African Safari | Africa Vacation | South Africa Travel

Photograph by Dana Allen

"Safari" means "journey" in Swahili. Make this your personal journey... no one comes home from Africa completely unchanged. We believe that your safari should fit your needs and your style. To begin planning your journey look through our site and ask yourself the following questions then contact us and we'll design a journey you will never forget.

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We can plan a tailor-made independent safari for you (see our Custom Safaris page to get an idea of what is possible). These itineraries are designed with your dates, accommodation preferences, budget and special interests in mind. You will travel on your own but will never be alone... at each lodge or camp you visit you will meet new and interesting people from around the world, your safari guides will take the time to get to know you and your interests, and you will be met and assisted with all transfers. In southern Africa, you can also choose to travel with a private pilot/guide and have exclusive use of small safari camps - this option is ideal for groups of 6-8 passengers.

OR

You can join a small group of like-minded travelers on a Scheduled Safaris which could be an overland program where much of the travel is done by vehicle and all or most of the accommodation is in tented camps or they can be "Wing" safaris where the group moves together by air between permanent camps. A third option would be to join a "walking safari" and spend your days in the company of an expert, armed guide discovering Africa in the most intimate way possible: on foot. Nights are spent in mobile tented camps erected by the camp staff while you walk. One key feature of scheduled safaris is that you will generally be accompanied from start to finish by the same guide.

WHEN TO GO

We are often asked "when is the best time to go to Africa". The answer to this question is: "Anytime!" Each season has its special joys. In general, most regions of sub-saharan Africa experience one or two rainy periods each year but even these are not usually a "washout" for game viewing (rains are intermittent) and they bring wonderful lush landscapes, gorgeous flowers and, often a flood of baby animals. The other good thing about traveling in the "off" season is that you will have much less human company and prices are often lower! Let us know when you are available to travel and we can tell you which region is at its peak and what areas to avoid. Keep in mind that Africa's seasons are reversed from the winter/summer of the northern hemisphere so that the coldest months are June and July and the hottest are November and December. Another important factor is altitude: much of the East African safari region is at altitudes of more than 5000' so that even at the equator it can be quite cool at night.

ACCOMMODATIONS

We offer a range of accommodation choices; from ultra-deluxe award-winning lodges and hotels down to comfortable dome tents. For your safari travel we think the best way to go is in luxury tented camps which offer all the comforts of a hotel room but let in the soft breezes and exciting sounds of the African night. These "rooms with canvas walls" have ensuite bathroom facilities, which include hot showers, flush toilets, basins, mirrors and, often, a range of amenities like shampoo and skin lotion. Beds in the permanent camps have thick mattresses, fluffy pillows and, when needed, lovely warm blankets. Most tents have low-voltage lighting and sometimes ceiling fans. In some cases, the line between tent and "bungalow" or "chalet" is blurry as many tents have some wooden frame, real doors and/or a thatch roof. Often the tent is set up on a raised platform giving the guests a private balcony and excellent views.

On "mobile" safaris where the camp is moved periodically (every few days or weeks depending on game concentrations), tents are erected on the ground level,) but in most cases the full-scale beds are still offered and bathroom facilities are private but showers may be of the "bucket" variety and toilets will be chemical or "long drop". Lighting is generally by kerosene lamp.

On "Adventurer" camping safaris, the large walk-in "dome" tents are still very comfortable though the beds are somewhat less substantial (sturdy cots with thick camp mattresses, sheets & pillows), bathroom facilities are shared and there is no electricity.

In some game reserves and national parks, particularly in East Africa - most notably at Ngorongoro Crater, there are no tented camps (or no good ones) we will book our travelers into one of the excellent lodges that are available. Another common accommodation type, again mostly in East Africa, is the "bush home" or "game ranch". These are small properties where the owners have created lovely guest facilities on private land and offer game drives, walks and other activities right there as well as excursions to national parks and other sights in the area. A bush home stay can be a wonderful addition to any safari itinerary to give the traveler an opportunity to relax and meet some of the local people.