A day in the life of a bush camp

0500hrs The bush camp staff are up at 5am to get the fires lit, boil the water, prepare for breakfast and pack hot boxes for game drives with coffee, tea and muffins.

0600hrs Guests are woken with hot water for washing and make their way to the main boma.

0630hrs Breakfast is served with fresh fruit, yoghurts, cereals, toast and eggs.

0700hrs Guests depart on their morning activities and the camp team start to clear up in preparation for their return;  Water is heated for bucket showers, the paths are raked and the rooms cleaned. Guest laundry is washed and hung out to dry. The table is set and the kitchen prepare the lunch. Firewood is collected, the pool is cleaned along with the solar panels, the floors of the boma are mopped and any maintenance that has been identified is carried out.

1100hrs Guests return for fresh filtered coffee and hot showers – any last day guests check out of the bush camp and are transferred to the airstrip or on to their next location.

1200hrs Guests arrive at the boma for lunch followed by a well-earned rest to enjoy the scenery from the viewing deck, use the wifi, or read a book etc..

Staff also go for lunch at this time and do their laundry, prepare for afternoon activities, before checking over the vehicles, cleaning and ensuring all is set with warm blankets and ponchos for the afternoon activity.

1400hrs New guests arrive and are met at the end of the boardwalk with a colourful cool drink (with re-usable glass straw!) by the welcoming staff.

1530hrs Afternoon tea and cake is served in the boma, whilst the guides prepare the cooler boxes with sundowner drinks and snacks.

1600hrs Afternoon game drives set off and the bush camp clean up again and take their own showers before preparing for the guests return… raking the paths again, sweeping the boma, setting out the camp lanterns, lighting the camp fire, turning down the beds and setting guest solar lamps.

1900hrs Guests return and are met with hot face towels to wipe away the dust of the plains.

Drinks and nibbles are served around the campfire whilst the team prepare the evening meals and place hot water bottles into all the guest beds to ensure a snug night’s sleep for everyone.

1930hrs Dinner is eaten together at a large table in the boma where everyone discusses the sightings of the day and gets to know each other over a few glasses of fine wine.

Everyone is here for a different reason, so it makes for an entertaining evening listening to stories from tourists, conservationists, researchers, pilots and all kinds of other people who visit Mukambi.

2100hrs Most bush camp guests retire to bed and the team continue the evening clear up; washing dishes, sweeping the boma and ensuring the fire is safely extinguished ready for the morning.