LEVISON WOOD

Crossing deserts with ... Having journeyed 8,000km around the Arabian Peninsula for his latest book, the explorer talks must-visit sights and following in the footsteps of a travel legend

Imagine stepping out of your room to gaze over the great Serengeti plains, watching the grass spool into the horizon like washing laid out in the sun. Below, just metres away, march thousands of wildebeest, maybe ten abreast, their hooves kicking up puffs of dust as they file into the bush. It’s a scene bigger than any IMAX film – and it’s all for you.

The trick with any safari is being in the right place at the right time. Often the answer is simple: get there early, which typically means a 5am wake-up call or, worse still, being stuck, bleary-eyed, in a queue of minibuses because you’re not based on a reserve. But what if you could wake up in the middle of the action?

Bush Rovers give you just that. Operating in Tanzania’s Selous Game Reserve and Serengeti National Park, they’re essentially Land Rovers that, in situ, unfurl into a chic two-storey tent with the comforts of a lodge: wood-panelled bathrooms, solarpowered hot water and a private chef. A balcony even folds out over the cab, from which you can sip sundowners while wildlife passes below you.

It’s about more than just creature comforts, though. Being able to pack up and move with the wildlife means the camps can stalk the herds of wildebeest and zebra during the Great Migration, setting up in a private campsite along the Grumeti river in early summer, before moving north. Whether you join the camp or take a private pitch, the appeal is the same: staying one step ahead of the swarms of 4WDS that descend here, and leaving no trace behind.

In the quieter Selous, it’s just about sliding into the rhythms of life. Set up by one of its more deserted lakes, watch the hippos slide into the mud and wait for other creatures to come round for a drink. What better way to get Tanzania’s wilds all to yourself.