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So, you've decided where to go, and hopefully our 'when to travel' page will have helped you to choose when to go. Now you are ready to plan your trip . . . and this is where our experience and expertise will help you build your dream holiday.
By talking to you, we are able to establish the different requirements of each individual traveller, and we can offer invaluable advice on every component . . . where you should stay, how you should get around, the best places and ways to incorporate your special interests. That's how we develop the perfect itinerary, especially designed for you.
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There is a multitude of options on offer to the wildlife enthusiast. Different regions, National Parks, Game Reserves, camps and lodges all offer varying activities, suited to the particular environment and the game viewing opportunities available. The following section briefly describes the various safari options and where they can best be enjoyed.
For the more intrepid, who wish to follow in the footsteps of the great explorers, mobile safaris offer the most exciting method of game viewing. These vary according to individual requirements, with the luxury mobile offering a full service, using large pre-erected tented camps with beds and en suite facilities. On the more rugged cross-country safaris, guests help to erect the camp, with long-drops and bucket-showers shared. Whichever option is chosen, numbers are kept small, the most appropriate vehicles used and professional guides and highly trained camp staff are with you at all times.
For small groups of friends or families, there is the exciting option of designing your own private mobile safari.
Private and scheduled mobile safaris are available in all our countries of operation, but particularly good options are offered in Botswana, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Tanzania and Kenya.
For those who wish to experience the true feel of the bush and get that little bit closer to nature, the excitement of a walking safari is a perfect option. Many camps and lodges offer short walks, but the true enthusiast may want one of the longer trails available. These are from 3 to 10 days duration and are escorted by highly qualified, armed guides. The trails utilise permanent rustic camps and pre-erected mobile tented camps.
Although available in most regions, Zambia was the birthplace of the walking safari and boasts a fine selection of trails. Zimbabwe also offers some superb trails in the more remote areas of the country. Walking safaris combine wonderfully with any of the other options available.
Canoe trails along some of Africas great rivers offer participants the opportunity to appreciate the bush undisturbed, silently floating down scenic channels lined with birds and mammals feeding at the waters edge. Accommodation is usually in tented camps on the banks of a river or on small islands and can be fully serviced on luxury trails, or semi-participatory. Whichever option you choose, all trails are led by fully licensed professional guides.
The mighty Zambezi River has the best selection of trails available and we operate on the Zimbabwean and Zambian side of the lower Zambezi valley. Shorter trails can also be taken on the Upper Zambezi from Victoria Falls.
For the more experienced rider, there can be no greater thrill than the true sense of freedom experienced on horseback, galloping among herds of plains game and elephant in some of Africas most pristine wilderness areas. Trails generally last 7 - 10 days, although shorter trails are an option in some regions. Horseback safaris are available throughout Africa, but in our opinion Botswana and Zimbabwe offer the greatest horseback wildlife experience.
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These were once restricted to the Asian continent, but are now available in selected areas of Africa. Probably the most amazing of these is to be found at Abus Camp in the Okavango Delta, where a 6 day trail is combined with game drives, walks and mokoros. A selection of shorter trails are to be found in Zimbabwe.
Boat safaris tend to be short excursions taken from camps where permanent water is a feature. However, one of the most relaxing ways to experience Botswanas Okavango Delta is to glide through the papyrus-lined channels by mokoro with your experienced poler - your guide to this great natural phenomenon. Short mokoro trails are available at all Delta camps (although some may be seasonal), whilst longer camping trails can be arranged for the more adventurous.
Wherever possible, we will utilise scheduled air services between destinations. This will often eliminate longer drives and you will gain the advantage of the beneficial rates we enjoy with the airlines. Many camps are so remote that they are only accessible by light aircraft. Although a necessary means of getting between camps, these transfers offer a unique and exciting game viewing experience. It is possible to book short game flights over Botswanas Okavango Delta and around Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, with Tafika Camp in Zambias South Luangwa National Park offering short Micro-light flights over the Park. There is probably no better way to see Namibias towering sand dunes than by light aircraft or hot-air balloon.
The excellent road networks of South Africa, Namibia and Zimbabwe make many areas accessible by saloon car and self drive, a very popular option in these countries. For those wishing to get into the remoter areas, we can arrange 4x4-vehicle hire, and this can be fitted with all the equipment needed for the self-sufficient camping safari if required. We can also pre-book camp sites and cross-border rentals. Self-drive safaris are very popular in Namibia and Botswana, where there is a good infrastructure for the independent traveller.
The ever changing scenery seems to present itself in ever changing hues for you and you alone - passing by your window rather than you passing it by. Some of the most luxurious steam train journeys in the world are found in Southern Africa. Rovos Rail and the famous Blue Train operate between Cape Town, Pretoria and Victoria Falls; along the Cape Garden Route or offer a unique way to arrive or depart at your chosen game lodge lose to the Kruger National Park. Annually there are longer trips between Cape Town and Dar es Salaam and Pretoria and Windhoek. Splendidly refurbished sleeping berths, observation and dining cars rekindle memories of a bygone era whilst offering all modern comforts. Namibias Desert Express offers a unique overnight journey through some of Africas most dramatic scenery, whilst the Shongololo is a self-styled travelling hotel with economical itineraries covering Namibia and South Africa.
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