Why a luxury roving camp in Botswana should be on your safari bucket list
Hi there my fellow adventure lovers!!!! 🤍
Today, just for the duration of this blog post, transport your mind to a virtual journey with me. I want you to experience what it’s like to really, truly experience the magic of Botswana and its vast wilderness, in a way that can only be experienced away from the crowds, at one with nature, in an immersive, intimate, incredible experience, as I did on my recent luxury roving camp safari with Golden Africa Safaris.
It’s not secret that Botswana is a top safari destination (I mean it was good enough for Harry and Meghan’s second date wasn’t it), and with this esteemed reputation comes an elevated experience and often a price tag to match. So what are you getting in Botswana that you can’t get just anywhere, and in particular, what is so special about this luxury roving camp?
The short answer is, there is no answer. It’s a feeling. This is why you need to contact me to organize a safari of your own; I will assist with the best spots to stay at the best time of year, getting the most bang for your buck and not being roped into one of the tourist traps. Working with a safari expert such as myself will ensure you are getting a carefully curated itinerary and top-of-the-line service, guiding, and wildlife opportunities.
But since alas, we do live in a virtual world, for now let’s try and recreate that feeling via this blog post.
It starts with the senses; the smells of the bush, the sounds of nature, the light breeze against your skin. I can remember so vividly having a little afternoon siesta on our first day with Golden Africa Safaris, we were in Moremi Game Reserve, just having some down time to relax between game drives and meals. Golden Africa has fully mastered luxury amidst nature, and with their pop-up camp comes a lovely lounge area with some day beds, a coffee table with reading material, some tasteful and thoughtful decor. It was a hot afternoon under that African sun, but I was shaded, just doing some journalling, and I can still feel the way the breeze was lightly blowing. Give me this over air conditioning any day!
No wifi, no emails, no screens, no messages or posts or clients (love ya guys but still). I was officially in full bush bliss mode, and that is the beauty of these camps.
On these roving safaris, you are truly surrounded by nature. No city lights, no traffic noises, no other tourists. They’re not a big box hotel or lodge adorned with all the fancy fixings, these camps are set up specially for your visit and they include everything you need, plus a little extra comfort (though I could argue that those robes are a necessity!). you have bucket showers that are filled with hot water upon request, hot and cold water to pour and wash your face and brush your teeth in your kitted out tent, you have blankets and robes and slippers and lights. You don’t need a fancy lodge to fill your soul, what you really need is nature and what you came here for — the animals.
But these animals are best experienced when there is no one else around, which is exactly what you get on Golden Africa Safaris luxury roving camp. You’re the only camp around as far as the eye can see and the ear can hear. There are areas in Botswana that are packed to the brim with tourists itching to get a taste of the magical Botswana — but that Botswana is a lot less magical when you are one of 12 vehicles trying to get a peep at the leopard.
My most special sighting of the trip (which is obvious if you know me) was getting to spend quality time with a beautiful female leopard in the Khwai region — just us and this beautiful cat, getting to observe as she napped and lounged, went to snack on her recently killed impala, scent marking her territory and even calling for her young. We were incredibly lucky to be able to go back in the evening game drive, when she was on the move, gracefully gliding through the savanna with her white-tipped tail hovering above the grass, she went for a refreshing drink at the river and it was proooobably one of the most beautiful things I’ve ever seen. She even crossed paths with an ellie! (Who waved his trunk at her with a hint of sass, in classic ellie fashion).
We witnessed a hungry lion assessing his luck against a massive herd of buffalo as the sun set into darkness. We came across the biggest dazzle of zebras migrating from the south to the north in Botswana as they went for a drink at the waterhole. We followed a pack of wild dogs as they rallied the troops to try and nail down their prey. We enjoyed sundowners as the ellies bathed and played in the waterhole. Every single one of these sightings was just our vehicle, no one else around, this incredible moments with the planet’s most incredible creatures all to ourselves.
The luxury roving camps give you these opportunities to spend intimate time with the animals and truly get to observe them and their behaviours, which is something you won’t get with other experiences.
Another massive win when going with Golden Africa Safaris is the quality of guiding — my man Moa started his safari guiding career in the 1990s, and IT SHOWS. Of course his knowledge of wildlife and the bush is impeccable and extensive, but what’s more than that were the subtleties of his guiding style, the way he reads his guests’ needs and graciously adapts or tailors the experience for us, the way he knows when to feed us information or to hold back and let us savour the moment. I cannot express this passionately enough, a good guide makes ALL the difference, and Golden Africa delivers on this, along with the rest of its epic camp staff, amongst so many other things that can make or break your safari!
It truly is a feeling, of being out in nature, experiencing Botswana at its wildest and purest, in the presence of these beautiful animals, no distractions, no obligations, no disturbances, just fully leaning into the Botswana bush. It’s something I wish everyone can experience. If you’re ready to grant yourself the opportunity to experience this incredibly rewarding safari, I gotchu. Let’s chat and make this virtual dream a reality.