May 12th 2020 |
Botswana, Family Safaris, Kenya, Riding Safaris, Wildlife Safaris, Unique Experiences, Namibia, Rwanda, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia | by
Richard Smith
Some of the camps below are known beyond the safari world, others are the hidden gems we love that lift a safari from ‘good’ to ‘exceptional’. What they all have in common is the exclusive nature of their set up which means they fill quickly. If you’ve got your heart set on one of these you’ll need to get booking well in advance.
Safaris Unlimited, Kenya – Private riding safaris in Kenya’s Masai Mara (and beyond) led by a crack team. One of the best ways to explore the African wilderness.
Mombo, Botswana – Locally known as ‘the place of plenty’, an astonishing variety of wildlife is complemented by a superbly appointed lodge. One of Africa’s finest.
Drumbeat Mobile Safaris, Botswana – Private guide, private camp, private wilderness. Take a mobile safari through the Okavango Delta and the itinerary is set just for you.
Giraffe Manor, Kenya – An exclusive boutique hotel with giraffe strolling through the grounds. An absolute must if you have a night in Nairobi.
Tswalu, South Africa – South Africa’s largest private reserve and a unique wildlife experience in exquisite surroundings. Picture-perfect for a chilled out safari.
Ant’s Nest/Ant’s Hill, South Africa – South African gems and an absolute winner for families. All manner of safari activities, malaria free and owner run.
Sayari Camp, Tanzania – Perfectly placed to catch all the action of the great wildebeest migration, yet remote enough to be away from the crowds. Serengeti perfection.
Greystoke Mahale, Tanzania – Rustic chic meets remarkable wildlife at this remote outpost in western Tanzania. Track chimpanzees at sunrise and cruise Lake Tanganyika at sunset.
Bisate Lodge, Rwanda – Combine bucket-list gorilla tracking with a pioneering vision of reforestation and community partnership. Conservation and sustainability rolled into one.
Schoeman Skeleton Coast Safari, Namibia – Action packed, and unforgettable, flying safari. A true African highlight in an extraordinary wilderness.
Chongwe River House, Zambia – The Flintstone-esque exterior conceals a magnificent private safari house. A fantastic base for a family safari in the Lower Zambezi National Park.
What next?
If this has inspired you to dream about future safaris, please do get in touch – we would be delighted to chat, no matter how early in the decision making process you might be. Email is probably the best way to contact us right now and we’ll respond as quickly as we can – usually on the same day. We very much look forward to talking to you.
2 responses to “Camps to book (at least) a year in advance”
Dear team,
we are a family of 4 and are planning a trip to Namibia in August 2023. Our children will then be 14 and 11. Our last safari was South Africa in 2017, which we all hugely enjoyed.
We plan to spend 2 weeks in Namibia and are looking forward to receiving your itinerary suggestions.
Kind regards,
Olivia
Thanks for getting in touch. We have lots of options for a family to travel to Namibia with teenage children. One of our team will be in touch by email
One of the founders of Aardvark Safaris, Richard comes from a background working in both Africa and travel. Shunning the exciting world of quantity surveying (with apologies to all exciting quantity surveyors out there)
One of the founders of Aardvark Safaris, Richard comes from a background working in both Africa and travel. Shunning the exciting world of quantity surveying (with apologies to all exciting quantity surveyors out there) Richard spent the first ten years after university flitting between summers on a river somewhere in the world as a raft guide, videographer or canoe instructor, and winters in the Alps as a ski guide, or the Operations Manager for a ski company.
His claim to fame (in his own mind) is that during his time working on the Zambezi River, based in Victoria Falls, he was one of the members of a group of kayakers who made the first moonlit descent of the rapids in the Zambezi Gorge. In addition he spent time in Botswana and Zimbabwe making promotional films for safari companies, and met the other Aardvark Safaris’ founder John Spence.
Richard is a keen sportsman but though he has tried many sports including football, volleyball, kayaking, canoeing, skiing, snowboarding, telemarking, bouldering, mountain biking and bmx-ing he’s not particularly accomplished in anything. With the ability to swim, ride a bike and run, he was gripped by a midlife crisis a few years ago and trained for enough hours to annoy both family and work colleagues and eventually became an Ironman triathlete, completing the 2.5 mile swim, 112 mile bike ride, and 26 mile run in something just over 14 hours. He also recently podium'ed as 3rd placed Grand Vet in a downhill mountain bike competition (and no there weren't only three in his category).
Having founded Aardvark Safaris with John in 1999, Richard travelled intensively throughout Africa for a number of years before his children grew old enough to start asking why they weren’t invited. Since then he’s travelled with his wife and kids to Mauritius, Kenya, Namibia, Zambia, Malawi and South Africa. With a wide breadth of geographical knowledge (in Africa at least) and having arranged safari holidays over the years for many of our clients, Richard is a good person to talk to about almost all of the countries we offer, no matter who you are or with whom you’re travelling.
Favourite African experience
I particularly enjoyed the look on my wife’s face when she realised the beautiful breakfast set up under an acacia tree in the middle of the African plains was for us – we were the VIPs that the chef (in full whites) and camp team were waiting for!
Favourite animal
It changes. Right now it’s warthogs. I love the way they stick their tails in the air as if radio controlled. Annoyingly they seem to always run away from you though, meaning a good photo seems almost impossible to get.
Favourite three camps
I saw three different leopard on a single wildlife drive from Mombo Camp in the Okavango Delta and on our return to camp there was a porcupine displaying its quills under the boardwalk. The density and quality of wildlife, together with rooms where ‘you can almost see from one end to the other on a clear day’ makes Mombo one for the memory banks.
[caption id="attachment_22991" align="alignnone" width="600"] Family of leopards, Okavango Delta, Botswana, Mombo camp[/caption]
I love the quirkiness of the rooms at Kaya Mawa on Lake Malawi; they're all different to each other and blend in with the granite outcrops fabulously. More an inland sea than a lake, the waters are great for freshwater snorkelling and diving – not only do you get great fish viewing, but you’re not sticky with salt afterwards.
[caption id="attachment_26437" align="alignnone" width="600"] On the shores of Lake Malawi, Kaya Mawa[/caption]
Stopping at three camps doesn’t feel right; I could go on for pages. However if I have to finish I’d end with Greystoke Camp in the Mahale National Park on the shores of Lake Tanganyika. You have a sandy beach in front of you, with forested mountains rising 600m behind you. In the forest are groups of habituated chimps whose interactions are as thrilling as the scenery is stunning.
Oh no, what about the pastel colours at Wolwedans in Namibia, the quirky rooms at Shipwreck Lodge, watching whales from Princesse Bora on Ile Ste Marie, or a sunset across the Luangwa from Nsefu Camp? Can’t we make it your ten favourite camps?
There can’t be many jobs where people want to buy what you sell. I can’t imagine people go into the service department of their local garage happy to plan their service and then part with their money. That’s what we get though; people who are excited about arranging a safari holiday and who just need us to use our knowledge to match them with the myriad of options for them in Africa.
It’s lovely to get so many people saying ‘thank you’ when the planning is complete and the decision made. It’s even better when they come back from Africa with the holiday having exceeded their expectations, thrilled by what they’ve seen and done and bubbling over with excitement. We share all the feedback we get around the offices and I know each of us gets a big thrill when the trips we’ve helped arrange work well and a bit of vicarious pleasure reading each other’s nice feedback too.
It’s a top job and there are few things I’d swap it for, and those I would I’m not skilled enough at (see the previous comments regarding my sporting prowess!)
Dear team,
we are a family of 4 and are planning a trip to Namibia in August 2023. Our children will then be 14 and 11. Our last safari was South Africa in 2017, which we all hugely enjoyed.
We plan to spend 2 weeks in Namibia and are looking forward to receiving your itinerary suggestions.
Kind regards,
Olivia
Thanks for getting in touch. We have lots of options for a family to travel to Namibia with teenage children. One of our team will be in touch by email