Reviews of Private Mobile
Wildlife sightings and reviews
57 independent comments and wildlife information from our travellers who have visited Private Mobile and kindly agreed to share their thoughts. They do not necessarily represent the views of Expert Africa
97% success
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100% success
97% success
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89% success
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"Botswana Private Mobile Safari review"
Being in a tent you cannot expect the same comfort as a camp room. The bed could have been slightly softer, the washing facilities more convenient, and the space is not a lot. BUT, you cannot beat the experience of being immersed in the nature.
Andrew, our guide and the owner of the mobile safari, is a lovely Scottish-turned-Botswanan, and made us feel special. Very attentive, as well as fun and extremely knowledgeable about animals and safaris. He built a support team that makes the the experience work impeccably. The food is very good, the tents and facilities kept very clean, the laundry washed and ironed. You could not believe you are camping.
The activities are all about safari. Andrew drives the jeep and spots animals (no idea how) while giving a lot of info. We saw incredible things, including a leopard climbing a tree to hunt a squirrel (which incredibly survived!). You go out for safaris twice a day - early morning and afternoon. As you basically sit in a car for hours, Andrew creates moments to break for a tea or a short walk.
If you don’t like sitting in a car, you will struggle, but will also miss incredible sightings as in a walking safari you may not be able to cover a large area looking for animals.
The mobile safari is unique, and being private there are no other guests, which I loved. Staying in a camp is certainly more comfortable, but less special. We stayed first in the mobile safari and then in a camp - and I think that’s the right sequence.
All in all, I loved our time with Andrew and his crew, and I highly recommend it." See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana; 6n in Tanzania
Buffalo
10 sightings
Cheetah
1 sighting
Elephant
10 sightings
Giraffe
10 sightings
Hippo
10 sightings
Leopard
1 sighting
Lion
6 sightings
Spotted Hyena
5 sightings
Wild dog
1 sighting
Wildebeest
10 sightings
Zebra
10 sightings
"Botswana Private Mobile Safari review"
Andrew, has both a great amount of knowledge and patience. We had some great sightings of Wild Dogs, Leopard’s and Lions besides the usual suspects. We were also very fortunate to see numerous birds.
In summary, we had a very enjoyable and relaxed 6 nights in the bush and besides numerous sightings we also learnt some very interesting information in the process. This included insights on trees, flora, fauna and the geology of the Delta.
Highly recommended and we will definitely consider a future mobile safari with Andrew in a new location in Botswana" See all these reviews: 10n in Botswana; 1n in South Africa
Buffalo
4 sightings
Elephant
5 sightings
Giraffe
3 sightings
Hippo
5 sightings
Leopard
3 sightings
Lion
3 sightings
Wild dog
Multiple sightings
Wildebeest
6 sightings
Zebra
6 sightings
"Botswana Private Mobile Safari review"
The tents were of a good size, with an attached ‘ensuite’ bathroom with a long-drop toilet and hot water provided each day for showers from a hanging bag, controlled by a tap. Hot water for washing was also provided every morning and each time we returned to camp. There were shelves to place clothes and other items on, bedside tables, and battery operated lamps. Andrew’s team also offered a laundry service, but not including underwear. Everything came back beautifully ironed, using a hot-coal filled iron!
There was no power in the camp, but cameras, phones and batteries could easily be charged via the inverter in Andrews Landcruiser while driving each day. Andrew’s knowledge was extraordinary as was his eye-sight and his intimate knowledge of the area enabled him to track the animals we were hoping to see. Again it was freezing on the early morning and night drives, but Andrew provided very good fleece-lined ponchos and hot water bottles.
Sitting round the campfire before dinner each evening enjoying a glass of wine or a gin was a wonderful way to end each day and Andrew was an interesting, relaxed and friendly host. The camps also had a central gazebo where there was a bar, coffee and tea, comfortable seating with games and a good selection of reference books, as well as an easel with ever-changing maps of the area." See all these reviews: 11n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe
Buffalo
2 sightings
Elephant
10 sightings
Giraffe
10 sightings
Hippo
3 sightings
Lion
2 sightings
Wildebeest
10 sightings
Zebra
10 sightings
"Botswana Private Mobile Safari review"
We believe that if someone has determined that a mobile safari is the experience they desire that it would not be possible for it to go smoother than ours did. In our 9 days/nights, there was never once we had to ask for anything or work through any issue. Andrew and his staff easily delivered on every aspect of the desired experience. They work very hard while making it look easy/routine.
Even after reading reviews prior to booking, we found ourselves amazed at the quality of the food, the efforts to maximize comfort within obvious constraints, and quality of a guide that surely cannot be exceeded. Andrew worked hard to deliver a memorable experience with high quality game sightings and Google-level knowledge of the wildlife seen. His knowledge of animal behaviors adds so much to the experience. We also appreciated his awareness and thoughtfulness to make adjustments that assisted as one of us has some challenging mobility issues.
It's rare these days to find anything one is comfortable giving an unqualified endorsement to. But a mobile safari with Andrew clearly deserves one. It was very much worth the 2-year delay caused by COVID.
We will treasure all our memories." See all these reviews: 11n in Botswana; 3n in Zimbabwe
Buffalo
10 sightings
Cheetah
2 sightings
Elephant
10 sightings
Giraffe
10 sightings
Hippo
10 sightings
Leopard
2 sightings
Lion
6 sightings
Spotted Hyena
1 sighting
Wildebeest
10 sightings
Zebra
10 sightings
"Botswana Private Mobile Safari review"
The opportunity to see different areas whilst game viewing between camps was a bonus (although these were long days "in the saddle"!).
Andrew and his team could not do enough for us from beginning to end, the team moving the whole camp twice on 8 nights working so hard to ensure that things were set up when we arrived at the new area, it felt like arriving "home" but with completely different outlooks. Andrew was a great host, very amenable and a really great guide, he was also interested to hear about our previous safari experiences. Alec, the cook, did an absolutely amazing job of preparing and serving first class food every lunchtime (pies, how do you get that much chicken in a pie?, and bread were fantastic!) and evening using only an open fire and basic cooking facilities (of which he was very proud). Plenty of liquid refreshment always available.
The beds were comfortable, long drop toilets perfectly acceptable, and, despite the cold nights, we were cosy with duvets, blankets and our bush babies (hot water bottles). The hot water bottles and Andrew's lined ponchos were really welcome on the early morning game drives. A word of advice if travelling at this time of year, take plenty of layers of clothing as it is not warm at night or in the early mornings (it dropped to 3 deg C one night in Savuti).
The wildlife viewing was generally excellent, although we need to go back to find the wild dogs despite Andrew's best efforts. The number of lions kept growing to reach 50+ individuals (including 3 different prides on our way to the airstrip on our last day!), and a magnificent male cheetah was another highlight. Lovely elephant encounters, innumerable giraffe, zebra and wildebeest, and it was great to see ostrich, secretary birds and kori bustards. Very easy to go on waxing lyrical, but it was amazing and, for most of our viewings (especially in Moremi), we were on our own." See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana
Buffalo
10 sightings
Cheetah
1 sighting
Elephant
10 sightings
Giraffe
10 sightings
Hippo
10 sightings
Leopard
1 sighting
Lion
10 sightings
Roan antelope
Multiple sightings
Spotted Hyena
10 sightings
Wildebeest
10 sightings
Zebra
10 sightings
"Botswana Private Mobile Safari with Andrew"
Only take this trip if you are prepared for real camping, not “glamping”. There is no running water (although you will have hot water to wash hands and take a shower), toilets (just a latrine type hole) or electricity (although there are lamps). It was very cold for 3 of the nights we were there. The “bush babies” hot water bottles and the ponchos help to stay warm, but you definitely need gloves and a warm hat in the latter part of May.
Andrew was so accommodating of our schedules, and what we wanted to watch and photograph. When we needed to access the internet before our flight back to South Africa to get a QR code to prove vaccination status, he drove us to his house in Maun and then to the airport, going above and beyond!
One morning we were returning to the camp having seen not a lot of unique animals, and, as we were about 200 yards from the camp, Andrew spotted 5 lions lying in the grass. We were able to observe them for quite a while.
At one point we were surrounded by about a thousand zebras on migration. Another time we were in the midst of a breeder herd of elephants, with a curious matriarch who approached our vehicle closely to check us out. We were able to watch a leopard cub in a tree pulling up and then eating an impala. We saw an Egyptian goose pretending to have an injured wing to try to distract us and protect her goslings." See all these reviews: 12n in Botswana; 2n in South Africa
"Botswana Private Mobile Safari review"
The organisation of his mobile Safari was impressive. The staff were lovely and the food was amazing all cooked with an open fire." See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana; 2n in Zimbabwe
Elephant
Multiple sightings
Giraffe
Multiple sightings
Hippo
Multiple sightings
Leopard
1 sighting
Lion
Multiple sightings
Sable antelope
Multiple sightings
Spotted Hyena
Multiple sightings
Wild dog
Multiple sightings
Wildebeest
Multiple sightings
Zebra
Multiple sightings
"AMAZING!"
Even with a pride of lion in our camp deep in the Kalahari, with no one else around, we always felt safe and as though we were getting the very best wildlife experiences. One of the group observed she hadn't felt this safe since before the pandemic!
We saw cheetah, hartebeest, kudu, jackals, bat-eared foxes, 2 African wildcat sightings and many Secretary birds as well as a massive herd of giraffe, and many, many springbok, oryx and wildebeest. With no wifi and hardly another person or vehicle for 6 days, we all felt we had finally encountered wildlife totally unaffected or interfered with by humans. It was phenomenal." See all these reviews: 13n in Botswana
Cheetah
3 sightings
Elephant
1 sighting
Giraffe
10 sightings
Lion
10 sightings
Wildebeest
1 sighting
"Botswana Private Mobile Safari review"
Andrew's mobile safari camp was the second of three camps for us and it was the exact adventure we were looking for after starting at a traditional camp. We did 5 nights: 2 at Moremi Game Reserve and 3 at Savuti. It was really cool to see two different landscapes and also drive through a couple villages.
The game viewing was definitely less dense than the other camps we visited as we were in national parks and we couldn't go off road, but Andrew did an amazing job tracking and mixing it up so that it always felt like an adventure. One afternoon we did a little rock scramble to look at old San paintings, another we watched hyena pups pop out of their den. One highlight was the entire day trek we did from one camp to the next — we drove through the Mobabe Depression, napped under two trees, spent a lot of time reading and writing as Andrew drove the land cruiser.
It was different from your usual game drive day, but if you're looking for an adventure and another way to experience Botswana, Andrew's mobile safari is for you. If your entire goal is to have action packed game drives, note that on occasion you may drive for an hour or two without seeing much of interest as the camps are in national parks, and you also have to be back in camp before sunset.
The food was on par with the luxury camps and the staff he brings along — 5 people in our case — were great. Dinner and evening hang outs around the fire were informative and relaxing. Andrew had so many great stories and knew a lot about the constellations (the night sky is unreal). The camp set up itself was very comfortable given the mobile set up, though it did get hot inside the tents during siesta if the day was very hot.
Highly recommend mixing Andrew's mobile safari camp with the traditional camps, you just get to experience Botswana in a different, very intimate way!" See all these reviews: 11n in Botswana
Buffalo
Multiple sightings
Elephant
Multiple sightings
Giraffe
Multiple sightings
Hippo
Multiple sightings
Lion
Multiple sightings
Roan antelope
1 sighting
Spotted Hyena
2 sightings
Wildebeest
Multiple sightings
Zebra
Multiple sightings
"Botswana Private Mobile Safari "
Kennie our hostess was so warm and welcoming. KB looked after our tent which was very comfortable indeed and outfitted with plenty of warm blankets to keep us toasty in the cold winter nights. LB and Julian kept us supplied with warm water for our showers, washed the vehicle daily, and kept the infrastructure of moving and setting up camp perfectly. And Alec the chef prepared absolutely gourmet meals with only an open fire. Out of a metal box came perfect bread twice a day, and perfectly cooked chicken pot pie decorated with little pastry flowers, Bobotie, Indian curry....even the most amazing poached pear dessert .... Each meal was thoughtfully prepared and presented and an absolute treat. Better than most restaurants we have been to.
And finally Andrew was a superb host and guide. For 5 nights we explored Moremi and Khwai areas. We not only spotted lots of game but were able to sit and watch their behavior. He was brilliant at finding us the wild dogs several times. Also a great variety of bird-life. four male elephants fighting with each other in the river.. and a memorable after dinner night drive where we saw 2 bat eared fox, 2 porcupines and a serval. Andrew's enthusiasm and knowledge of the bush made this a very special experience.
Staying in such a comfortable camp in the Botswana wilderness felt more luxurious than the most high end lodges to us." See all these reviews: 11n in Botswana
Buffalo
1 sighting
Elephant
Multiple sightings
Giraffe
Multiple sightings
Hippo
Multiple sightings
Lion
Multiple sightings
Spotted Hyena
Multiple sightings
Wild dog
Multiple sightings
Wildebeest
Multiple sightings
Zebra
Multiple sightings
Holiday styles & special interests in Botswana
From birdwatching breaks to walking holidays, find great ideas for your trip in Botswana.
Other lodges in Moremi Game Reserve
For comparison, here are some alternatives in this same area.
Machaba Camp
Overlooking the Khwai River to Moremi Game Reserve beyond, the classic Machaba Camp combines comfort with excellent game viewing.
Xigera Safari Lodge
Located deep in Botswana's Okavango Delta, Xigera Camp normally focuses on mokoro excursions and motorboat trips, with 4WD game drives when water levels permit.
Xakanaxa
Xakanaxa Camp is a well-established traditional camp beside a huge lagoon within the Moremi Game Reserve, with access to some superb game viewing.
Khwai Tented Camp
Khwai Tented Camp offers a traditional African safari experience, with very comfortable tented accommodation, in a fantastic game area north of the Moremi Game Reserve.
Sable Alley
Smart, independent and well-run, Sable Alley overlooks a beautiful, hippo-filled lagoon within the diverse Khwai Private Reserve.
Okuti
Okuti Camp has an innovative design and offers game drives and boat trips in a beautiful, game-rich part of Moremi Game Reserve.
Mombo Camp
Mombo is one of Botswana's most exclusive safari camps, set in a beautiful, remote location within the Moremi Game Reserve and with exceptional game densities.
Little Machaba
Overlooking the Khwai River and Moremi Game Reserve beyond, Little Machaba is a classically designed camp with very comfortable tents in a great game-viewing area.
Chief's Camp
Chief's Camp is situated on Chief's Island, within the Okavango Delta's Moremi Game Reserve. Experience one of Botswana's top game-viewing areas by 4WD and mokoro.
Hyena Pan
Fairly rustic, and relatively inexpensive, Hyena Pan overlooks a natural waterhole that attracts an almost constant parade of animals.
Camp Moremi
Camp Moremi lies within the Moremi Game Reserve, in one of the best locations for game viewing in Botswana.
Skybeds
Situated in a private reserve close to Moremi Game Reserve, Skybeds offers a simple yet wonderful opportunity to sleep under the stars and watch wildlife from your bed.
Little Mombo
One of Botswana's top safari camps, Little Mombo stands on the north side of Chief's Island, in the heart of the Okavango Delta's Moremi Game Reserve.
Tuludi
Tuludi is a brand new luxury camp, within the Khwai Private Reserve, built on a site under giant leadwood trees and overlooking the Okavango Delta floodplains.
The Jackal & Hide
The Jackal & Hide camp is located in the Khwai Private Reserve – which borders the Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe
Sango Safari Camp
Sango offers comfortable tented accommodation, without some of the frills often found in Botswana's camps, with an area that's scenic and gets excellent, consistent game sightings.
Khwai Bush Camp
Kwhai Bush Camp offers great guiding, excellent wildlife watching and simple but comfortable accommodations the productive Khwai community area.
Mokete Camp
New for July 2023, Mokete has 9 luxurious tents, raised on platforms above the surrounding bush and offers an experience of the Kalahari Wilderness.
Khwai River Lodge
Khwai River Lodge is a luxurious and well-equipped safari camp, on the northern edge of Moremi Game Reserve. This area isn't exclusive, but it is beautiful and has excellent game.
Khwai Leadwood
Khwai Leadwood is a luxurious lodge located in the heart of the Khwai Community Concession, offering guests exceptional service, stunning scenery, and unforgettable wildlife experiences.
Tawana
An exclusive new lodge on the banks of the Gomoti River, Tawana will have just eight very spacious suites.
