Many of our clients are looking for an authentic, African safari that entails camping – but so many people have terrible memories of really bad camping from their childhood that they broach the subject with great trepidation!The idea sounds wonderful, but they are concerned if the reality will match up? We are delighted to say – absolutely, yes it does!
Camping safaris in Africa have come a long way – and although we offer a wide range of style of camping – ultimately, none of us really want to give up very many of our creature comforts!
African Explorations has been arranging luxury camping safaris in Africa for over 22 years and we all come from Africa! For us, this is the most rewarding way of being on safari. The greatest highlights include:
- hearing the night sounds so clearly and more closely
- the smells of the plants wafting through the gauze of the windows and feeling the wind gently across your face as you sleep.
- feeling that you are that much closer to Africa and that you are on a genuine, authentic safari!
There are many ways we operate a private camping safari. We operate private camping safaris in Kenya, Tanzania, Zambia, Malawi, Namibia and Botswana.
In terms of most lightweight camping, this would be a ‘flycamp’ , erected just for you in regions such as south Luangwa in Zambia, the Selous, Katavi, Serengeti and Ngorongoro in Tanzania and in the Okavango Delta and Kalahari Desert in Botswana. This can often be added for just a night or two from your permanent lodge or camp. We also use these camps on some of our camel assisted walking safaris in Kenya as they are lightweight.
Then we have walking and riding safaris whereby one stays in a comfortable tented camp at night, walking or riding out during the day. The walking safaris can either be having a meru tent or a pup tent and these present a different focus such as the camel assisted walking safaris with the semi-nomadic Samburu tribes in Kenya, where one learns so much more on their culture as well as seeing wildlife.
Most of the camps we use are 3.5m x 3.5m -so practically the size of a room, but with canvas on the walls. Most people are surprised at just how good the food is, too! At the top end of the spectrum, we have private mobiles which have Persian rugs next to the wrought iron beds, silver candelabra on the tables and magnificent cuisine and most these days have en suite bathrooms but they obviously come at a price! The most important aspect, always is that you have a completely private experience – so your own private site set in a beautiful area with gorgeous views, your own private vehicle and very best guide who is responsible for revealing this wildlife region to you and everything about it and it affords you complete privacy and exclusivity as well as flexibility which is the key. You say how long you want to go out, how long you want to spend at a sighting – or if you are keen on birds or photography, then we can spend more time assisting you with this knowledge. There is also a complete back up crew responsible for erecting and taking down the camps, your room attendants and your chef.
With a team who come from Africa and over twenty two years of creating beautiful safaris, we can assure you of an experience of a lifetime! In addition, we strongly support several charities in the countries that we operate.
