SELF-DRIVE HOLIDAYS
Self-drive Holidays
Self-drive holidays are widely available in South Africa and Namibia, where most of these countries can easily be explored by self-drive, without a guide.
South Africa in particular is a more sophisticated destination where most driving is on metalled roads, and there is a wide range of accommodation options. Areas of the country such as Cape Town, the Cape Winelands and the Garden Route are extremely popular and easy self-drive destinations, whilst other parts of the country such as KwaZulu/Natal, Kruger, Kgalagadi and Limpopo offer a slightly more adventurous undertaking, with higher chances of driving on gravel roads much further away from amenities. In Kruger and Kgalagadi, as well as a few other parks throughout the country, you can explore big game areas by self-drive, which requires a degree of common sense and/or experience in Africa – they are very much wild areas and the animals need to be treated with respect.
Namibia is fundamentally a more adventurous driving experience, with many of key regions reached by gravel roads through the desert wilderness. We recommend 4×4 and/or high clearance vehicles in Namibia, though most roads can be driven in a normal saloon car if needed. Driving in Namibia generally involves quite large distances through the desert, where you will see few other vehicles, but with few roads following directions is usually quite straight-forward! There are some especially remote areas where you cannot self-drive without being in a convoy, or with an experienced guide who knows the area (primarily the north-west Kaokoland region).
For experienced Africa hands, it is possible to self-drive through other countries such as Zimbabwe, Botswana, Zambia and Tanzania, but we don’t tend to specialise in these type of more independent holidays.
ELEPHANT EXPERIENCES
Elephant Experiences
Whilst we do not recommend or arrange elephant-back safaris, due to ethical reasons, elephant interaction experiences are available in various places across safari Africa. These tend to either involve visiting orphanages or conservation centres such as the Sheldrick Orphanage or Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in Kenya, or visiting specific safari camps in the wild where ‘habituated’ elephants are cared for and can be interacted with in a wilder setting. Abu’s Camp in Botswana used to be an elephant-riding operation but today you can only walk with the elephants as well as see how they are looked after and learn all about them. At Stanleys and Baines camps, also in Botswana, you can join a similar elephant interaction experience. Around Victoria Falls (Zambia/ Zimbabwe) and in South Africa there are a number of ‘elephant parks/ experiences’ and conservation centres where elephant encounters are possible, but some of these are very zoo-like and commercial.
QUAD-BIKING
Quad-Biking
Quad-biking is not normally a method of game viewing, but in some specific areas it is offered as a fantastic adventure activity which allows you explore areas that cannot otherwise be accessed. Some of the best quad-bike adventures in Africa are found in the Makgadikgadi Pans region of Botswana, staying at a few exclusive places such as Camp Kalahari, and in the Namib Desert and northern Kaokoland regions of Namibia. These regions are remote and stunningly beautiful and wild, so whether you are quad-biking across vast salt pans or through orange sand dunes, the experience can be awesome. There are also a few options in the wilderness areas of Kenya and Tanzania, as well as several non-wilderness venues in South Africa that offer quad-biking as an ‘activity’.
MOUNTAIN BIKING & CYCLE SAFARIS
MOUNTAIN BIKING & CYCLE SAFARIS
Mountain biking and cycle safaris are available in a few particular areas – usually individual camps that offer it as an activity. Mashatu Tent Camp in south-east Botswana and Tafika Camp in Zambia’s South Luangwa National Park are two of our favourite cycling safari destinations. However, mountain biking is available in various other areas, and quite widely across Kenya and South Africa.
WHITE WATER RAFTING
WHITE WATER RAFTING
The best white-water rafting in Africa is found on the Zambezi River below Victoria Falls (Zambia/ Zimbabwe), followed closely by the Nile River near Jinja in Uganda as it flows northwards from Lake Victoria. Both these destinations offer world-class rafting, with Grade 5 rapids. Day excursions are most common on both rivers, but multi-day expeditions are also possible.
BATTLEFIELD TOURS
BATTLEFIELD TOURS
KwaZulu/ Natal in South Africa is the main place to go for battlefield tours where it is possible to tour the Zulu battlefields of Isandlwana and Rorke’s Drift, and the Boer War battlefields around Spionkop. Both areas are exceptionally well guided and offer an in depth look at the history of the struggles.
RAIL JOURNEYS
RAIL JOURNEYS
The most famous and best rail journeys possible in safari Africa are run by The Blue Train and Rovos Rail, both of which start their journeys in South Africa. The routings between Pretoria and Cape Town, and between Pretoria and Victoria Falls are both popular and can naturally offer an alternative to flying. Longer routes are possible with Rovos Rail, either through to Namibia or all the way up to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania.
FLOWERS & BOTANY
FLOWERS & BOTANY
The Cape Floral Kingdom in South Africa is a vast resource of flora that will be of huge interest to anyone interested in flowers and botany. From the ‘fynbos’ habitat of the south coast to the wild daisies of Namaqualand and the succulents of the Karoo and Kalahari deserts, there is unimaginable variety to be explored. The Kirstenbosch Gardens in Cape Town and the Harold Porter Botanical Gardens in Betty’s Bay would also be well worth a visit to anyone with even a mild interest.
Elsewhere in safari Africa and the Indian Ocean there are many regions that would also be of interest. From mountain plateaus and highlands in Malawi and Zimbabwe, to the dense forests of East Africa and the beautiful Indian Ocean Islands of Madagascar and Seychelles, flowers and botany are never far away.
WHALE WATCHING
WHALE WATCHING
The south coast of South Africa, especially around the coastal town of Hermanus, offers arguably the best land-based whale watching in the world. Southern Right whales arrive in late June and July to calve and stay until November. It is possible to view from the coast as they often come right in close to shore, or to find them out at sea on boat cruises.
Humpback whales also migrate along the east coast of Africa and can be seen off southern Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa. They tend to be seen between August and November moving to and from the tropics.
BEACH RELAXATION
BEACH RELAXATION
With the Indian Ocean literally on the doorstep, it is easily possible to combine any safari or sight-seeing holiday with some time on the beach. If the beaches of Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi, Mozambique and South Africa don’t quite fit the bill, then it is possible to fly out to Mauritius, Seychelles or Madagascar for an even more ‘tropical’ experience.
Logistics and seasons always come into play when deciding where to go on the beach, but whatever your requirements, there are various wonderful options to choose from.
SNORKELLING & SCUBA DIVING
SNORKELLING & SCUBA DIVING
Snorkelling and scuba diving is available throughout the Indian Ocean, from mainland Africa in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique and South Africa and from islands such as Mauritius, Seychelles and Madagascar. Lake Malawi is also an interesting snorkelling and diving destination due to the cyclid fish found in the lake.
Whilst most of the East African coastline is tidal and snorkeling is usually best outside the reef, there are a number of islands where snorkeling is excellent, mostly off the beach – Pemba, Mnemba, Chumbe, Mafia and Fanjove to name just a few. On Mafia Island it is even possible to snorkel with whale sharks between November and February.
Snorkelling with dolphins is possible on Zanzibar and on Mauritius, though these activities are commercial and pretty un-checked.
South Africa offers shark cage-diving in the western Cape, but otherwise most of the action is along the east coast, both to the north and south of Durban. Beyond this, we would rate Mozambique and Seychelles as the all round best destinations for scuba diving.
FISHING
FISHING
Fly fishing for trout is possible in various spots including on Mount Kenya and in the Aberdare Mountains in Kenya, in the Eastern Highlands of Zimbabwe and in the Drakensberg regions of South Africa. Lake Victoria is known for its Nile Perch, whilst the many waterways of Africa are busy with bream, catfish and tilapia, and casual fishing is available in various areas and from many camps and lodges that are located on water courses.
However, when you think of Africa and fishing, you naturally think of the Tiger Fish. This strong and beautiful predator is found in good numbers in the Zambezi River in particular (including Lake Kariba), but also in a few others including the Chobe and Rufiji Rivers. Tiger can be caught by spinning, weight fishing or for a challenge, on fly. They give a great fight! The Lower Zambezi National Park in Zambia is a stunning destination to combine a wonderful safari experience with some fantastic fishing.
The Indian Ocean opens a new door completely, with incredible big game fishing available in Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Mauritius and Seychelles. More specialist fly fishing is possible in Mozambique but arguably best from Alphonse and surrounding islands in the south-west Seychelles.
COMMUNITY & CULTURE
COMMUNITY & CULTURE
If you are interested in including some cultural experiences within your trip, please let us know. Whilst this may happen a a matter of course in certain parts of safari Africa, in some areas it may need to be specifically prioritised.
Whilst village visits, schools visits and generally taking in rural African life is possible throughout most countries in which we specialise, some of the most interesting cultural options are as follows:
- Himba people in the Kaokoland region of north-west Namibia
- Bushman experiences in the Central Kalahari and Makgadikgadi Pans regions of Botswana
- Maasai tribes in Kenya’s Masai Mara and northern Tanzania’s Ngorongoro Highlands
- Samburu tribes in Kenya’s Samburu, Mathews and Laikipia regions
- Hadzabe hunter-gatherers around Lake Eyasi and the Serengeti in northern Tanzania
In addition, if you choose to travel around countries like Uganda, Malawi or Madagascar, your holiday will naturally focus on ‘seeing the country’ and experiencing a wide variety of community and cultural experiences. This is especially true in Madagascar where culture forms a huge part of any trip to the island, with too many different tribes to mention here.
ROCK ART
ROCK ART
Rock art is prevalent across southern Africa, with over 114,000 recorded sites. Some of the best sites to visit include as follows:
- The Matobo Hills National Park in Zimbabwe
- The Tsodilo Hills in Botswana
- The Twyfelfontein Rock Engravings in Namibia
- The Brandberg Mountain in Namibia
- The Cederberg Mountains in South Africa
- The Drakensberg Mountains in South Africa
FOOD & WINE
FOOD & WINE
Whilst standards of hospitality on safari are usually very good, and different countries are able to offer different flavours and local cuisine (especially around the Indian Ocean Islands) if you are interested in high quality food and wine you are most likely to be heading to South Africa, and in particular the Western Cape region.
This region has numerous wonderful restaurants, plenty of high quality wine farms to explore and a culture of sophisticated and entrepreneurial food preparation. There are also numerous five star properties that naturally aim to offer five star hospitality.
HEALTH SPAS
HEALTH SPAS
Many safari camps and lodges will offer small scale health spa facilities, quite often providing massages or simple treatments in your own room or tent. To enjoy genuine health spas on safari you are likely to need to stay at upper end properties and whilst luxury safari properties with extensive health spas and fitness centres do exist across a variety of different countries, there is no doubt that South Africa leads the way in terms of health spa facilities and services.
Away from safaris, high quality hotels in South Africa and on the Indian Ocean Islands of Mauritius and Seychelles will offer extremely extensive and high quality health spas.
GROUP TOURS
GROUP TOURS
Group Tours are not our speciality, however if you are keen to join an organised group there are certain places in Africa where this is possible and can make good sense. Kilimanjaro mountain climbs, Botswana mobile camping safaris and Guided Photography Tours are three areas where we do offer group departures, via companies that we know offer a superb experience.
There are also much shorter excursions, safaris and day trips that we offer on a group basis in various regions. However, such trips would only form a small part of your overall itinerary. Please speak to us if you would like all or part of your holiday to include group adventures.