Luxury safari holidays

Family Safari Itineraries

We will choose an ideal combination of places for the wildlife, scenery and activities you are seeking for the time of year you want to travel on your Family Safari. We work in eleven countries and there are hundreds of camps, lodges and guides.  You may be suffering from information overload. We know which places work well in combination and how long you should stay in each. If you are looking for somewhere special to go for a honeymoon luxury safari, we know just the places to go.

Luxury Safaris

We will take you from place to place quickly and reliably, often using light aircraft so you spend the maximum time enjoying your luxury safari holiday. Friendly reliable people meet you and take you from one place to the next. We pace your itinerary so you are not rushed around, usually spending three days or longer at each place. We take great care planning the details and safari lodge owners often comment to us that our guests are the best informed and best prepared of their visitors.

South African Safaris

South Africa is home to some truely luxurious safari and holiday destinations, with the vast plains and parks to the North East and the lively towns of Durban, Johannesburg and Cape Town a drive away a South Africa Safari has it all.

Tanzania safari

If you love African Safaris you simply have to visit northern Tanzania and experience a Tanzania Safari some time in your life. The endless plains of the Serengeti with its annual wildebeest and zebra migration, the 8,000ft high Ngorongoro Crater and the snow capped Mount Kilimanjaro are the epitome of Africa.  Smaller national parks such as Tarangire, with its baobab trees and sparkling rivers, are also worth visiting. Southern and western Tanzania has some of the most remote and least visited game reserves in luxury. Africa yet they are also some of the most beautiful and  exciting. These are all ‘fly-in’ safari lodges where you can enjoy drives by open vehicle, walking, boating and night drives with a spotlight.

Itineraries for a Tanzania Safari

There are so many great things to do in Tanzania that you will almost certainly not have time to do them all. It is a very big country and therefore travelling across it takes time. The best thing to do is plan to visit sites that are near each other or use a Tanzania Safari tour operator. A good tour operator will be able to plan a manageable itinerary which includes all the sites that you would most like to see. Ideally, you will need at least two to three weeks to be able to take in all the amazing sites and experiences that this country has to offer. However, some tour operators are able to offer shorter itineraries which are faster paced and take in the Serengeti National Park, Ngorongoro Conservation Area and the Tarangire National Park as these parks are all within the same region as each other. This kind of trip will guarantee you some good photos but you probably won’t find it very relaxing. It really is better to take your time in Tanzania and enjoy all that it has to offer. A far more relaxing route would be to start with one of the easier ascents of Kilimanjaro then take in a tour of the big game in the Serengeti National Park and the Ngorongoro Conservation Area before spending your last few days relaxing on the coast of Tanzania in the Saadani National Park. A Tanzania Safari with a good tour operator can be tailor made to fit your every wish so you should take your time looking for a tour operator that really understands your vision. After all a trip to Tanzania really is a trip of a lifetime.

How to arrive for a Tanzania Safari

There are two main airports to choose from when flying in for your Tanzania Safari and you should pick based on your itinerary plan. If you plan to visit Northern Tanzania (Kilimanjaro, Serengeti and Ngorongoro) then it is best to fly in at Kilimanjaro International Airport. If you plan to visit Zanzibar or the coastal regions of Tanzania then it would be better to fly in to the capital Dar es Salaam. If you plan to visit Tanzania as part of a trip to another African country then there are regular flights to both airports in Tanzania from Kenya, Uganda and Ethiopia.  If you are feeling adventurous you could even get an overnight train from Zambia or a boat from Mozambique. That really would add an extra atmospheric dimension to your Tanzania Safari.

Visas for a Tanzania Safari

Remember that you may require a visa to go on your Tanzania Safari. Travellers to Tanzania from UK, USA, Canada, Australia and most of the EU require a tourist visa to enter the country. Although you can apply for a visa in the airport, it is advised that you obtain one beforehand and your tour operator should be able to help you. Visas can cost between $25 to $100, depending on whether you want multiple entry.

Zambia safari

Zambia is now one of the best countries for an active Zambia safari holiday which includes walking with an armed guide, canoeing on the Zambezi and day or night game drives by open Land Rover. The guiding is excellent and the wildlife experience is superb. Zambia safaris have a well-earned reputation as one of the best destinations for those in search of authenticity in Africa. The scenery is magnificent, with the huge and fast flowing Zambezi River culminating in the spectacular Victoria Falls.

Namibia safari

Namibia is one of the world’s most fascinating and beautiful desert regions. A safari holiday here will take you to the towering apricot coloured sand dunes at Sossusvlei, the unique Etosha saltpan with its abundant wildlife, the mountainous deserts of Damarland with their desert adapted elephant  and rhinoceros, and the hauntingly beautiful Skeleton Coast.

Uganda and Rwanda safari

Uganda is one of the most beautiful countries with a wonderful abundance of wildlife including the amazing lowland gorillas, chimpanzees and plains game of the Queen Elizabeth National Park. Despite this, it is one of the least visited safari countries in Africa. Rwanda is also an ideal gorilla safari destination with 350 mountain gorillas on the forested slopes of Parc National des Volcans.

Zimbabwe safari

Zimbabwe has Africa’s best guide training scheme with the result that you can enjoy some amazing African safari holidays on foot, by canoe and by open vehicle with Africa’s finest wildlife guides. Zimbabwe’s scenery includes the great open plains of Hwange, where there are over 20,000 elephant and  enormous numbers of plains game, the hills and valleys of the  Matusadona National Park by Lake Kariba, where you find rhinoceros, lion and antelope, and the World Heritage Site of Mana Pools by the  half mile wide Zambezi River is another stunningly beautiful region. Zimbabwe really is a hotspot for safaris and we would recommend those who have never been on an African Safari to give a Zimbabwe safari a try.

Malawi safaris

A land of towering mountains which surround one of Africa’s great lakes, this is one of the friendliest countries in luxury Africa. The Nyika Plateau which rises to over 8,000ft can provide breath-taking walking and horseback safari holidays, while Lake Malawi itself has several high quality beach hotels, some set off little islands, where you can enjoy snorkelling, diving, sailing and water skiing, providing a pleasant few days break after a Zambia safari. At the southern tip of Lake Malawi are the Liwonde wetlands, in some ways resembling the Okavango Delta and from Mvuu safari Camp you can enjoy boating, walks and game drives by open vehicle, seeing elephant, rhinoceros and antelope, and over 350 species of beautiful birds.

Egypt

To visit Egypt is to go 4,000 years back in time when an astonishingly advanced civilisation constructed the giant pyramids, temples and immense palaces. The greatest attractions are located either side of the Nile  in Cairo, Aswan and Luxor, and Africa Exclusive will construct the perfect itinerary to suit the pace you want to travel and the amount of  sight seeing you want to include.
Indian Ocean Islands

Mozambique Safaris

You may like to link your safari holiday with a few days self-indulgent relaxation on some idyllic Indian Ocean island. We can arrange for you to stay in five star luxury in a superb Mauritian hotel like The Residence, the Oberoi or the Banyan Tree in the Seychelles.  The spice island of Zanzibar is perfect for honeymoons and some of the world’s best diving can be experienced in the unspoilt oceans of Mozambique. It is vital to obtain expert advice when planning a luxury safari holiday in Africa – give us a call, even if you are in the initial stages of planning your safari holidays, we would be delighted to talk to you and design your own customised luxury Africa adventure.

See Kilimanjaro on your Tanzania Family Safari

Kilimanjaro is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain in the world.  It is a must see during any Tanzania Family Safari. People come from all over the world to climb this mountain and in recent years it has been a popular destination for celebrities to do charity climbs. Whilst Kilimanjaro is one of the more easy mountains to climb in the world, it is still 5,895m high at its summit and is a very challenging ascent. The mountain is made up of three volcanic cones called Kibo, Mawenzi and Shira. The highest summit is located on Kibo’s crater rim and is known as Uhuru Peak.

Kilimanjaro wildlife on a Tanzania Family Safari

Climbing Kilimanjaro is a unique experience as you switch from the tropics to the arctic during the ascent. There are lots of different types of forests on the different slopes of Kilimanjaro and each one has its own unique species of animals and plants. This means that on a Tanzania Family Safari you could have the opportunity to see an incredible range of climates, environments and creatures. The main animals that you are likely to spot if you choose to climb Kilimanjaro are monkeys. Black and white colobus monkeys are common as well as blue monkeys. You can also see a variety of birds. However, you are unlikely to see any big mammals on Kilimanjaro due to the high number of visitors and the different terrain. This shouldn’t trouble you as a well planned Tanzania Family Safari is sure to take in at least one national park and you will have plenty of opportunities to see big game. Once you reach over 4,000m you enter an alpine desert which has little life in it. On reaching the peak you will enter a winter wonderland filled with snow and ice and the most incredible views.

Climbing Kilimanjaro as part of a Tanzania Family Safari

Most tour operators will provide you with a lot of guidance if you are planning to ascend Kilimanjaro. You need to bring the right equipment and be mentally and physically prepared for the challenge. Although it is a relatively simple climb it is still something that requires preparation. You will require a number of different layers of clothing to enable you to be comfortable during all the different climates you will meet, you will also require a good sleeping bag as well as a very good pair of hiking boots. The biggest mistake you can make when packing for a Tanzania Family Safari and the Kilimanjaro trek is to pack too much. You can hire a porter to carry your bags but most porters can only carry up to 15kg of items. With regards to the physical preparation the best thing to do is go on a lot of hikes (make sure you wear the boots you plan to climb in) and you should start preparing at least two months before your planned ascent. It is advised that you have a full medical check up before departure, especially if you are not a spring chicken, and while a Tanzania Family Safari requires good health it is rewarding.

Family Safaris

A family safari is a great way for a family to bond while experiencing an amazing family safari holiday. There is nothing better than taking your children on a safari, they will love the amazing wildlife, animals and adrenaline involved on family safaris.

Family safaris are available in most African countries and from various tour operators but here at Africa Exclusive we believe that if your travelling to Africa for a Family Safari you should do it in pure luxury with no expense spared. Why not experience the safari holiday of a lifetime and take your luxury family safari in Botswana, Kenya or Namibia.

Be sure to check out our Safari Blog