Camping and its best
Tony Mobile Safari
- Office In:
- Size:
- 5-10 employees (Founded in 2009)
- Tour Types:
- Small & medium group tours (Budget & mid-range)
- Destinations:
- Price Range:
- $230 to $580 per person per day (USD, excl. int'l flights)
Reviews
Email Austin Wedderburn | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
The day tour with Tony and his staff were awesome, a must do..
Best tour we have ever done, the best people that made it a day to remember. They made us feel safe, but gave us an awesome up close and personal experience. Really, really enjoyed every minute. Highly recommend you go with these guys.
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Email Mike S | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Great, simple safari experience with Tony and team!
Being my first time on safari, I have nothing to compare it against, but Tony and team's 6 day/5 night safari experience was a fantastic one. A great local business you should support versus the fancy lodges that I doubt are locally owned.
Tony communicates with his guests over WhatsApp and email, and is incredibly responsive overall. Tough to set your expectations ahead of time regardless. However, know that you are in good hands, as Tony and team ran a strong operation. He has different tiers of accommodation for his nightly camping, I would just make sure you choose the best unless you are willing to sacrifice things like your own "en-suite" bathroom next to your tent. The tent and adjoining bathroom area were surprisingly nice, and the sleeping arrangement of an inflatable mattress was more comfortable than I thought. Everything from the sleeping bags and pillows seemed to be of quality and clean despite it being used for camping. They had an overhead hanging bucket for the occasional shower as well.
The food that Tony's staff cooked was really good given that we were camping, and it is impressive what they can do. Breakfast typically included cereals and omelettes for example, among other things. Lunch and dinner were all good meals with meat, starches, and vegetables. Safe to say, we never went hungry.
Botswana's safari scene is uniquely abundant with wildlife, and I believe you typically get to see a lot more here than in South Africa for example. I will not give specifics to get your hopes up, but we saw way more than I ever thought (went in May), and we saw those animals in somewhat unique situations (hunting, drinking water, etc.). Our tour went through the parks/reserves of Chobe, Savuti, and Moremi (with only 6 days, Moremi is a bit rushed, would recommend the extra day if offered). Tony's open car allowed for great views, and our small group of 3 people was a great amount for everyone to have easy viewing ability. Tony has a strong ability to track animals using their prints, whichmade for some additional viewings that some of the fancy lodges did not get to see even. Tony is clearly good at what he does, is quite funny, and his passion for the wildlife and photography is obvious. Just someone whose business you absolutely must support as he is into this for all the right reasons.
Some things to consider are that the post-lunch break is sometimes long (though this seems common in the Botswana safari world), so you should bring some activity to do for sure, and use that downtime effectively, unless he considers shortening the break in the future. Also, Tony is not always the most transparent about what animals he sees or what the schedule looks like, so you have to be willing to go with the flow a bit. But I promise you that he has your best interests, and he put on a great tour for us. Botswana is also not well-connected with modern (paved) roads, and there ends up being lots of driving in the 4x4 on sand/dirt roads that are common in the country's parks. So, having patience while being in transit is important to understand. Though the travel time was notable, there was still a ton of time to see the animals in the parks/reserves, and the value of a camping tour with Tony and team is incredible compared to the expensive lodges in the parks.
As long as you can handle the experience of camping (of which I would consider this somewhat more luxurious than typical camping), this safari experience should easily be your top choice.
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Email Caroline | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Six day tour from Kasane to Maun: Excellent safari, fantastic guide, comfortable tents
My partner and I decided to book this safari after seeing so many positive reviews, and also knowing that it is a local company with experienced guides. It was an incredible six day trip! From the start, Tony was always available to answer questions via email and then more easily WhatsApp (and I had a lot of questions!!). Make sure to ask exactly what you are booking - for example, we had the luxury experience, with large tents and ensuite bathrooms (meaning you could easily go at night). We slept on cots with warm sleeping bags and real pillows, plus they also had a small table in our two person tent. Everything was clean and comfortable - I truly slept well every night. As for the safari, we went from Kasane to Maun, with two nights in Chobe, two nights in Savuti (my favorite) and one night in Moremi. On the days where you didn't move locations, you did a long morning drive starting at 6:30 or 7, lasting until nearly lunchtime. Then you took a long mid-day break, so make sure to pack some games or books, or this is a good time to take advantage of the showers they provide (just ask them to prep the water). Finally, you go out for another drive at around 4pm, but this only goes until sunset since you can't be out after dark. On the days you are changing locations, you are in the car all day - a game drive in the morning, then driving 4-6 hours to get to the next park (stopping for picnic lunch), then when you arrive you immediately start a game drive. The road is almost never paved and VERY bumpy, so you're in for a wild ride, and we were never bored! We traveled in May so make sure to pack warm clothes for sleeping, and the mornings can feel very cold when you're driving in open air, so pack hats and gloves. During the day, it was in the 80s, but you are shaded in the car so it never felt really hot. Tony himself is super funny and kept us laughing, but most importantly he is really good at tracking the animals. He was the one to find certain animals first in several cases, including when we found a pride of lions attacking cape buffalo. And since he's a photographer, he really dedicated time to see and learn about the animals and their behavior. He is very passionate about his work and it shows. His team (Eddie and Ben) were so friendly and I'm very impressed by the delicious food they cooked, including meat stews, pastas and vegetables. If I had one piece of advice, I would say that the tour is very chill, and sometimes the plans will change, or timing won't be exact. But everything was great in the end, so we have no complaints, and in fact would recommend this tour over other (more expensive) versions!
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Email Eric | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Yes Yes Yes
Absolutely wonderful safari. Everything was taken care of and we had a great time. Shout out to Kin and co for making our trip fantastic. We loved the fact that we were sleeping outside and getting a true camping experience in Chobe. Great ready for thousands of elephants!! We cant wait to book our next trip!
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Email Kerry | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Excellent guides; a small local company
Re: Safari to Savuti and Chobe (6 days - mostly camping) with Tony Mobile Safari. We were booked with them through another tour operator but I now wish we had found them and booked directly ourselves. It is good to support a smaller, local company and I believe we had a better experience than if we had been booked with a larger, more commercial one. Our guide was Vincent and we also met the owner, Tony, as he was guiding others who camped with us. Vincent was very knowledgeable about the animals and the environment. Vincent and Tony both obviously have a genuine passion for Wildlife conservation. They were very skilled at spotting animals as well. Finally, they both had a unique sense of humour! The staff Jackie, Eddie and Ben were all great, too. The food was very good and the chef even accommodated a request for vegan food! The tents and bedding were warmer and more comfortable than I expected, too. The sleeping pads and bags were actually more comfortable than the beds at the lodges! Everyone was very friendly and the camp felt totally safe, knowing that we had very knowledgeable guides nearby. If your priority is to have as much time seeing the wildlife as possible and you'd like an authentic experience, you should consider camping with Tony Mobile Safari as opposed to booking a more luxurious option.
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Email MS | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Unforgettable Safari!
No word are sufficient to describe just how awesome safari-ing/camping with Tony and his crew was! If you can, include Savuti in your itinerary...so beautiful, so peaceful. Without a doubt, I will be booking a repeat adventure with this company. Thank you Tony, Eddie, and Ben for a truly unforgettable experience.
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Email Sarah | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Experienced, Knowledgeable and Engaging!
Tony and his team did an excellent job from start to finish. Tony is very knowledgeable about the bush animals, an excellent animal tracker and passionate about his work. He did an incredible job getting us up close and personal with all the most breathtaking wildlife. His team was polite, helpful and full service, taking care of every detail and making us feel safe. Would absolutely recommend him to a friend that's up for a more rugged camping experience in the bush. Thank you Tony and team for taking such good care of us!
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Email Anatoly Berman | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
12-day trip with Tony Mobile Safari.
A few days ago, my wife and I returned from a 12-day trip with Tony Mobile Safari. This was our third trip to Botswana and, undoubtedly, the best. We saw several times more and better than our previous trips. And all thanks to the excellent guide and driver Tony. His excellent knowledge of the landscape, the habits of animals and birds helped at the right time in the right place, to find and watch animals from the best position. Tony, being and a wonderful photographer constantly cared about it. Together with his assistant, Eddie , they also provided good conditions and excellent food in the campsites. A trip with Tony is a 100% safari from the very beginning to the end of our tour. During our trips from the park to the park, Tony told us that the cameras were ready - the safari did not stop. If we go back to Botswana, then certainly turn to Tony Mobile Safari - the best company, from those with whom we traveled to Botswana ! Thank you so much , Tony and Eddy !
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Email Emma Wheeler | under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Tony Mobile Safaris: A 100% MUST
Tony Mobile Safari made our once-in-a-lifetime trip even more incredible and memorable. Besides seeing the world's most amazing creatures face to face, Tony Mobile Safari helped our group really experience Botswana on a whole new level. They answered all of our many questions: about the wildlife, people, culture, and languages of the beautiful country of Botswana. I never once felt unsafe or uncomfortable. I will always cherish my time out in the Kalahari, and I am certain that my experience there would not have been the same without Tony Mobile Safari. I cannot say enough good things about Tony and his crew. If you ever have the amazing opportunity travel to Botswana, Tony Mobile Safari is a 100% must!!
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Email Ashley Wallace | under20 years of age | Experience level: first safari
Incredible Safari with Tony Mobile Safaris, the best Safari guide ever!
We just returned from our month long trip in Africa, and my favorite part was definitely our 8 day Safari with Tony Mobile Safaris. I was in Africa on a study abroad and our group was studying biology. Tony was the perfect guide as he knows an immense amount about the animals and their environment, and he also has a great sense of humor and made the trip a lot of fun! We learned a lot about the type of environment the animals live in, how the animals interact with each other, how the animals have adapted to their environment, and so much more. Tony is very nice and was always eager to answer any of our questions. Tony is also a lot of fun and would make sure we were having a good time. He talked with us around the campfire and was always checking on how we were doing. Tony is also very good at finding animals and we were able to see 3 female lions and watch them hunt cape buffalo, an African wildcat which is rare to see, 2 leopards, hyenas, cape buffalo, wildebeests, giraffes, zebras, and tons of elephants with some that got just feet away from our vehicle! He also took us to see a super lake and we got to watch the sunset on the lake which was beautiful, and on a river cruise on the Chobe river where we saw hippos and crocodiles! Tony is also a photographer and knows a ton about birds so we saw a lot of different bird species, my favorite being the African Fish Eagle.
Camping in the bush was an amazing experience, especially waking up to the sound of elephants trumpeting. The food that Eddie cooked for us was delicious, he even showed us how he made it! The other guides with Tony were Vincent, Gabba, Eddie, and Jakey and they were all very nice and a lot of fun! Overall, our experience was absolutely incredible and something that I will never forget. I learned so much from this trip and had so much fun all thanks to our amazing guide Tony.