Located about a four hour drive and 250 km (150 mi) southeast of Nairobi, Amboseli National Park is well known for its herds of big tusked elephants under the imposing backdrop of the highest free-standing mountain in the world, Mt Kilimanjaro. The 151 km2 (58 mi2) park is a fragile ecosystem with the (usually) dry lake bed at its heart. Surrounding the lake bed and salt flats are beautiful Acacia Tortillis woodland and grassy savannah that attract herds of wildebeest, zebra, and gazelle alongside the famed elephants. It is possible to see all the predators but, being a national park, night drives are not permitted.
Local Maasai tribes live in manyattas around Amboseli, and these pastoralists bring their herds to water in and around the park. The name ‘Amboseli’ is indeed derived from a Maa word meaning ‘salty dust’. Today, it is one of Kenya’s most popular national parks.
From the verdant sparkling waterways of the Okavango Delta to the arid expanse of the great Kalahari, Botswana is a land of great contrast. This precious, peaceful country offers a plethora of luxury accommodation as well as exhilarating mobile camping and tranquil house boat accommodation.
Safaris in Zambia are popular for the abundance of wildlife, exceptionally high standards of guiding and the opportunity to visit Livingstone and the Victoria Falls as well as a world class walking safaris and less crowded national parks.
Zimbabwe has emerged from a period of unrest to once again welcome visitors and re-take its place as one of the world’s leading safari destinations. Zimbabwe has a long history of safari and offers some wonderfully situated luxury and mid-range camps and lodges in its huge national parks.
The largest country in East Africa. Tanzania is diverse, there are over 120 different languages spoken, its history stretches back millions of years, with some of the earliest human fossils having been discovered in Olduvai Gorge. The wildlife is plentiful and spectacular and includes opportunities to see chimpanzee, elephant, zebra and dolphin among so many others.
The original birthplace of the safari, Kenya is stunningly beautiful and offers incredible game viewing as well as picturesque white sandy beaches lapped by azure waters. The infrastructure is reliable and the people are friendly and welcoming, the range of accommodation is broad, from remote, intimate, rustic camps to luxurious hotels with exquisite décor.
Breathtakingly beautiful, Uganda stands out from its drier neighbours Kenya and Tanzania for its incredibly fertile crater lake landscape. In contrast to nearby savannah landscapes the lakes provide plentiful life-sustaining water to the flora and fauna and are topped up by two good rainy seasons each year.
Rwanda is a gem of a country in central Africa, entirely land locked, it sits in the Great Rift Valley and is known as ‘the land of a thousand hills’. These rolling verdant hills are blanketed in part by one of Africa’s oldest remaining forests, Nyungwe, which is renowned for its remarkable array of orchids and huge troops of striking black and white Colobus monkey.
Famous for never-ending, pristine dunes, the white salt pans of Etosha, the ship wrecks along the Skeleton Coast, the dramatic Fish River Canyon and the gentle Himba people. Namibia is vast and sparsely populated giving you the space to be at one with nature and the spectacular landscapes.
Egypt has seduced travellers for millennia, situated in the North East corner of the continent it is intersected by the great Nile River which was once the most important trade route between the Mediterranean and East Africa. The ancient passage of people and produce introduced a wealth of religions, culture and cuisine that we find in Egypt today.
South Africa has wild, remote deserts, fertile valleys, world-class vineyards, vibrant modern cities, and exceptional game parks. The Kruger and Sabi Sand are the jewel in South Africa’s safari crown and offer some of the best game viewing in Africa while there are a host of other smaller parks and reserves in the Northern Provinces and Eastern Cape to explore.