Reviews of Private Mobile
Wildlife sightings and reviews
68 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
98% success
72% success
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61% success
100% success
98% success
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39% success
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3% success
"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
"Botswana Private Mobile Safari review"
Andrew is an outstanding guide who doesn't just know how to spot lions - he possesses an impressive wealth of knowledge about all the animals and birds in the Okavango Delta as well as the natural history of the area and the people and cultural history of Botswana. His passion about the Okavango is clearly evident and it was a privilege to learn from him. He's also just a really great guy and we truly enjoyed just hanging out and talking with him.
Andrew's team is also fantastic. Their professionalism and attention to detail is beyond compare. And the food was outstanding - rivaled any restaurant in Botswana or Namibia! Dining on springbok carpaccio and chocolate mousse at a beautifully set table while listening to hippos in the bush is truly and unforgettable experience.
I hope we'll be able to join them for another safari before we leave Africa!" See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana
"BOTSWANA PRIVATE MOBILE SAFARI REVIEW"
Unalloyed by superfulous details this was the real thing - a bush experience of Safari in Africa from days gone by. Andrew was a wonderful host and guide that made the experience utterly unforgettable . His team of helpers, who were on hand to make our stay comfortable and enjoyable were superb and made us feel at home in the bush.
The game viewing was great and food quite exceptional ... not sure how the cook managed to produce such good and enjoyable food in his rudimentary kitchen but it was quite exceptional." See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana
"Moremi with Andrew Harkness"
"really fun and a great experience"
the food was fab - better than the camp by far.
I've rated the facilities as no comment because in the middle of the bush there are few, but the whole experience was great. It was especially fantastic to be right by the river and have elephants and hippos ( as well as baboons) as our almost constant companions - waking to elephants drinking at dawn was a huge privilege." See all these reviews: 7n in Botswana; 3n in Zambia
"Botswana Private Mobile Safari review"
Andrew, a Brit who has lived in Africa for just about half his life, is amiable, a great guide, and a terrific mobile safari manager. His team included, among others, Kene who interacted with us most often, Tiny who performed housekeeping duties including laundry, and Alec, the chef who created wonderful meals on his wood fire stove. Every detail was attended to including breaking down and setting up the camp each time we moved with our having to do nothing more than pack up our stuff and drive to the next location.
We had multiple honey badger sightings (at least 6); 2 leopard cubs 2-3 weeks old which the mom had stashed in a hollow tree for safekeeping; adolescent elephants playing with each other in the water; multiple roan sightings; 5 lion cubs as their mom came back from hunting, rushing to be reunited with her. I could go on, but you get the picture." See all these reviews: 15n in Botswana
"Botswana Private Mobile Safari review"
However, one should be aware when he / she initiates the travel that it is a totally different experience from the lodge. The game drives were excellent." See all these reviews: 6n in Botswana; 1n in Zambia
"Honey Badger Heaven with Andrew"
We were the only two guests. We spent 4 nights in Khwai, where we were near the the river; and then moved to Savute and a very different landscape. Andrew's team of 5 moved ahead and set up the camp. It was a very well-run operation and a lot of work went into creating a seemingly simple and old-style camp. Our meru tent was comfortable, with solar lamps in the evening; and an integrated bucket shower and long-drop at the back. It was attractive to passing wildlife too. There had been very little rain this year and so the elephants were particularly interested in our bucket shower and one looked over the top when we were in it! In Savute, hyenas came at night to drink from the canvas washbasins outside our tent. There was also an open-sided tent with a sofa for lounging in the middle of the day; some interesting old books on Botswana and its history; and, of course, the drinks cabinet.
The food was truly amazing, with menus chosen by Andrew's wife Pippa, and cooked by Alec over an open fire or in a metal box under the ashes. He produced a huge range of dishes, from tasty game stews, to Okavango fish, and delicious puddings, cakes and bread every day. Kene announced the menu each night; Tiny looked after the tents and washed and ironed our clothes (using an old-fashioned coal iron); and LB and Julian made everything run smoothly. It was a friendly, informal and tight team and we learned a lot from talking to them about their lives and plans for the future.
There had been very little rain and so the game was concentrated around the water. In Khwai, we saw many hippos and crocodiles on the river and elephants, zebras and giraffes coming down to drink. A highlight was the pride of lions feasting on a buffalo. There was a wide range of antelopes; vervet monkeys and baboons; and we had a glimpse of a leopard. We came across quite a few other vehicles in Khwai and there were other mobile camp sites nearby but Andrew was very good at finding his own routes and own sightings. You can walk in Khwai and we spent a great morning with Andrew pointing out the small stuff that you can never see from a vehicle - although we did also get close to a herd of zebras.
The drive to Savute was long and took us into very different landscape with rocky hills and dried up lakes, with water pumped into the few water holes. We pitched camp on a ridge on the edge of an escarpment. It was a leafier environment and we were miles from any other travellers. The huge and beautiful dried-out marsh held a very wide range of wildlife. We spent an hour watching the King of the Marsh Pride walking across and then lying in the shade by our vehicle. Lion sightings were generally good here and included a pride of females with 5 young cubs, who were completely at ease with vehicles. We also saw wildebeest, jackals, elephants, giraffes and hyenas. And we should mention the birds. Andrew was an amazing spotter and we saw 63 different species on this trip. As you can tell, we really recommend this trip!
As we were there in winter (end of June), it was really cold in the early mornings and quite cold at night. We had taken lots of thin warm layers and a woolly hat and we were fine with those plus the hot water bottles that were provided in the beds and in the open vehicle on the early drives." See all these reviews: 9n in Botswana
"Brilliant"
"Fantastic experience with Andrew"
I enjoyed waking up each morning from my comfortable bed as the staff gently called good morning and filled our basin with warm water. Andrew is a very knowledgeable guide that led us on driving and walking safaris. I was amazed at the daily fresh bread and gourmet meals prepared on the campfire.
In the evening, the stars and milky way captured our attention as we sat around the campfire and listened to the discordant metallic ting of bell frogs, roar of fighting impala, grunts of hippos, and huffing of lions.
The trip was both relaxing and exhilarating with sensory overload." See all these reviews: 8n in Botswana
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