5 Best Wilderness camps to see cheetahs

The only safari camp on an exclusive private concession in the Mababe Depression, a unique ecosystem between the Moremi Game Reserve and Chobe National Park, Mokete offers a raw safari adventure. The Mababe Depression marsh fills after the summer rains, creating a wetland of around 2,600 hectares (6,400 acres). This progressively disappears in the dry winter season, although never completely, with permanent water feeding nutrient-rich grasslands, attracting wildlife from miles around, including large herds and their predators. Mababe’s vast, open grasslands are well-suited to cheetahs, which use their speed to hunt across the short grass. Mokete accommodates just 18 guests in nine tents that have cantilevered canvas roofs that slide away, revealing never-ending stars. It’s a feast for the senses.

The Masai Mara is one of the best places in the world to see cheetah. The newly opened Wilderness Mara, our first camp in Kenya, is situated in the Mara Triangle, a section of the Masai Mara National Reserve celebrated for its wildlife density, particularly during the Great Migration. Vast open grassland, riverine forest, and a seasonal marsh create a rich and varied ecosystem that supports an exceptional concentration of predators and plains game year-round. The open grasslands provide the optimal terrain for high-speed chases, allowing cheetahs to capitalise on their acceleration. They often use elevated vantage points such as termite mounds to get a better view of the plains and to spot prey. Wilderness supports the Mara Predator Conservation Programme, which works to protect vulnerable cheetah (as well as lion and wild dog populations) in the Greater Mara Ecosystem by providing scientific data for conservation action. The project focuses on research and monitoring while also empowering and educating local communities on conflict mitigation measures.

The Serengeti ecosystem is one of the premier strongholds for the East African cheetah, where they thrive in the short-grass plains and savannah. The Central Serengeti offers year-round sightings thanks to permanent water and resident prey, the Southern Plains are particularly rewarding, especially during the calving season (mid-January to March) when migrating herds draw predators, while the Namiri Plains in the eastern district are famously rewarding too. The delicate balance – usawa in Kiswahili – of the Serengeti keeps this extraordinary ecosystem in perfect symbiosis. Like the migrating herds, we adapt – the flexibility of Wilderness Usawa Serengeti allows our camp to move at short notice between key locations across the ecosystem. This luxury mobile safari ensures guests are never far from the drama – close enough to witness the action, yet away from the crowds.

Stretching across more than 22,000 km², Kafue National Park is one of Africa's largest and most diverse protected areas, a vast mosaic of woodlands, river systems, floodplains and open grasslands. Kafue supports an extraordinary range of wildlife, boasting more antelope species than anywhere else in Africa, and one of Zambia’s most important cheetah populations. A small but important resident population, including known coalitions, occur in and around the central Busanga Plains where Wilderness Shumba is located. Shumba is a seasonal camp (open from June to October) and one of the most exclusive safari destinations in Africa. The seasonal floodplains, extending to the horizon with lechwe silhouetted against the mist rising at sunrise, epitomise the wild Busanga Plains. In order to support the continued survival of cheetahs in Kafue, the Wilderness Trust supports the Zambian Carnivore Programme (ZCP) with funding to cover the costs of tracking collars, vehicle operations and field-based staff. This is one of the continent’s longest-running carnivore conservation efforts.

Hwange National Park, particularly our private Linkwasha Concession in the south-eastern corner, is a very good location for cheetah sightings. The area's flat, open plains and sparse acacia woodlands provide ideal hunting terrain, while the game-rich Ngamo Plains attract large concentrations of plains animals in summer and water-dependent wildlife in winter. Linkwasha is a luxurious safari camp set on the edge of these famed plains, offering excellent game viewing throughout the year. It benefits from low vehicle density and more intimate sightings. The camp and a sunken hide are set on a productive waterhole that draws a steady flow of wildlife, especially during the dry winter months. A recently installed live webcam at the waterhole provides 24/7 viewing of the animal activity.