After 32 years of traveling the African continent and growing up in Botswana, I've discovered there's nothing quite like a mobile safari to reconnect with what truly matters.
Botswana is my home. I grew up here, know these lands like the back of my hand, and have spent decades building relationships with people who share my love for the African wilderness. That's why I keep coming back, and why I keep bringing clients with me. A mobile safari through Botswana and into Zimbabwe isn't just a trip I recommend. It's an experience I've lived countless times since childhood, and one that still moves me deeply.
What draws me to this style of travel is the way it strips away everything unnecessary. There's no Wi-Fi, no news, no noise pollution. Instead, there's a team of porters who travel ahead, setting up camp so that when you arrive from a game drive, the gin and tonics are waiting on ice, the campfire is burning, and your canvas meru-style tent is ready with all the comforts of home. It's like stepping into an Out of Africa film, experiencing the continent the way travelers did a hundred years ago.
The Moments That Stay With You
One morning, we followed a pair of lionesses and six tiny cubs, no more than eight weeks old. The lionesses tucked their young under a bush, exchanged what felt like a silent instruction, and disappeared into the tall grass to hunt. Because it was just our vehicle, just our intimate group of eight, we had a choice: follow the lionesses or stay with the cubs. Everyone wanted to stay.
For hours, we watched those cubs play, tumble over each other, and dash back to the safety of the bush whenever an eagle flew overhead. We broke for lunch and returned to find them still there, now so accustomed to our presence that we could speak in our regular voices without startling them. That's the luxury of a mobile safari with a maximum of eight guests and two vehicles. We set our own pace. We decide whether to linger with a leopard in a tree or follow her on a hunt. There are no strict timelines, no rushing back for a scheduled dinner.
But the sighting I'll never forget happened at sundown. A lioness and her lone cub were resting on a termite mound as we set up for drinks. Suddenly, a pack of 17 African wild dogs came through, hunting, and in their chase literally leaped over our vehicle. What followed was 38 minutes of raw, primal Africa: a mother fighting for her life against impossible odds. When I looked back at my clients, some had tears streaming down their faces. When the dust settled and the dogs limped away, the lioness walked to a sage bush and made soft, whimpering sounds. Out came her tiny cub, exhausted but alive. Even I was crying. After all these years in the bush, it was still a once in a lifetime moment.
The Insider Advantage
The companies I use on the ground aren't random bookings through third parties. I work with Chase Africa Safaris, run by Angela and Chris Burnie. Chris and I have known each other since we were two years old. These are relationships built over a lifetime, and they mean that when you travel with me, you're traveling with people I trust completely. We start our Safari in Makgadikgadi, then Maun, Moremi, Khwai Conservancy, Savuti, and on to Chobe. Here we Safari from the water, taking a boat cruise on the Chobe river. We enter Zimbabwe via a land border crossing and head to to see Mosi-oa-Tunya, (the smoke that thunders) the world famous Victoria Falls.
I help clients with everything from visa applications to packing tutorials, sharing tips I've learned over decades of traveling back and forth. I recommend at least 14 days on the ground (this is too far to travel for just eight days), proper layovers in Johannesburg to avoid missed connections, and at least three nights in Victoria Falls to truly experience it without rushing.
Who This Is For
A mobile safari through Botswana is ideal for someone who has already visited Africa once, perhaps East Africa, and is ready for something more intimate and untamed. But if it's your first time, I can tailor make a trip that shows you the highlights while still preserving that personal, unhurried experience. After three or four days in the bush, I've watched clients sit quietly with tears running down their cheeks, or ask me what day it is because they've completely decompressed from all the worries of home. That transformation is why I do this. It's why I can't wait to take you there.
Melonie Eva