Safari in Style > Mobile tented camps
Mobile tented camps
A mobile tented camp is a self sufficient luxury unit transported in a custom designed camp truck. This carries all the water and fuel, a camp freezer, tents, bedding, cutlery, washbasins, fresh fruit and vegetables, bar, ice, camp crew and everything else you could possibly imagine that would make your stay comfortable, while still allowing the possibility to move the whole camp within two or three days to a new location.
Not so long ago, all luxury safaris accommodated their clients in mobile camps, simply because these provided the best accommodation in the bush, by far! It also meant you could move with your home. Famous personalities travelled on safari and stayed in a mobile tented camp, including Teddy Roosevelt and Prince Charles. We accommodated rock star Jimmy Buffett in a mobile camp.
Naturally times have changed, and safaris, camps, and areas of pristine bush will continue to change. Changes have now affected a move from mobile camps to other types of accommodation when on safari:
Firstly as safaris have become more popular, there is more choice of accommodation available.
There are now luxurious lodges and stylish permanent tented camps, situated in beautiful locations. Most of these stunning places were first discovered by professional safari guides and were locations chosen for their own mobile tented camps. The result is that sometimes the best locations are now home to wonderful permanent structures. However all is not lost for the mobile experience! A compromise are the seasonal tented camps - basically traditional mobile camps that have ceased to be mobile, enabling them to keep hold of excellent locations, and maintaining the atmoshere of a mobile camp!
You might wonder ask what happened to the real traditional mobile camp? - They still exist, despite being rare. And when should you choose to stay in a mobile tented camp?
Perhaps the nicest aspect of the mobile tented camp is that it is booked solely on an exclusive basis (Seasonal tented camps, permanent tented camps and lodges are not).
Since there are no other guests in camp, there is no need for
you to accommodate other people here, no waiting for service
while the steward attends to other guests, or having to explain
which group you belong to, so you may be told where your dining
table is located. There are no set meal times. In many ways
the camp becomes your home. You have meals when you want, and
how you want. We can also make use of camp facilities while
on our activities. One day your guide might plan an early start
and take a picnic breakfast in the vehicles. You can then stop
at your convenience, find a spot and sit in camp chairs or on
a rug adorned with cushions, and watch, for example, zebras
come to a waterhole to drink. Another day the camp crew might
bring out an elaborate brunch that you can enjoy sitting at
a dining table set under an acacia tree and served by the camp
waiters. Each day is different and because we do not need to
concern ourselves with other guests and the crew does not have
to cater for anyone else, we are at liberty to relax and experience
the rhythm of Africa in a way that is hard to do in larger camps
or lodges.
Mobile tented camps are ideal when sited in quiet areas with
minimum development, or in areas well worth experiencing because
of high wildlife densities perhaps, and where other accommodation
is basic or there are no other facilities.
While these camps can be moved, it is quite an operation, and
so today they are generally set up in one special spot for the
season (like the non-exclusive seasonal tented camps, for one
to three months). Depending on the time of year the camp might
either be in the best place for the migrant wildlife at that
time of the year (especially relevant in the Serengeti, where
a large number of wildlife is on the move) or in an area with
a lot of freedom (such as being outside a national park).
Mobile tented camps are especially suited for groups of more
than five people, as these camps are the best way to experience
the African wilds without disturbance of other tourists, while
enjoying every luxury you could want, and especially when you
are accompanied by close family or friends. They are available
only in Botswana, Kenya and Tanzania.
For a detailed look into our mobile camps read on, or for images of all the kinds of accommodation offered (including our luxury mobile tented camps) please visit the gallery in this section. Note that the seasonal tented camps are only slightly different.
The Luxury Mobile Tent
Our custom-built tents are composed of four sections all under one roof... veranda, bedroom, dressing area and shower and loo. The whole structure is 27 feet long.
The Veranda
In the front there is a large, covered veranda which provides shade and a vantage point from which to enjoy the views and any wildlife visiting camp. This is furnished with a couple of camp chairs.
The bedroom section
The bedroom section is a ten-square-metre (126 square ft) tent, which is more than two metres high (6ft, 6 in) in the centre and a metre and a half (5ft) at the shoulders, giving great comfort and all the room you need to spread out clothes, books and camera equipment. For coolness, it has large netted windows on all sides, with rain flaps that can be zipped up easily. It is totally waterproof and has a sewn-in groundsheet of heavy plastic to keep out insects and other uninvited guests. It has an overhead solar light and each bed has its own bedside light.
The dressing area
Next is a dressing and shaving area, complete with dressing table, large make-up mirror, a hanging holdall and washbasins.
Shower and toilet areas
Finally there are two sections at the back of the tent comprising the shower and toilet closets. Hot water for showers is available at all times. This area is lit by an overhead solar light.
Each tent is assigned a steward who brings you refreshments and cares for your laundry and other housekeeping needs.
