Mr Samuel Mopalo has been working in the tourism
Early Kingfisher Safari
- Office In:
- Size:
- 1-5 employees (Founded in 2017)
- Member Of:
- BOGA & Botswana Tourism
- Tour Types:
- Custom budget tours that can start every day
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $100 to $1,200 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
for a custom tour
Your request will be sent directly to the operator
If preferred, you can contact the operator directly
Reviews
Email Charlie | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Early Kingfisher must be the best Mobile Safari company in Botswana, I can not imagine a better one.
If you are planning a trip to Botswana to see wildlife then Early Kingfisher Safari, a mobile camping safari run by Sam Mopalo, should be at the top of your list to contact. I have been on numerous previous trips to South Africa, Tanzania, Kenya, Mozambique, Namibia and Zanzibar and nothing comes even close to my superb experiences with early King Fisher Safaris in Moremi Game Reserve, Chobe National Park and Central Kalahari Game Reserve. I've been with Sam's company on three trips in the last two years and I'm planning a fourth one soon. Sam, his wife, daughter and son are all involved in his company and between them they are able to accommodate almost any request, make significant changes, if needed, on the fly and they help in every way possible to make your trip a memory to last a life time. My trips with them have been among the best trips I’ve ever taken.
I’ve stayed at lodges in the past, but I’m so glad I stumbled on the option of booking a safari trip with a good local owned mobile safari operator. Sam provides an unbelievably experienced guide with first-hand knowledge of the park, good equipment and ready access to emergency response. Another plus is that he, as well as other mobile safari operators, registers with the national parks administration to gain special access to a very limited number of campsites scattered inside the park. With Sam’s Early Kingfisher mobile safari operation the tents are spacious with a floor and a walled off private camp toilet and bucket shower attached to the tent. There are actual beds to sleep on and excellent food. A support vehicle with a crew of two or three is part of the package and they come along to set up camp, prepare meals and since the camping takes place in remote areas their Land Cruiser serves as a backup vehicle in case of mechanical problems. The camp moves to a new site every two to three days and the support crew moves ahead of the game drives to have the campsite set up when you arrive….what more can you ask for! The advantages of mobile camping far outweigh the perceived comfort of a lodge. You are situated right in the middle of nature, away from lodge and self driving traffic and your game drives start when you leave your tent in the morning. On every trip I've taken with Sam the outcome far outweighed my expectation. If the animals are present Sam and company will track them down and you'll be rewarded like I've been with surprise after surprise.
CZ
Email Peter Fanta & Robert Solciansky | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
The best you can find in Botswana !
The best safari we have ever experienced in Africa. Together with my friend we are very experienced travelers with more than 110 countries and have experienced all possible safaris in many African countries and therefore we can confidently say that the 9 day safari with Sam and his company Early kingfisher is the best that can be experienced in Africa!
We chose October as the peak of the dry season and what we had the opportunity to see in the Moremi reserve was amazing - thanks to the only remaining water there are an incredible number of animals around the water sources and Sam is a perfect tracker! He has an enormous 30 years of experience and yet he gets up every morning at 05:00 with an unquenchable desire to discover as many animals as possible that day and provide his clients with a perfect experience!
We admire his enthusiasm, always in a great mood, tremendous knowledge and ability to always find the rarest predators such as leopard, cheetah, wild dogs, hyenas and others.. In the few meetings with other guides - they are rare in that wonderful wilderness - he is highly respected by his colleagues and usually the first one to find the predators that day.
In the same way, his team provides perfect service in the background, everything works absolutely exactly literally for minutes every day, and what his cook can conjure up 5 times a day for meals, including daily freshly baked bread, sweet cakes, savory pies, etc. is literally unbelievable!
You have to prepare for getting up early every day at 05:00, because morning game drives are many times more successful than in the evening, when many animals are hiding.
The best experiences were provided by Moremi crowded with animals, dry Savuti in our term was 20% animals but offered an incredible number of lions in large packs! ..fine is Khwai.. only weaker was the final destination Kasane-Chobe, where suddenly there are too many tourists like in Kenya and Tanzania and after many days in Moremi, when we met 2-3 cars / day it suddenly became ordinary..
Again, we have to thank the perfect tracker Sam and his team many times for an experience that we know very well that we will not be able to surpass anywhere else in Africa - this was the absolute pinnacle of what is possible!
DE
Email Enno | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic safari tour in the Okavango Delta
We had five amazing days in the Moremi Game Reserve. Thanks to our experienced guide Sam, we had many opportunities to observe wild animals such as elephants, lions and leopards. He also took us to fantastic spots where we could enjoy the beautiful landscape of the Okavango Delta. During the game drives, we not only observed various animals, but also learned a lot about nature and animal behaviour. Furthermore, the team at the camp was excellent, so we felt comfortable at all times (the food was great!).
We are already looking forward to our next adventure with Early Kingfisher Safari!
Email Ariel | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Truly unforgettable experience
I went for a 5-day safari trip in Okavango Delta with the guide Meier, and I would say this is definitely one of the most amazing trips I have ever done. Before the departure, whenever I have questions, I can always receive prompt responses and suggestions from the staff. Then, at the beginning of the trip, I was totally surprised by all the setup of the camping facilities and all the services provided from food to cleaning. As a backpacker and camper myself, I can tell how much effort the staff have put into to make sure all the guests feel comfortable during the safari and I am always amazed by their attention to even little details like giving us towels when we just got back from the morning or afternoon game drive. In terms of the safari itself, that's an even more memorable experience: our guide is very experienced, insightful and passionate about wildlife spotting, and he is not just randomly exploring by luck, but is synthesizing different pieces of information to find the most probable route and behavior of animals. There are always ups and downs when it comes to the number of wildlife we saw every day, but even on the dry days, I don't feel way too disappointed because I can really feel the efforts our guide has made. I am really glad that I chose Early Kingfisher for my first safari and they really helped me realize the magic and charm of safari in Africa, and I am already hoping and planning to come back and go with them again in the foreseeable future.
Email Diane | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Fantastic Guide and Company
Our 14-day safari, camping 4 places in Moremi and Chobe, was spectacular. Sam’s tracking expertise and knowledge of the complex network of back roads gave us many opportunities to enjoy lions, cheetahs and other wildlife all by ourselves. We felt so fortunate.. He knew every bird by song/call, the location of stars and planets , local ecology, the social history of the several lion prides we visited and much more.. The staff was equally expert at making the camps our homes. Food was fantastic, bed comfortable and campfires greeted us each morning and evening. I’m already plotting our next trip with Early Kingfisher..
Email Linda Beckwith | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
A wonderfully memorable experience!
I just completed an 11 day safari with three friends led by Samuel Mopalo, owner of Early Kingfisher Safaris. We were in the Chobi River area, and the Okavango Delta, and stayed in three different camps. The large tents with bush bathrooms attached were roomy, and the beds comfortable. They even have electric lighting. Leave your dirty clothes, and they come back laundered and folded every day.
The number and variety of animals was unbelievable. Sam is a first class tracker, always finding the animals, and positioning us in the best spot for photo shots. Sam has incredible knowledge of all the animals, birds, and flora of the area. One day he noticed some tracks and said the elephants are headed to the watering hole. We raced there just in time for rush hour, with over 100 elephants coming to the hole! We saw 53 hippos one day, 17 giraffes together, a group of 18 wildebeests, so many beautiful lions, leopards, and on and on. People who have been on several safaris said they never saw what we saw. We saw at least 50 elephants, giraffes, and zebras every day.
Sam has a great crew. PK the chef cooks gourmet meals over an open fire in cast iron pots, with freshly baked bread 3 times a day. Khomo was always there to help, as well as Lesh and Khem. They catered to our every need. BZ greeted us with warm water and wash cloths twice a day after the game runs, attended to us at meals, and had our favorite cocktail ready around the campfire before dinner.
It is hard to explain how wonderful this safari was. You have to experience it to understand, and I encourage you to do so. It changed my life.
Email R O | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
AMAZING!
We saw so many animals and birds. We saw prides of lions, the marsh pride, the north pride, the xini pride. We saw leopards, rush hour at the watering hole with over 100 elephants. We sat quietly at another watering hole to see giraffes adjust to get those long necks down to drink. There were hippos, zebras, impalas, red lechwe, wildebeests, kudus, water bucks, buffalo, ostriches. This was the most amazing trip I have been on. Sam is so knowledgeable and has a great eye for great photo ops.
The crew kept us very comfortable and well fed.
Early Kingfisher Safaris is the place for an amazing safari experience!!!
Email Rita | 65+ years of age | Experience level: first safari
Phenomenal
If you are considering a safari, I highly recommend Early Kingfisher Safaris!! Sam is so knowledgeable about the animals and their behaviors, is an expert tracker, and has a great eye for great picture opportunities. His crew is top notch. The accommodations and food were beyond my expectations! It was a trip of a lifetime!! I would gladly add more exclamation points.
When I was on the plane, looking at my pictures, a fellow passenger commented on the quantity and quality of the animal pictures and videos I had. She had been on a few safaris and said she was disappointed in the lack of what she saw. She is definitely booking with Early Kingfisher for next trip.
Ke a leboga, rra Sam!
Email Theresa Parker | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: first safari
A truly life-changing experience!
...is there a 6 star out of 5 rating? :)
We were introduced to Early Kingfisher Safaris via our photography guide, who organized a private family trip for us in April 2025. From the very first introduction to Sam and co-guide Paul at the airport in Kasane (Botswana), we knew we were in the best of hands. Every detail we could have anticipated – and so many others we never would have thought of – were taken care of at an incredibly high level.
The Toyota Land Cruisers used for the daily game drives were incredibly comfortable, easy to get into, with plenty of space for people and gear. They were fitted with flaps and other weather/dust protection that Sam designed himself and that we only needed once on a very dusty road. Blankets were provided for chilly mornings, but rarely used.
Game drives: Sam is an exceptionally well-known resource throughout the Chobe/Khwai/Savuti/Maun areas and an incredible tracker – as is Paul, our co-guide. Their years of study/certification and experience are readily evident. They were generous in showing us tracks, identifying differentiators between lions, leopards, hyenas, wild dogs…and showing the difference between the front and hind feet of elephants. Through their efforts and expertise, we experienced a “6 leopards before lunch” extravaganza of sightings!! They willingly stopped so we could photograph all kinds of wildlife (lions, leopards, cheetahs, elephants, zebras, impala (and so many other kinds of antelope, huge numbers of birds)) and were generous in their knowledge, identifying random birds, plants, and other items based on our questions. We tasted baobab fruit, wild cucumber and watermelon, and marula fruit – which only deepened our appreciation for Botswana. Early Kingfisher Safaris is an apt description, with morning game drives beginning at ~6:00 AM and afternoon drives at ~4:00 PM; the times are perfectly attuned for fantastic light (for photographers) and peak activity time for most of the animals and birds. We were on the trail before most, and well before groups from the various lodges – at times, we felt we had the entire area to ourselves, which was magical. You’ll look forward to the early start times! And – morning tea at “Sam’s Café” (tea, biscuits, rusks) as a break during the early game drive is an experience not to be missed!!
Camp life: What an epic experience! From being welcomed into camp with song, which brought tears to my eyes, to the incredible kindness of everyone in camp, the experience was one delight after another. The tents were spacious, so wonderfully comfortable, and filled with unexpected touches. Towels were folded into surprise designs each day, we had our own ‘bathroom’ at the back of the tent with a hanging shower, wash basins, and our individual vault privy. Laundry disappeared during the day only to return in the late afternoon, washed and folded and smelling of sunshine (we didn’t anticipate this!). We were woken each morning with warm wash water and greeted each evening with warm water for a shower after our game drives. Bara and BZ, the camp butlers, greeted us upon each return from a game drive with a damp washcloth to clean our face and hands, and were wonderfully gracious during our meals. BZ’s napkin designs each evening were a source of joy and something we all looked forward to…an impala, a cobra – so creative!
Speaking of the meals – wow! Chef PK is a magician in the kitchen, and spoiled us terribly. Her bread was amazing and is greatly missed now that we’ve returned home. Each meal was truly exceptional. And, who would have expected pre-dinner drinks (wine, G&T) around a fragrant fire, recapping the day. The farewell songs and dance at the end of our time in camp was wonderful and somewhat bittersweet knowing we were saying goodbye to our time in Botswana.
If you have the good fortune to experience Botswana with Sam and his team at Early Kingfisher Safaris, you will have a wonderfully life-changing experience and you’ll count yourself incredibly lucky.
Email Don | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
First Class!
We just finished a fantastic tour with Early Kingfisher Safari. They were absolutely excellent. If you travel with them, be prepared to get up and get out early and see loads of wildlife! The beds were excellent, and the camping facilities were very good. The food was fantastic! We had some people with us who could not eat gluten or dairy and the food that was prepared for them was fabulous . Our guide was so much fun to be with and knows so much. He also understands how to position the vehicle for photographers so you get amazing shots. He shared so many wonderful stories and we all learned a lot. We had a lot of fun and I can absolutely recommend them!
