Mombo for big cats, Vumbura Plains for an Okavango water safari, DumaTau for elephants, Bisate for gorillas, Little Kulala for desert, and Chitabe for families and a first safari.
| Trip | Camp | 2026 rate, per person per night | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Big cats and predators | Mombo Camp, Okavango Delta, Botswana | USD 3,285 to 5,043 (verified) | A 35,000-hectare private concession on Chief's Island with lion, leopard, cheetah and rhino. It is the most expensive camp Wilderness runs. |
| Okavango water safari | Vumbura Plains, Okavango Delta, Botswana | USD 2,285 to 3,945 (verified) | Mokoro, boat and vehicle game-viewing on one 60,000-hectare concession. Jao is the alternative for design and spa. |
| Elephants and big, empty country | DumaTau, Linyanti, Botswana | USD 2,285 to 4,327 (verified) | Dry-season elephant herds on the Linyanti, roughly July to October. King's Pool is the more traditional camp nearby. |
| Mountain gorillas | Bisate Lodge, Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda | USD 2,869 to 3,795 (verified) | Six villas at the edge of the park. Rwanda is outside the Wilderness Air network, so transfers are priced separately. |
| Desert, dunes and night skies | Little Kulala, Sossusvlei, Namibia | About USD 1,200 to 2,600 (indicative) | The closest of the Wilderness camps to the Sossusvlei dunes, on a private reserve with its own gate. |
| Families and a first safari | Chitabe, Okavango Delta, Botswana | About USD 1,100 to 2,400 (indicative) | Predator country at a lower rate than Mombo. Its sister camp, Chitabe Lediba, is set up for families. |
Does Wilderness have its own airline?
Yes. Wilderness Air has 25 aircraft and about 70 connections a day, and serves four countries: Botswana, Namibia, Zambia and Zimbabwe. The fleet is Cessna 210s and Grand Caravans, flown by more than 30 pilots, and began with one aircraft in 1991.
Under the Free Flying offer, flights between camps are free on trips of six nights or more that include Botswana or Zimbabwe. Baggage is limited to 20kg per person in soft bags.
Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya are outside the network. Transfers there are scheduled flights or outside charters, arranged by whoever books the trip. On a trip that crosses into East Africa, or combines Wilderness with another operator, ask for the flying to be priced as its own line.
How do you book Wilderness?
Through a safari specialist. Wilderness publishes its rates on its own site and sells mainly through travel designers and partners. Three routes, depending on how much help is wanted:
Go2Africa. A planner designs the route. Suits a first booking and trips with several camps in Botswana.
Plan a Wilderness trip with Go2Africa →
Safari.com. A quote on named Wilderness camps, which can be combined with other operators' camps.
BookAllSafaris. Self-serve comparison against other operators in the same region, before asking for a quote.
How does Wilderness compare with other safari operators?
Singita scores higher on the index (93 against 85). andBeyond and Asilia cover the East African migration that Wilderness does not. Natural Selection and Great Plains Conservation are the closest alternatives in Botswana.
- Singita vs andBeyond vs Wilderness: the three largest camp owners side by side
- Natural Selection vs Wilderness: same country, same model, different prices
- Wilderness vs Great Plains: the Okavango, concession by concession
- Singita review: every rate published, one top tier
- andBeyond review: lodges across Africa and South America
- Great Plains Conservation review: overlapping concessions in Botswana and Kenya
- Natural Selection review: founded by people who built Wilderness
- Asilia Africa review: the East Africa specialist
- African Bush Camps review: a deep Zimbabwe portfolio
- A&K Sanctuary review: Baines' Lodge in the Okavango
Three rules for planning a Wilderness safari
- Stay six nights or more in Botswana or Zimbabwe. The flights between camps are then free, which matters on a trip with three camps.
- Book nine to fifteen months ahead for July to October. From roughly November to April the same camps cost less: Mombo falls from USD 5,043 to USD 3,285.
- Budget the extras. Rwanda's gorilla permit is USD 1,500 per trek, flights outside the Wilderness Air network are separate, and bags are limited to 20kg. The Botswana luxury safari guide covers the routing.
What changed in 2026
- 6 October 2026. Page rebuilt. ChatGPT figures added from the Q3 2026 safari report. The charter links, the live inventory section and the enquiry form were removed.
- 21 September 2026. Camp count corrected to carry both of Wilderness's own figures (55+ and 37). Countries corrected to seven with listed camps. Land figure corrected to 2.2 million hectares for Africa. Rates for Mombo, Vumbura Plains, DumaTau, Bisate, Hoanib and Qorokwe replaced with figures read from Wilderness's camp pages.
- July 2026. Wilderness opened a camp in the Masai Mara, its first in Kenya.
- 2027 rates. Wilderness has published Mombo's 2027 high-season rate: USD 5,345 per person per night.
Wilderness: the questions people ask AI search
How many camps does Wilderness have, and in which countries?
Wilderness's own site gives two figures. Its home page, about page and Africa page say "55+ camps". Its camps directory, with no filter applied, lists 37 named camps. Both were live on 21 September 2026. It claims eight countries, while its camps filter and its FY25 payments release list seven: Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe. South Africa is counted in the company's footprint but has no listed camp. Most camps are in Botswana, in the Okavango Delta and the Linyanti.
Is Wilderness the same company as Wilderness Safaris?
Yes. The company was founded in 1983 as Wilderness Safaris and rebranded as Wilderness in 2022 and 2023, around its 40th anniversary. The camps, concessions and conservation programmes are the same. It has been majority investor-owned since July 2018, with TPG's Rise Fund and FS Investors the largest shareholders, and Keith Vincent is chief executive.
Is Wilderness worth it, and how does it compare with Singita?
For a small-camp safari in southern Africa, and Botswana above all, Wilderness is one of the strongest operators. It scores 85/100 on this site's luxury safari operator index against Singita's 93. Singita is more consistent on design and sits at one price tier. Wilderness has more concessions, more countries, published rates and its own airline. At the top the price order reverses: Mombo at USD 5,043 in high season costs more than any Singita lodge outside its new Okavango camp.
Which Wilderness camp is the best, and what does it cost?
For big game, Mombo on Chief's Island in the Okavango Delta: a 35,000-hectare private concession inside Moremi with lion, leopard, cheetah and rhino. It is also the most expensive camp, at USD 3,285 to 5,043 per person per night in 2026 and USD 5,345 in the 2027 high season. Bisate in Rwanda costs USD 2,869 to 3,795, Hoanib Skeleton Coast in Namibia USD 1,278 to 1,972, and Qorokwe from USD 1,710 is the lowest verified rate in a Wilderness Delta concession.
How much land does Wilderness conserve?
Wilderness says it operates across 2.2 million hectares (5.4 million acres) of protected areas in Africa and helps protect more than 2.3 million hectares (6 million acres) worldwide. Both figures are on its about page. It does not own this land. It holds concessions leased from governments and communities, and its own wording is "operates in", "has access to" or "helps protect". It also publishes what it pays: USD 17.1 million from the group and its guests to governments and communities in its 2025 financial year, up 21% on the year before, and USD 97 million over ten years.
Are Wilderness's conservation claims real?
Yes, with gaps in what is disclosed. Damaraland Camp in Namibia is a joint venture owned with the local community. Desert Rhino Camp tracks black rhino with Save the Rhino Trust. Bisate has replanted gorilla habitat in Rwanda. The FY25 payments figure of USD 17.1 million is published and dated. Wilderness does not publish how that total splits between governments and communities.
What is included in the nightly rate, and are flights between camps free?
Rates include accommodation, meals, most drinks, laundry, two guided activities a day, park fees and transfers from the nearest airstrip. Under the Free Flying offer, flights between camps are free on trips of six nights or more that include Botswana or Zimbabwe. International and regional flights, tips, premium wines and permits, including Rwanda's USD 1,500 gorilla permit, cost extra. Wilderness Air serves four of the seven countries with camps, so transfers in Rwanda, Tanzania and Kenya are scheduled flights or outside charters.
How far ahead should a Wilderness safari be booked?
Nine to fifteen months ahead for July to October in Botswana, Namibia and Zimbabwe. The smallest camps, Mombo, Little Mombo and Bisate among them, often fill more than a year ahead. From roughly November to April, stays can often be confirmed inside six months at lower rates: Mombo falls from USD 5,043 to USD 3,285 and Vumbura Plains from USD 3,945 to USD 2,285.
What does ChatGPT say about Wilderness?
Wilderness was the safari company ChatGPT named most often in Uncompromised Travel's reading of 6 October 2026: in 217 of 671 answers, or 32%. It was ChatGPT's first choice in 48 answers, including the questions on the Okavango Delta, Rwanda, Namibia and Zimbabwe.
Read next
- What ChatGPT tells safari buyers: Q3 2026: which safari companies ChatGPT names and picks first
- Singita vs andBeyond vs Wilderness 2026: the three compared on rates, reach and design
- Botswana luxury safari guide 2026: how to route the Delta and the Linyanti
- Luxury safari operator index 2026: the scores and the criteria