Bush camp safaris travel guide

Bush camp safaris are also, typically, mobile safaris, so you’ll be travelling from place to place, often taking in two or three countries in a fortnight. This gives a fascinating overview and the best chance to see a good variety of game. There is always plenty of wildlife to enjoy, but bush camp safaris also involve exploration of historical sites and wild landscapes: climb the sand dunes of the Namib desert, explore the ancient city of Great Zimbabwe or see the mighty Victoria Falls.

Obviously, a bush camp safari – especially one that involves wild camping – requires a huge amount of planning, plus the right kind of vehicle and equipment to access the wilderness and adequate provisions once there. You’ll travel in a 4WD vehicle – and do game drives in it, too – driven by a seasoned driver-guide who knows how to negotiate rough, sandy tracks. Depending on how many people are travelling, there may also be a 4WD support vehicle that carries all the food, camping equipment and water. This level of support and expertise is not easily mustered by independent travellers, especially those new to Africa, so bush camp safaris are typically organised as small group adventures, with up to 12 people travelling together. There are often age restrictions, with most not suitable for young families and only open to children aged 12 and upwards.

Participation is another typical feature of a camping safari. Unless you’re joining a tailor made trip, during which service staff do all the camp work, mucking in is usually required and is an integral part of the adventure. You may be expected to put up your tent and take it down (often in the dark of early morning or evening), and to help prep food, wash up and load the truck before moving on. The smooth running of the trip relies on everyone putting in a little effort. Each holiday varies, though, so do look into this. Some tours have a camp assistant as well as a tour guide and driver, who will set up camp for you, and occasionally you’ll stop at sites that have already erected dome tents – perfect if you fancy taking things a tad easier.

Eating is hearty and fun on a camping safari. Your camp cook or the guide responsible for rustling up meals will conjure tasty stews and sizzling barbecues from supplies cleverly stowed in the support vehicle, often with a side vegetable dish, sometimes with dessert, too. He will have shopped until he dropped to make sure every last scrap of food or water is on board prior to heading into the bush, so that even lengthy periods of five days or more in the wilderness are fully provisioned – quite a feat. You can then enjoy tucking in around the campfire, as the night sky bursts into twinkling life and animal noises float in on the cool breeze.

The simple answer is – yes, so long as you listen to your guides. These guys are highly trained and highly professional, with years of experience of camping safely in wild areas. They will give safety briefings at each location and among their invaluable advice is the instruction to scan the bushes around the ‘bushy bushy’ toilet with your torch at night – if you see eyes shining back, it’s safer to cross your legs!

Mobile bush camp safaris are also environmentally responsible, operating a ‘leave no trace’ policy at wild sites. Specific camping areas are used, designated by the park or reserve authorities – you can’t camp just anywhere – and the camp moves every few days, with nothing left behind; even fire ashes are buried. In Botswana, for instance, safari operators are heavily fined if waste is found on wilderness campsites, and this sum is often deducted from the chief guide’s pay packet. They will comb the site for the tiniest scrap of rubbish before moving on – environmentally conscious campers should do likewise, both to support the guides and the environment.