Luxury Safari Camps ~ Choose Wisely

Luxury safari camps abound in Africa, albeit there are distinct differences. The most notable are those located within private concessions, which at most will allow safari vehicles to go off road and into the bush seeking and tracking animals. Camps not on private concession are restricted to road use, which often denies the traveler the best of opportunities to find animals that are well hidden within the bush. It is a far more exciting adventure when traveling across the veld, at times into the tree line and across marsh in search of the animals in the wild.

Luxury camps will also afford the traveler the best in cuisine, offering local wines as an included feature at certain camps, and providing laundry service as an inclusive feature. Thus there are a number of considerations to be made before choosing which of the camps provide the best value for the dollar. Several points to consider are as follows:

1. Number of accommodations within the camp. Some camps have as few as 7 luxury tents, so while out on safari, it is unlikely that you will cross paths with any other vehicle, leaving the animals in the wild to your individualized viewing. At lesser camps, you might find as many as 15 vehicles circled around the one lion.

2. Location of the camp and whether it abuts other camps or is in a venue all of its own, distant from other safari camps. It is meaningful because while on safari, it will determine the chances of having a greater number of vehicles in search of the very same animals.

3. Private concession or not. As previously mentioned, a safari camp on a private concession affords the traveler the finest adventure, allowing the driver to go off road in search of game.                                                                                                                                                                                                             

4. Type of safari vehicle used by the camp. The type of vehicle used by camps is an important factor to consider when choosing which of the camps best suits the purpose. Certain camps use a van with a pop-up roof and taking as many as 10-12 guests on the game drive. Add to that another 4-5 vans, or more in caravan and imagine the horde of travelers out seeking animal in the wild. A van restricts the driver where he can take the vehicle and will limit the opportunities of finding animal in their natural setting. Other camps will use open air Land Rovers, providing the best viewing while out on safari, seating a maximum of 8 riders and if on private concession, allowing the driver to go into the bush tracking the movement of the animals.