Dreaming of going on Safari? Here are some great tips from an expert.
The ability to dream has kept so many of us going during these difficult times. But now with vaccine rollouts happening widely, you can once again turn your travel dreams into reality. If, in the past, you’ve put off that amazing excursion, more than ever, it may be calling you now. An exclusive luxury safari, whether it be to Rwanda for the gorillas, Tanzania for the Great Migration or South Africa, Botswana or Namibia, is a transformative life-event that is best planned a year in advance. The reason for this is that luxury lodges such as the Singita Mara River Lodge in the Serengeti have as few as six rooms (thus the term exclusive!).
Singita Mara River Camp’s remote and unspoiled setting in 98,000 acres of untouched wilderness in northern Tanzania includes access to some of the world’s most prized and private game-viewing opportunities, including breathtaking views of the renowned migratory route traversed annually by more than a million wildebeest.
The experience of being in the company of Silverback Gorillas in the Volcanoes National Park is life changing. It brings grown men to tears and somehow creates a space where nothing else matters – just this incredible privilege of being face to face with such magnificent creatures in the wild.
A safari to Botswana and South Africa means being immersed in what is home to the greatest concentration of wildlife on the planet. Lion, leopard, buffalo, zebra, giraffe, elephant, hyena, crocodiles, hippos, cheetah, jackal, waterbuck, rhinos …. All abound in this spectacular part of the world. Some of the most spectacular game viewing in Botswana is to be found at exclusive lodges like Jao Camp in the Okavango Delta. Here the plains game abound, attracting large prides of lion and other predators such as leopard and cheetah.
Namibia offers something toally different, with it red sandunes, desert habituated lion, elephant and hyena and a night sky like no other you will ever experience. Sossusvlei Desert Lodge is probably one of the most magnificent lodges in the whole of the country.
South Africa is of course world renown for its massive National Park the Kruger – bigger than Switzerland. And in fact this massive area of wildlife has grown even more with the private reserves on its eastern border, home to the most luxurious private camps, having dropped fences. The same is true with the Mozambique border in the north.
The game viewing in the neighbouring private reserve Sabi Sands is the most spectacular in the country. Lodges like Ivory Lodge in the Lion Sands Reserve where leopards abound even offer the discerning guest the chance to sleep in a luxury Tree House in the middle of the bush!
Organizing a luxury safari is a daunting skill that should be handled by an expert. My team and I at Alpha Embassy Travel have perfected this over 27 years. As the owner, I’ve travelled to every corner of the continent and have experienced first-hand every property that is included in any of our tailor-made itineraries. After a lot of hard work and experience, I can humble-brag that Alpha Embassy Travel, Based in Johannesburg South Africa, was recently awarded the Luxury Lifestyle Award in New York, for the category of Luxury Travel.
Every itinerary put together starts with a clean canvas and is meticulously planned to be the perfect, unique and unforgettable experience for each traveler.
For those who are thinking about a possible Africa Safari for next Summer 2022, this really is the time to start planning. It does take a good year to plan a trip like this, especially if you are looking to stay at these intimate and very exclusive lodges. And trust me, there is nothing in the world like a curated, luxury safari, and never before were the great open spaces of the African continent more capable of feeding our souls.
Story by Simone Bishop
Simone is a travel expert who tailors unique & impressive African journeys. To learn more see www.alphaembassy.com or contact Simone at [email protected]
