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Five of the best mobile safaris
Time to head back to camp? Not when your luxury accommodation travels with you
Wild animals are, by nature, unpredictable, and while traditional safari operators do an excellent job of learning their habits and tailoring daily routines accordingly, a mobile tented safari provides guides and guests with the ultimate in flexibility.
The tours below range far and wide, following migrations or moving from highlands to lowlands or forest to savannah to see a range of environments and the animals which live in them. And they do it all without scrimping on the creature comforts which make a luxury safari such an unforgettable experience.
Mobile Masai Mara
With the annual migration under way in Kenya, Nigel Archer Safaris has set up a luxury mobile camp that will track the herds of wildebeest as they make their epic journey through the Masai Mara. Guests will have a prime location on the crocodile-rich Mara river, the major obstacle to the animals as they travel north towards fresh grazing on the Kenyan plains. Luxury tents, hot showers and fine dining will complete the experience. Tour operator Turquoise Holidays is offering four nights for the price of three until mid-September.
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Nigel Archer Safaris, four nights for £3,269pp, full board, from Turquoise Holidays
Golden Africa, Botswana
Golden Africa offers tailor-made safaris throughout Botswana, including the Okavango Delta, the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans (above) and the vast Central Kalahari Game Reserve. The itinerary is completely bespoke, crafted by expert guides depending on your chosen location, the season and your own preferences.
Your party will have the exclusive use of a mobile safari camp, a vehicle and guide, and a private chef, who will prepare three-course dinners served under the stars by camp staff. Tents are furnished with fine linen and equipped with an en suite bathroom.
Price dependent on itinerary. See the Luxury Safari Company for booking or more information
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The Serengeti migration, Tanzania
Making use of both permanent and mobile camps, Nomad Tanzania’s five-night Northern Highlights tour takes guests into the heart of the East African wildebeest migration, from November to March.
The journey begins at Entamanu Ngorongoro on the remote north-western rim of the Ngorongoro Crater, a huge volcanic caldera densely populated with game. After two nights there, it joins the mobile Serengeti Safari Camp, which follows the wildebeest - and the lions, leopards and cheetah that prey on them as they make their way across the savannah.
The location of the camp, as well as what you will see, varies according to the time of year: in February, for example, hundreds of thousands of wildebeest gather in the southern Serengeti for the calving season. By June, the animals and the camp are likely to have migrated north, towards the Grumeti river crossing, where crocodiles await.
From £3,700pp, full board, including activities and ground transport but not international flights. See Nomad Tanzania for booking or more information
Botswana Highlights Expedition
Travel to four of Botswana’s pristine game reserves with andBeyond’s eight-night Botswana Highlights Expedition. A visit to Victoria Falls can be added to the standard itinerary, which includes the Okavango Delta, Chobe National Park, Savute and the Nxai Pans.
An intimate private tour for two to six people, it runs between February and April, when zebra pour onto the Nxai Pans to drink from the replenished water holes. Guest spend two nights at andBeyond Savute Under Canvas, a luxurious permanent camp, and six nights in dome tents pitched by the safari staff as the group travels through northern Botswana.
From £3,355pp, full board, including activities and ground transport but not international flights. See andBeyond for booking or more information
Siruai Expedition Camp, central Kenya
For a true sense of adventure and exclusivity, The Safari Collection is setting up a private mobile safari in northwest Laikipia, one of Kenya’s wildest and least visited regions. The Siruai Expedition Camp will be pitched for the sole use of a single group, who will be guided by the founder of the company, Mikey Carr-Hartley. He knows the lay of the land in intimate detail, having grown up in the area. Located within the 43,000-acre Suyian private ranch in the centre of the country, the camp will offer bush breakfasts, walks and game drives, sundowners and nights spent in star beds out in the bush.
Siruai Expedition Camp, available on an exclusive-use basis for a minimum of four guests for £6,535 per person for three nights, including airstrip transfers, private guide and vehicles, camp activities, conservation fees and all meals
