I was just talking to a safari company and the PH mentioned that he thought the food and drink was far superior at his camps as compared to most others. So I guess I got to thinking about the overall quality of the food in the camps that you have hunted out of. Was your experience first rate or should I be prepared for typical hunting camp fare. And what does it take to get a cold beer after a day in the sun? Or is that an impossibility? Thanks in advance.

Joe

i can't think of a single camp where the food was poor. for the most part the food, drink etc. is excellent, especially if you want to try the game meat you have bagged. All it will take to get a cold beer is to ask, or go get it yourself. My tendency would be to believe somebody is trying to blow smoke up yours. now that is said i would also expect to find some shortages in zim., but even with all their problems the outfits will go to great extent to make sure the clients are well cared for.

My experience is that the food has all ways been first rate and the cold beer has been plentiful.

I've never had a PH, or his manager, not ask me in advance about food preferences, liquor, beer and wine favorites, etc.

As an example, and the experience has been pretty standard, at Pierr'e van Tonder's camp in the Selous, you are asked what breakfast fare you wish, most often the evening before. Cold cereals, hot oatmeal stuff?, fresh breads, eggs, omlettes, freshly cut fruit, etc., are available as is sausage, ham and bacon. Africans usually drink instant coffee (horrors!), so make sure a press is in camp if you like the real stuff.

Lunch is usually in the field and may be boiled eggs, sandwiches made from game meat, a salad and pop. If in camp, hamburgers, pasta with sauce... usually something light.

When you get off the truck coming back in the evening, a basin is already ready with hot water or you can go to your tent for a good shower. The waiter is ready with your libation of preference, be it a cold beer or a scotch. Moses, Pierr'e's chef, always has as fresh popped corn, hot roasted peanuts, skewers of barbequed kongoni or impala filets w/onions and peppers or somesuch to go with your drinks.

Dinner is sit-down with a table cloth, wine, servers in nice white shirts, etc. We had Cajun prawns, red snapper, buffalo steaks, stuffed shells... in other words, I was in high cotton.

You PH had better have a great cook and an imagination for good menus, or he will be in the minority.

Today getting some things can be a problem in Zim. If you want call hard liquor you will probably be told to bring your own. They had a hard time finding tonic water for the G&T as I brought my own gin. As to food I have never had a problem getting enough to eat, to the contrary I always gain weight in camp. It sure as Hell isn't your typical western US camp.

Amen.

quote:

Originally posted by Die Ou Jagter:
Today getting some things can be a problem in Zim. If you want call hard liquor you will probably be told to bring your own. They had a hard time finding tonic water for the G&T as I brought my own gin. As to food I have never had a problem getting enough to eat, to the contrary I always gain weight in camp. It sure as Hell isn't your typical western US camp.

Regarding Zim, you're spot on. I've been in three safari camps operated by different Zimbo operators in the past couple of months and they "make a plan"! Sure, temporary shortages happen in the camps (but NOT beer as far as I know!), but many are now importing stuff from south. Creature comforts are generally really well provided, for most tastes.

Richard.
Author of: The Hunting Imperative; African Epic; Ndlovu-The Art of Hunting the African Elephant. (Rowland Ward Publications and Safari Press)

The PH that I spoke to made it sound as if a camp there was as a camp in the Selway wilderness is here. I was somewhat put off to think that I was going to spend two weeks eating beans and burnt game meat.

Joe

Breakfast was sausage & eggs, toast, french toast, or......

Lunch was sandwitches from the cold box, chips, and fruit. One day I had sardines and crackers. Always with cold soda's or water.

Sundowners (Vodka Tonic, Gin&Tonic, Scotch) with ice, and beer. Fresh Poped Corn, nuts.

Dinner was always soup, salad, buffalo or venison, rice, and dessert.

One thing I appreciated was the best assortment of hot sauces I have ever had.

Here is dinner in the Selous.

My wife does not do elk camp anymore - she definately will do an African safari camp!

Never had a bad meal in Africa. Even in spike camps in the Zambezi valley, where the pots were set on a grate over an open fire, we usually had gourmet quality meals. One word of caution, once you try bush meat, ie. kudu shepard's pie, buffalo Wellington, impala tenderloins, or WILD tilapia filets, you'll have a hard time getting used to this crap we call food here in the states. The fruit is even sweeter, though not as perfect looking on the exterior as the fruit here. The food is one of the little perks us regulars look forward to.

Geronimo

The "dining room" tent at Mabelingwane Safaris back in August 2005 in the northern part of Limpopo Province in South Africa. The large white cooler in the background was full of beer.




A typical brunch. Bushpig (on the left) for brunch! Very tasty by the way.




Our PH Pieter Diedericks serving Gemsbok for dinner around the campfire.




My friend Todd (left) and me (right) with Magda (pronounced mach-duh) our camp cook. Magda always prepared great meals for us and was a charming and gracious camp hostess.


The beer (and liquor) was plentiful, though I'm not much of a drinker, and the food was always very tasty.

-Bob F.

As already mentioned, camp food is heads and shoulders above most of what we get at 5-star hotels.

Generally one is asked what he prefers to have, and it is provided to him exactly as he likes it.

I have never had a so so meal at a hunting camp, let alone a bad one.

But, my tastes in food tends to vear towards the simple and wholesome - and this we get plenty of in the hunting camp.

About 3 months ago, my family was away, and a friend and his wife felt sorry for me so they invited me to have dinner with them at a very push French restaurant.

We arrived and were led ito a beautifully furnished dining room.

Drinks were ordered, and a starter menu was provided.

There was a lot of choices to pick from. So we ordered salads of different varieties.

Another menu was offered for the main course, and we duly made our choice.

I said "I have a bad feeling about this place. It seems to have far too much pretentiousness. I just hope the food is decent.

My friend Barry "Oh come on Saeed! Relax and enjoy the atmosphere. The food is going to be just GREAT!"

And as usually happens with these push places. It was quite some time before our salads arrived.

There was one very big round plate - I would say about 20 inches in diameter. It was absolutely flat, white, and had what amounted to about one table spoons full of assorted bits and pieces of different kind scattered artistically all around its surface.

We each got an individual plate - about 16 inches long, and 2 inches wide. Again, white and absolutely flat.

This one also had what amounted to about 1 table spoons full of little bits and pieces placed all over it.

Barry looked at me with raised eye brows and said "we might have to pass by the Mini Chinese on the way back home to have a decent dinner by the looks of this!"

Me "Relax Barry, just enjoy the food and think of how many calories your saving!"

The rest of the meal was just as bad - and the bill for the 3 of us would have paid a daily rate for a buffalo hunt!

Mush'allah Saeed!

Dinner for three or a buff?

Still if it were an equivalently salubrious chinese restaurant the quantities would be roughly the same though the bits and pieces would have been worryingly unrecognizeable

Try Nobu next time you're in London to see!

these days something simple tasty and unlikely to precipitate sudden and terrible death is what I look for....

One of the best meals I ever had in camp was Buffalo tail at camp in the Omay. The best thing is (if possible) to talk with hunters who have hunted with the outfitter in question and those that have hunted in the last couple of years and ask about the food and the camp you will be hunting from.

Your won't have a problem finding a beer at the end of the day. this is the bar area of PVT's camp in the selous.

The food, and personal service would put most 5 star spas to shame.

Sydnye:

You need to have a caveat with your picture. Remember that I've been into that liquor supply since you took the picture!

I did try a drink that I'd never had before and found it quite good to take tiny sips of between cigar puffs.... Amarula and Black Rum over crushed ice. More than one would give you a sugar stroke, but it sure was good while watching the embers die out.

Did you ever see the really great bushbuck across the river. We spent several minutes at lunch a couple of days glassing with a 60x telescope checking the fellow out... and then, the Russian woman from the camp down the river... wow!

CAmp food is usually great, while the service you get is outstanding!

The French camps are the most fastidious about the cuisine. French clients will often judge the success of the safari by the food, not the trophies. Strange, but often true.

My last trip to Tanzania with Florent Mattieu began with lobster and champagne! Cold beer is also available. Have no fears about good chow while on safari.

quote:

Originally posted by 450/400 Jeffrey's:
French clients will often judge the success of the safari by the food, not the trophies. Strange, but often true.

When all the beautiful speeches about the trophy that got away have been stated, there is something to be said about having lived well. My definition of luxury is not "a night at the Ritz Hotel in Paris." It is "in the middle of nowhere, after dragging my ass through the bush for hours, my PH stuck a cold beer in my hand." Don't underestimate the true meaning of luxury.

I'm with you on that one!

Judge G - You have discovered another reason to have quality optics on safari!

I wish I could go back just for the food and camp fellowship. Good times and lots of laughs.

The Russian "lady" turned out to be a funny incident.

I was sitting at the lunch table and Wikus and "Trigger", the guy from Churchill's were fighting over the spotting scope.

"What do you see that's so interesting?" I asked innocently. "A good looking blonde with big knockers!" was the reply..

I didn't even know that a camp was about 2 miles down the river, much less that a woman there had decided to walk down the bank and fish in her little bikini top. I knocked over my lunch getting up from the table. You can see some good stuff through a 60x telescope!

On the original subject, dinners in the bush can be quite grand, but a grilled supper of various sausages and venison filets on the braai in RSA is hard to beat.

quote:

Originally posted by Joe Miller:
Was your experience first rate or should I be prepared for typical hunting camp fare. And what does it take to get a cold beer after a day in the sun?Joe

Senuko in Save is a top notch - I have eaten better than at my home. To get a beer - you just sit down and ask for one - if nobody is around you will have to pass around the bar desk and take it yourself.



However dose it wisely - after "some" you may experience nebulus effects

At the two lodges we were at the food was great, booze was very available and high quality. At the first lodge, the food was almost too gourmet.

Well folks, I was browsing through this post, admiring all the photos that were posted and to be honest, lost in a day dream of Africa, when Crystal walked up and peered over my Shoulder. She, by the way, is my very beautiful and much better half. She looked at the photos and then browsed through a few other posts, including the "camp pets" and the "Rhino in the bathroom" post and now it will appear I will be buying to tickets to Johannesburg in 2011. So I guess I should say thanks for finally getting my favorite hunting partner off the fence and dreaming of Africa as I have been for so long.

Joe

Any food my teenage boys would mention during the day would magically appear as snacks when they stepped off the truck in the evening. I'm talking pizza, hand cut potato chips, anything. My wife was presented a beautiful, hand written menu for every dinner for her approval. Soup, salad, main course, sides and dessert were always described in detail. The beer and soda were always ice cold. We were amazed at what Pazi(sp?) the chef could produce in a camp environment. When my wife visited his kitchen to tell him how impressed we were she thought his chest was going to burst with pride! We couldn't have been happier.

Expect at least 4 course meals and to let your belt out a notch by the end of the hunt.

Even while "camping out" in Africa the Cold Beer, Great meals and Amarula are still on the menu.

Note; As are the headache's from the past nights celebration's.

quote:

Originally posted by Joe Miller:
Well folks, I was browsing through this post, admiring all the photos that were posted and to be honest, lost in a day dream of Africa, when Crystal walked up and peered over my Shoulder. She, by the way, is my very beautiful and much better half. She looked at the photos and then browsed through a few other posts, including the "camp pets" and the "Rhino in the bathroom" post and now it will appear I will be buying to tickets to Johannesburg in 2011. So I guess I should say thanks for finally getting my favorite hunting partner off the fence and dreaming of Africa as I have been for so long.

Joe

That's one of the best posts I've read on here in a long time!! Congrats! You're both going to fall in love with Africa.

Cheers!
-Bob F.

Lunchtime at the Marlothii lodge, Limpopohttp the last day before going to the pietersburg Int (sic) airport ://www.marlothii.co.za/
Good place to stay at. iIn the middle my friend and PH Kallie Visagie

The absolute best quality and quantity food I've experienced was on horseback safari (non-hunting) in Botswana with African Horseback Safari. I think they had 7-8 people in the kitchen.


The best hunting safari food, fresh game, quality and, by far, the largest quantity, was with Dirk and Rita Rohrmann when they were at Okanduka Seibe. They have Leopold!


Dave

almostacowboy,
I love Grucho Marx!

"Outside a dog
a book is mans best friend
Inside a dog
it's to dark to read."!