Camping and its best
Tony Mobile Safari
- Located 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
CA
Email Erica | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
UNFORGETTABLE AND REMARKABLE EXPERIENCE OF A LIFETIME
Look no further and book with Tony! My husband and I did a 6 day Safari with him and from the moment we started to plan our trip, he was honest, quick and easy to communicate with on whatsapp, and accommodating. When we got to meet him on the trip, we also saw his sense of humor, his passion for what he does, and also how committed he is to giving you the best trip without hustle. There were two staff (Ben and Bongo) that would always set up the campsite and prepare the meals, and the variety and quality of the food was very impressive. They were also very kind and sweet individuals. We saw a ton of animals, learned a lot from Tony, and would highly recommend using him; you won't regret it!!!!
US
Email Kasey | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: first safari
10/10 recommend Tony Mobile Safari if you are planning a trip to Botswana!
Tony is so knowledgeable on the areas to go and knows exactly how to get you to see all of the amazing animals Botswana has to offer (lions, elephants, giraffes, hippos, hyenas, zebras) and so much more! Tony’s team goes above and beyond to make your experience wonderful. His crew sets up camp with comfortable beds/tents/toilets/showers. They make the most incredible home made food over the campfire for breakfast & dinner; and pack delicious lunches while you are out on your safari for the day. The entire team at Tony Mobile Safari’s makes you feel welcome and at home. My mom and I did an 11 day safari, and I couldn’t have asked for a better experience!
DE
Email Magdalena and Rafal | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Fantastic wildlife experience without hustle
We had a fantastic time with Tony Mobile Safaris and we recommend this operator without hesitation. The guide, Jack, was very experienced and knowledgable, he knew how to track animals, genuinely wanted to show us as much as possible, knew about photography and how to park the car for the best possible lighting and pictures. Bongo and D, the team managing the camps and food were going out of their way to make things as comfortable as possible for us. The food was great, there were always vegetables and even dessert, incredible what one can do in such basic conditions.
The tour was very well organized and we had incredible wildlife sightings. Jack knew all the spots and tailored the game drives to us. The final excursion, the cruise on the Chobe river, highly exceeded our expectations - instead of bing put on a big loud party boat, which we expected, we used a tiny one owned by Tony and had a real game drive - Jack made sure we have time to see all the birds, crocs, hippos etc. that we came across.
The only wrinkle was communication before the safari - we would have liked the salespeople to be more active. We needed to ask for updates about our payments although they said they would let us know as soon as they receive the money. At one point we got a bit nervous, but in the end all worked out - trust these guys and enjoy your safari.
FR
Email MARC | 20-35 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
BEST SAFARI EXPERIENCE - OVER EXPECTATION
This week with Tony's team was my best safari experience without hesitation. Tony, our guide, was an exceptional guide and tracker. He always managed to find the animals before anyone else, which provided us with unique and unforgettable moments with the wildlife. Moreover, he is a photographer, so he always positioned us in a way that we had the best lighting/view for our photos. His infectious good humor contributed to the overall great atmosphere.
The team also included a cook and a camp assistant who were equally exceptional. We enjoyed delicious and diverse meals throughout the week. As for the camp, it was always perfectly set up before our arrival, which was a luxury after a day on safari.
The highlight of the show was the water safari that allowed us to get up close with elephants and crocodiles, thanks to Jack.
In short, it was a 5-star stay that is unforgettable for all of us.
US
Email Lois Steinberg | 65+ years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Tony is the most knowledgable guide and affable human being.
Tony Mobile Safari is owned and operated by Tony Ntalamo, not by a company outside of Botswana that the majority of the profits go to. So if this floats your boat, it is one major reason to choose Tony Mobile Safari. The bonus is that Tony is the most knowledgable guide. I recognized this and it was reinforced by my overhearing another guide say this to his clients. My first night there was a couple who were only with us for that one night. They were on their last day of their safari and joined us. They had one of Tony's guides he trained for their main tour and said he was the best they every had. Tony is a guide to the guides! I spent 26 days with Tony and his crew. They are fun and always accommodating. Tony was the best tracker. He was always the first to find the big cats as well as the small ones. One late afternoon game drive, Tony reversed course when he smelled where the cape buffalo had migrated to and we took a look at the 500+ herd. Earlier that day we observed five lions. Tony knew the lions would also have smelled the buffalo. The next morning Tony took us to the buffalo and we witnessed five lions kill their prey. Not a common thing to see an actual kill, but it was Tony's skillfulness, and of course luck, that we were able to witness this amazing event. I have so many stories to tell! This was my fourth safari, my first with Tony. He was the most responsive to my inquires. You have to wait sometimes as he is in the bush without internet. I thought it would be my last safari. I am going back and will chose Tony Mobile Safari again.
GT
Email Ruth | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
Perfect
Jack our guide was incredible, he helped us with everything and the attention of Bongo and Disho was spectacular. The bread they baked for us every day was incredible. Super recommended
(automatic translation from Spanish)
RU
Email Maria | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: first safari
The most impressive tour I ever had
I'm in love with Botsvana its nature, landscape and emotions I’ve got. Tony and his team took care of our group all the time, we had super professional guides Gaba and Tony himself, great food cooked with love from the chef, and all possible comfort in the camp.
We've seen the beauty of nature lions, zebras, girafs and other beautifull animals. I can 100% recommend tours with Anthony and his great team!
RU
Email Irina | 35-50 years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
Reliable and professional
It was the best safari of my life. The team ensured maximum comfort during our camping stay, so that we didn't feel we needed anything. Every day the cook prepared delicious dishes and even baked bread and pies. It was amazing how possible it was in the savannah. Tony showed us as much of what could be seen from the life of wild animals. We got very close to the animals and it was safe. Highly recommend this team for organizing your safari.
US
Email Emily & Otto | 50-65 years of age | Experience level: 2-5 safaris
A wonderful safari experience, the staff are pros and know what they are doing.
We loved our 6-day Botswana safari with Tony Mobile Safari so much, we honestly don't know how it could have been improved. Our driver, Jack, was so calm and chill, he read his surroundings and pointed out the animal footprints, trees that were rubbed or bent over or bark eaten by animals, and was so knowledgeable about his country and his surroundings. He was a wonderful guide, we soon learned to just trust his instinct and we would find the animals. He had a good repertoire with the other drivers and they would share info on what they had seen and where, so you felt as if you really weren't missing anything. He would work so hard all day and still be very patient and funny and nice, he was a joy to be around all day. Back at camp we had Bongo cooking all our meals for us including fresh baked bread (!!) and he would pack a hot thermos of water for coffee and tea while we were out on the road every day. We are established campers and it felt very indulgent to have someone else preparing all your meals. It was such a treat to roll into camp all dusty and everything was set up for you by Desho. He would have a fully zipped tent set with two cots, pillows and sleeping bags inside ready to go. The tent had a front shade structure attached with a small basin of hot water to wash your dirty face - what a nice touch! They also had a small table and chairs as well as a light for us to eat our meals. The back of the tent unzipped into a private, walled-off bathroom area with a pit toilet and camp shower, which would be ready to go with hot water for a shower. It felt like a luxury to have a toilet right there, it made middle of the night trips easy, peasy! Tony is part of a small group of operators that share camping areas within the park, so there was always plenty of shade around our tent, as well as the tents for our staff. They would have a small fire welcoming us back home each night, which was a great touch.
The night before our safari left Maun, we had drinks with a friend who lives in Botswana and supplies food to other tour operators. She was asking how much we paid for our safari and when we told her she was surprised and impressed. We felt we had a very good value before we started the safari, and afterwards felt all the more confident that we really couldn't have had a better time. Our three staff were all so pleasant and easy going, life at camp was relaxing and chill. Our days in the jeep were as comfy as possible. It had a canopy for shade, was super padded everywhere, had power outlets to charge cameras, and a large cooler to keep drinks cold. We felt all the necessities were well thought out and looked after.
I will say, however, that this experience is not for everyone. My husband and I are tent campers on the regular, we think having a cot to sleep on is fancy as we usually sleep on an air mattress. If you don't like sleeping in a tent then you still won't like it in Africa. There are bugs, there are animals right outside your tent so you cannot leave it until morning (which I think is exciting, having a lion prowling around on the other side of your canvas wall?), and you poop in a pit toilet right next to where you take a shower. If any of these things sound bad to you do yourself and the tour operators a favor and book a safari where you sleep in a hotel at night. We saw other guests on safari (thankfully not with our group) who were high maintenance and complaining. If you're very finicky this is probably not the right vacation for you.
A few tips: It takes a long, dusty, bumpy, jeep ride every day to get out to see the animals in their natural habitat. Be mindful of your underwear - lace looks nice but after a day of bumping around any lace or large seam will rub and annoy you, so wear comfy, flat seamed underwear. If you're sensitive to dust bring a face mask or bandana you can cover up with when needed. Absolutely bring a good headlamp, you will need it inside your tent. Don't overpack, bring one warm jacket and pants which you will absolutely need in the early morning and late night, but you can wear the same pair all week long. Not having large luggage helps inside the tent also as you can cram your stuff underneath the cot. They provided us a towel each, so we didn't need to bring our own (saves space). Be patient, sometimes we would drive for a while without seeing much, other times it was a bonanza of animals. Trust Jack or your driver to find them, they've done this many times and really are the experts, let them do what they do best.
You will see so many animals, up close, just relax and enjoy the scenery. Our safari was absolutely amazing.
Email Bob Purshotam | 65+ years of age | Experience level: over 5 safaris
The Best of The Best !!!
Went on a 1 day Safari from Vic Falls - was picked up at the border by Jack - was an excellent experience all round with a very knowledgeable Jack, had a great day out both on the drive & the river safari, would recommend it to anyone with limited time - Thanx to Jack !!!!