Drumbeat Autumn 2017

Mobile safaris take many forms, from riding and canoeing, to walking and vehicle-based, all offering an excellent way to explore a particular area, to enjoy a specific activity, or just to have your own private space in the bush. Botswana has fabulous wildlife and a huge expanse of pristine wilderness across its northern region, and this is a good area for a mobile. Even on days when you move camp you don’t leave the bush, and you’ll see wildlife all day. It could be a shared safari, ideal for anyone with a less generous budget, or a private safari extending for a week or more. There are styles of camp to suit many different wishes, from very simple to magnificent luxury, but all allow guests to immerse themselves in Africa. Kenya’s Masai Mara is one of Africa’s best wildlife habitats, and thanks to the open A selection of our top picks There are many more so please get in touch for further ideas: Classic tented mobile safari – Letaka Safaris: Amazing guides, set departures and private mobile safaris in Botswana’s best wildlife areas. East African walking safari – Karisia Walking Safaris: Camel supported mobiles designed exclusively so will accommodate any fitness or specific interest. Zambian walking safari – Robin Pope or Norman Carr Safaris: Two of Africa’s finest safari operators, walk lodge to lodge or camp in the bush for an adventure second-to-none. All singing all dancing luxury – Uncharted Africa: A tailor made adventure with unexpected extras. Private camps, private guides, private vehicles – choose from the Okavango Delta or Central Kalahari. Desert delight – Tok Tokkie trials: Leisurely expedition through the awesome beauty of the dunes and mountains of the Namib desert. Canoe – Ruwesi Canoe Trail or Mana Shoreline canoe: Escape the normal world and experience wildlife at close quarters with either of these Zimbabwe canoe safaris. Riding – Safaris Unlimited: Forty-five years’ experience leading incredible rides in Kenya’s wilderness. Join Aardvark Safaris co-owner Alice Gully on a hosted ride in October 2018. Semi-mobile – Tanda Tula Field Camp: In South Africa’s Timbavati Private Game Reserve moves according to seasons and wildlife densities. Exclusive-use, wonderful walking, but where other activities can be arranged on a whim. grasslands it’s also excellent horse country. A mobile safari across the Mara is one of life’s greatest thrills, riding fast through herds of wildebeest and zebra, sitting quietly in the company of elephants and giraffe, and enjoying the hospitality of your own camp each night is simply magical. Other regions in Kenya lend themselves to walking safaris and one of our favourites is a camel supported trek where adventure and an old fashioned approach allows visitors to experience the country in vivid and exciting detail. The Zambezi River valley is a place of great beauty and prolific wildlife. One of the best, and most exhilarating, ways to explore this incredibly wild place is by canoe, drifting slowly downstream, watching elephant, hippo, buffalo, lion and myriad bird life. You camp onshore each night with meals cooked over a campfire really adding to the sense of adventure and being ‘away from it all’. Mobile walking safaris are another highlight of the region and a wonderful choice for those who want to be totally immersed in the bush. Namibia’s spectacular scenery, and ‘hardest to reach’ landscapes in Africa, is perfect for the riding and mobile flying safaris described by Jo and Charlotte on pages 2 and 7. But it’s also a fabulous place to explore on foot when the far from deserted desert comes alive with barking geckos, dancing spiders, goggle-eyed chameleons and fog basking beetles, among a clutch of other extraordinary creatures. When Africa’s wildlife first became of interest to the outside world, the only way to see it was to load wagons with the supplies and equipment needed to sustain you for several weeks and set off into the bush on a long expedition. There are more convenient and comfortable ways to visit Africa now, but the allure of that original style of experience is still strong. REPORT BY FRANCIS Mobile Safaris what and where? www . aardvarksafaris.co.uk l P6