Why mobile safaris in South Africa are such a unique wildlife experience
Mobile safaris in South Africa are one of
the best ways to experience the country's unequaled wildlife diversity. Generally on mobile
safaris, you will be visiting more than one wildlife area and a variety of habitats, often in
different countries, staying in a different camp or lodge each night as you move along from the
one area to the next.
For the more luxury and fully guided type of mobile safaris, that includes
traveling in small groups in comfortable air-conditioned 4x4 safari vehicles or mini buses and
often flying in small aircraft from one game reserve to the other.
Adventurers and backpackers might prefer the budget type of mobile safaris.
These safaris cater for small to medium size groups and are designed for those who do not mind
roughing it up a bit or participate in camping chores. Transport is by road only, in specially
designed game viewing trucks or buses, spending the nights mostly in tented camps.
Nowadays mobile safaris are available at all levels of comfort and luxury. At
the high end of the scale you can opt for the luxury of having a spacious safari tent with all the
"bells and whistles" such as a proper bed with en-suite bathroom and hot shower, a mobile bar and
even your own chef. To name but a few.
You can just enjoy and not worry about anything. Everything is set up for you
in the evening, broken up in the morning and then transported to the next camp. That does not mean
that a budget type mobile safari at the power end of the scale compares so much less. It still
offers a level of comfort that you would not associate with camping in the wilderness.
Mobile safaris are an excellent way to get to know Africa at grass roots level
and to meet people from all corners of the world. Reminiscences of expeditions undertaken by the
explorers of the early days suggest that the thrill of a modern-day mobile safari is not so much in
the destination, but rather in the experience of the journey itself.
Another attractive feature of mobile safaris is that they are designed for
small groups of 6 to 12 people including the guide(s), who stay together for the duration of the
safari. They get to know each other as travel companions, sharing and thereby enhancing their
safari experience. This in contrast with the coming and going of guests on a permanent base safari
in a Lodge.
Compare more than 150 Mobile African Safari tours spread across
the top 8 safari countries in Southern Africa with user reviews and ratings, itineraries, pricing,
comfort levels, specialization, etc. Find the best mobile safari tour to suit your preferences and
budget, they are available at all levels of comfort and luxury.
Game drive and Elephants encounter in the middle of the African bushveld.
One of the unforgettable highlights of an African mobile safari. We all know that Elephants are
the largest land animals in the world. But when you get close to them you realize how awesome they
really are. Elephants are highly intelligent and gentle animals and are known to have well
developed emotions such as love and sorrow. When they feel threatened or when they are being
pestered they can become aggressive. So be careful when you do encounter elephants on a game drive
and treat them with respect. Keep sufficient distance to enable yourself to move away from them
with your vehicle. If that is not possible just sit absolutely still, let them satisfy their
curiosity and eventually they should move away.
This Lion is watching you. Makes one really feel uncomfortable, doesn't it.
On a mobile safari where you move through different wildlife regions and game reserves, you are
almost guaranteed to encounter prides of Lions. A breathtaking experience, especially when you
see and experience their eyes sizing you up. Next to extraordinary hearing and smelling
capabilities the Lion's eyesight is believed to be its most important sense. while it is
comparable with humans during the day, it is far more superior at night. Amplifying very slight
amounts of light such as from the moon and the stars by reflecting and re-absorbing it by way of
a reflective layer of cells situated behind the retina, Lions are believed to have the ability to
see up to eight times better in the dark than humans.
Tête-à-Tête. Amazing encounter between a giant White Rhino and a tiny
little bird. Goes to show how you can come across the most extraordinary situations on a mobile
safari, or any safari for that matter. The bird could be a member of the genus of glossy-starling,
all of which are to be found in Africa south of the Sahara. The Rhino is called white because of
the wide (broad) square-lipped mouth for eating grass. the word "white" is a misinterpretation of
the word "wide" which was derived from the Dutch word "wijd". It is one of the major distinctions
with a black Rhino which has a pointed prehensile hook-lipped mouth for grasping twigs and leaves.
The two horns above the nose consist of solid keratin, the same material that human hair and
nails are made of. Unbelievable that Rhino horn is worth more on the Asian market than its weight
in gold.
This Leopard is staring us in the face. They are typical predator cat eyes,
showing a striking similarity with those of the Lion in the picture above. Like with Lions, a
Leopard's night vision is up to 8 times better than that of humans. As the most widely spread
representative of the predator cat family, Leopards are to be found in the southern half of the
African continent, southern Asia, and the Far East. They hunt a wide of array of types of prey,
from rodents and even insects to antelopes and animals such as Buffalo and Giraffe calves. As
supreme tree climbers, Leopards like drag their prey carcasses, which can weigh up to three times
their own weight, into trees out of reach of competitors.
Two short videos showing what you can expect on a Mobile Camping Safari in the
wildlife parks of Botswana where the camp and its contents is moved from place to place together
with the safari participants. They show details of a camping safari of an affordable yet
comfortable level in Northern Botswana, visiting reserves such as the Okavango Delta, Moremi game
reserve, Chobe National Park, and the Victoria Falls.
Video 1
Video 2
The following two videos also show how on a mobile safari the camp with all
its trimmings is moved every day, but then by a support group and on a far more luxurious level.
The support group dismantles and builds the camp each day, consisting large dome shape tents with
comfortable proper beds with linens, duvets and a bedside tables. En suite facilities include an
en suite bush shower, bush toilet and canvas or enamel basin with water. Breakfast, Lunch and
Dinner are provided in a separate tented facility or under a shady tree in the open air.
