If you’ve ever dreamed of visiting Africa, no doubt you’ve had a safari in mind. Not only is it the best way to see wild animals up close and outside of zoo exhibits, but it’s also the easiest way to travel around remote parts of the continent and see habitats otherwise off-limits to travelers. Best of all, you don’t have to rough it if you want to go on safari these days. Here are some of the luxury getaways that cater to the more elite safari experience.
Abercrombie & Kent
Said to be the pioneers of the modern luxury safari, Abercrombie & Kent have over 50 years in the business and promise an unrivaled experience. They have three primary locations that offer unique focuses – their East Africa safari is perfect for photography lovers, Uganda is a good spot for seeing mountain gorillas, and their South Africa safari combines game-viewing with food, wine, and cultural attractions. They also have 11 permanent offices in Africa, so you can trust you’re getting a locally crafted safari from beginning to end.
The Luxury Safari Company
Their tagline is “Visit Africa as a friend, not a tourist”, so you can imagine that they try to deliver a locally-sourced experience as well as an unforgettable one. They value quick customer service highly and promise a curated safari with top safari camps and access to luxury experiences you won’t get anywhere else. They also have a very long list of locations, including Namibia, Kenya, Tanzania, Botswana, and Zimbabwe, to name a few.
The Audley
This company offers to get you closer to the wildlife that is so remarkable in Africa, and they do it by switching up the way they run their safaris. So not only do they offer the typical safari, but they also offer a walking version and a boat tour, so you can experience the wider ecosystem of the bush, and maybe get up close and personal with a hippo or elephant. They also offer a variety of lodging, from tents to lodges, so you can upgrade your stay.
Africa Dreams Safari
The difference with this company is the exclusivity – they offer private safaris, so no mixed groups, no competing with strangers for the best view or the best itinerary. They specialize in just one area – Tanzania, so they’re the experts in the local wildlife and regions. They also go where no other safaris go, so instead of going on the typical route, they’ll take you off the beaten path and further into the bush than most other companies.
Africa Exclusive
This company boasts a small staff that is focused on creating personalized itineraries and giving out expert advice to prepare you for the ultimate luxury safari. Instead of a package holiday, Africa Exclusive will design an experience that takes into account everything you’d like to get out of a safari – whether that’s specific destinations, a certain level of comfort, or a wildlife preference – and they’ll create a holiday that’s tailored to you And they’ll book every aspect of it too, so you don’t have to worry about all of the finer details of the trip.