At this year’s Safari Awards, Golden Africa Safaris was named Best Mobile Safari Operator in Africa, an honour voted for by the travel trade and one that, in my opinion, could not be more deserved.
Having worked closely with Rob, Charlotte and the team for many years, I’ve had the privilege of seeing the care, thought and commitment that sits behind every safari they operate. The seamless experience your clients enjoy in Botswana is the result of years of refinement, a serious standard of guiding, highly personalised planning and a team that genuinely cares about getting the details right.
What makes these awards even more meaningful is how closely they reflect the very ethos of Golden Africa Safaris.
Top Gem Tip: As the definition of mobile safari or expedition style camps have broadened over the years, it’s worth recognising that not every camp described as mobile operates in the same way. One of the areas in which Golden Africa prides itself is remaining true to the original philosophy of a mobile safari. A great deal of love, attention to detail and care goes into setting up these beautiful high-end camps in remote wilderness locations for every safari. Then, just a few days later, the camp is completely dismantled, leaving the landscape in its natural integrity, with little evidence that a sophisticated safari camp had ever existed there at all.
It is an immensely special feeling arriving at camp knowing it has been set up exclusively for your group. We often notice guests are in awe of the privilege of experiencing this unique style of travel: cocooned in comfort, yet surrounded by wild places that few people will ever have the opportunity to experience.
To me, this is where the value extends far beyond the price point. Guests are supporting a genuinely low-impact style of safari, while still enjoying all the thoughtful refinement needed for a great night’s sleep in the bush, exceptional guiding and a camp team that, by the end of the journey, feels like family. In many ways, it’s the ultimate luxury: knowing that your camp exists only for your journey, before quietly disappearing back into the landscape.
The Golden Africa team were also recognised as Finalists for Best Family Safari Experience in Africa, which speaks directly to one of their greatest strengths. As a family-owned and family-run business, Rob and Charlotte understand family travel not only as safari specialists, but as parents themselves. It requires a different rhythm, more flexibility and a thoughtful understanding of what each generation needs in order to truly enjoy the journey.
This is where Golden Africa’s offering becomes such a strong fit. Their camps can be booked on an exclusive-use basis, giving families a private camp set up just for them. That brings space, privacy and flexibility around timing, meals, pace and daily flow, all incredibly valuable when travelling with children or multiple generations.
Further to that, they were also recognised as Highly Commended for Best Safari Guiding Team in Africa which is equally fitting. If there is one piece of advice I would offer when choosing a safari, it is this, Top Gem Tip: Look beyond the camp itself and ask about the guiding. Beautiful camps are plentiful, but your guide is the person your guests spend the most time with. They interpret the landscape, read behaviour, manage the rhythm of the day and turn sightings into understanding.
Mobile safaris have long been known for attracting some of the finest guides in Botswana. It is where safari began, and Golden Africa continues that tradition with every safari led by a guide with a minimum of 15 years’ experience. That standard reflects Rob’s own background as a professional guide and his belief that exceptional guiding is the foundation of a successful safari.
For the Golden Africa team, these recognitions are particularly meaningful because they come from the travel trade itself. They’re voted for by professionals who spend their careers designing African safaris, understanding products in depth and matching travellers with the journeys best suited to them. Recognition of excellence by a community with that depth of knowledge carries enormous significance.
Thank you to all our trade partners who continue to trust the Golden Africa team to show your guests beautifully considered safaris in one of Africa’s most extraordinary wilderness destinations. As Rob says, “Everything is intentional, small, thoughtfully designed camps, that leave no trace bar footprints and tyre tracks; and teams who were born of the land they guide you through.”
Image credits: Golden Africa Safaris and Hannes Lochner
