Safari in Style > Mobile tented camps
Mobile tented camps
Each of our mobile tented camps 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 maintaining the core requirement of being mobile.
You might wonder why this camp is so special, or why the camp should be mobile, and what we mean by “mobile”?
Firstly the camp is booked solely on an exclusive basis, there being 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 hard to do in larger camps or lodges.
As this camp is mobile it can move with the seasons. Your guide selects the best campsite for your safari, and the camp is erected there ready for you when you arrive. For example, in the Serengeti, you would be near the lush Serengeti Plains in the green season, as that is where the herds are at that time of year. In the dry season you could be in the woodland to the north-east or even in the rolling hills in the north-west, far from the Plains, but still in the vicinity of the great migration.
The camps are self sufficient. We have our own fuel and water, and so do not depend on the proximity of services such as these when we plan itineries. All we consider is the wildlife density and the overall experience of being in the wilds. This enables us to be, and we often are, far from other tour groups, roads, lights, and other signs of civilisation. This is one of the most unique elements of really being on safari, and it is amazing to think that in the rushed and interconnected world we live in today, it is still possible to totally get away, sit by the campfire under a starlit sky and not see another light anywhere…. Not hear another sound other than those of the African bush.
Being located in areas where there is no tourist activity for months at a time, there are often very few tracks or roads, resulting in minimal disturbance to the environment. Since our camp is truly mobile, we leave no structures or even campfire ash when we depart. Nobody would know we were ever there.
While the camp is mobile, it has all the comforts that you could imagine, complete with a separate dining tent with its own bar and waiters in attendance, your tent is adorned with fresh towels, solar lighting, convenient canvas shelves to place your clothes, relaxing chairs on your veranda, a dressing table and mirror and just about everything else you could dream of, including hot showers at any time upon request.
Food on safari is truly excellent. Justin Bell’s sister Richenda originally trained our chefs. This role has now been taken over by Godwin our head chef, and we annually have further training programs for all our chefs. To see sample menus visit our safari catering page.
All these comforts mean it takes around six hours to break camp and load it into the truck. We plan the camp’s movements before a safari, and while there are times when we will alter the plan, perhaps due to unusual weather or wildlife movements, generally there are few changes made. After three or four days in the mobile camp, we often stay in permanent tented camps and lodges for a change of atmosphere, or to allow camp to move to a new location.
Our luxury mobile tented camps are the best way to experience the African wilds, while enjoying every luxury you could want, especially when you are accompanied by close family or friends.
For a detailed look into our 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.
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.
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