Prim has been a Nomad walking safari guide for the last 15 years and brings with him experience in spades.
He found his love for the bush as a volunteer in Tarangire many years ago before working his way to becoming one of Tanzania's top walking guides. Prim has a deep passion for exploration and believes walking is the ultimate way to do so. He truly believes that time in the bush will bring total immersion with nature, and he is with Nomad guests every step of the way. It seemed only natural to ask him a few questions about Nomad walking camps and we hope you enjoy reading.
Can you describe the essence of a Nomad Walking Camp?
Nomad’s expeditionary walking camp is all about light-touch access to some of Tanzania’s most exceptional wilderness areas; places like Ugalla National Park, the little visited southern boundary or Ruaha National Park, or the stunning Gol Mountains on the eastern boundary of the Serengeti . With no permanent camps or lodges, places like this are beyond the reach of most tourists, making them extra special for low impact walking. In an increasingly crowded planet, the privilege of accessing these magical places is not to be underestimated.
Can you tell us a little about the history behind a Nomad Walking Camp?
Nomad’s roots lie in walking safaris; it’s first ever operation in Tanzania in the late 80’s was Richard Bonham’s walking camp in Nyerere National Park (at that time the Selous Game Reserve). This camp used a very simple camp to access breathtaking locations and wildlife along the Rufiji River. Like our walking camp, these were A-frame tents that opened onto a spectacular vista and placed guests at the heart one of Africa’s least known wilderness areas, surrounded by nature. As now, the focus was all about the experience, not the bling. Because anyone who has experienced this style of travel knows that in this context, the real luxury is just being there.
What would you say your guests are typically like?
They relish the chance to get off the beaten track and to be alone in a vast wilderness. Obviously those who enjoy walking and hiking love this. But perhaps most important is they understand what the camp is – and why it’s like that. The expeditionary mobile is necessarily and intentionally stripped down so as to provide great comfort, but with minimal “stuff”. This is to allow it to fit into our specially designed, go-anywhere pickup, rather than relying on heavy lorries, and to keep our footprint light. We want to visit and enjoy these remarkable areas, not damage them.
This might be a tough question but why do you think a Nomad walking camp is so great?
Many people offer walking safaris, but most are in the form of short walks to and from a fixed camp. These walks are wonderful, but they are of course a very different thing from a small footloose camp that has the freedom to move. To properly explore. Others use large and luxurious camps that provide every comfort under the sun. But this approach rather misses the point for us. This approach limits where you can and can’t go and more importantly risks leaving rather more than footprints in otherwise immaculate landscapes. Also our guests feedback says it all, they love the rawness of a Nomad walking camp and can truly escape the trappings of everyday life and immerse themselves in another world.
If we made you pick one word to describe a Nomad walking camp what would it be?
In a word, magical. But guests often remark on the slow immersion that builds over time as one of the highlights. Arriving at a small bush camp isn’t a thunderclap moment, it’s more nuanced than that. In the course of the fist day you start to notice things you didn’t see at first, small details, sounds and smells. As you start to explore on foot, you see the area from different angles, perhaps see the same animals and start to understand their behaviour in a way you couldn’t from a car. And all the while, you’re with your expert guide and crew, so there’s a team feeling to the experience too, which is as rewarding as it is perhaps unexpected. But be warned; it’s addictive.
Can you tell us a little bit about the differences between a walking camp in the South and the North?
The big differences are in the geography and ecology of the parks. The Serengeti (in the north) in some ways needs no introduction; it’s well known for its vast landscapes and vistas as well as spectacular wildlife including the wildebeest migration. Ruaha (in the south) is a park that has remained mysteriously off the radar, which is a blessing. But its landscapes and wildlife are second to none. Dry sand river beds, rocky kopjes and baobabs, all populated with fantastic numbers of elephant, buffalo, lion, leopard and more. Meanwhile Ugalla to the west is pretty much unknown territory, centred around the lazy and slowly meandering Ugalla River. It offers not only stunning and increasing volumes of wildlife as the game becomes accustomed to the presence of people, but also the privilege of being one of just a handful of people to visit this remote region.
Obviously the main point of a safari is the animals, what are guests likely to see when they walk with you?
On a walking safari it’s possible to see any of the animals you would expect to see on a game drive. The difference is the way you see them and this is probably the biggest draw of a walking camp. On foot you earn your experience by moving as quietly as possible, paying attention to the wind and other animals, by doing everything you can not to make yourself the centre of attention. This makes the reward when you do get good sightings of one of the large animals one to cherish.
It sounds like you get quite close to these animals on a walking camp, is it safe?
In a word yes. Myself and my crew are among the most experienced in the business and my principle concern is for the safety and well-being of our guests. Walking safaris and camps are intrinsically exciting, nobody sets out to cross the line between excitement and danger. And as with any wilderness experience, it’s important that guests understand their responsibility to behave in a way that is appropriate to the place – simple rules are there to keep everyone safe and maximise everyone’s enjoyment.
Out of all the safaris that guests can choose from why do you think they should choose a Nomad walking safari with you?
I would encourage anyone whose values resonate with Nomad’s to consider a walking safari. If you like our approach; the light-touch, low impact way of doing things, and if you understand that this makes the camp comfortable but not luxury, the food wholesome not avant-guard, but the experience mind-blowing, not run of the mill. Then this is very likely an experience that you will love.
And for our final question do you have any moments that you can think of that really stand out for you over your time as a walking camp guide?
That’s a tough one. Every time it’s different, whether it’s the guest we are with, the weather or the animals we encounter, there are jut so many, but it’s impossible to forget waking up in the crisp early morning of dry season Ruaha to the alarm calls of red-necked francolins and guinea-fowl…and then seeing the reason for the alarm calls, a large male leopard quietly picking his way along the river bank opposite, not 50 yards from the camp. And the best part, ignoring us entirely.
As we wrap up our chat with Prim, it’s clear that a Nomad Walking Camp expedition is more than just a safari; it’s an invitation to reconnect with the wild in a way that’s both intimate and transformative. With Prim's expert guidance, you don’t just observe nature—you become part of it, experiencing the rhythms of the bush and its breathtaking landscapes. For anyone yearning to escape the everyday and immerse themselves in Tanzania’s untouched wilderness, there’s no better way to do so than on foot, where every step unveils a new wonder. So why wait?
