Pup Tent

Luxury African Safaris – One Thing To Do Before You Die

A luxury African safari is an overwhelming experience, especially for the neophyte.

One’s previous reading or influences will evoke a host af varying expectations from the very word “Africa” but few anticipatory images can come close to the actual reality. Africa is generally so complex; so this is because it is an all-round sensory experience where the wildlife is only a part of the whole and the whole is a holistic, balanced, potpourri of the senses. Sight can be as important as touch and a sound may overwhelm a smell but Africa re-expands and gratifies the reduced western psyche. To dispel a myth: Africa needn’t (and shouldn’t) be an assault course of days crammed into ghastly minibuses and nights spent in mosquito-filled pup tents! The Africa we refer to is a world away from such experiences: soft, luxurious, private and gorgeous with first rate accoutrements: excellent food, very comfortable beds, plenty of space in tasteful, well-appointed, ensuite, room-sized luxury tents, good company and the whole brought together by superb hosting.

Excellent guiding is a standard, of course, and is something no luxury African safari can succeed without. Wildlife is often top of the first-time safari-goer’s “wish list” on a safari and is likely to be the centrepoint of any trip. The photo-opportunities will be wonderful, whether it be “big” game, the birds or the myriad of plains dwellers that roam the endless savannah, all viewed whilst being based at superb, small, private tented camps or lodge-type properties that are usually owner-run and situated near the best of the animals (yet away from any mass-market influences). The animals do not live alone and it will soon become appartent that the landscape is also home to indigenous people who are equally as fascinating as the wildlife and, these days, whose input is crucial to the continuing existence of many National Parks and reserves. okavango delta safari Any well-thought-out, professionally created, luxury African safari shold therefore give equal opportunity to wildlife and cultural input. In much of Africa all of the above is set in scenic splendour unrivalled almost anywhere on the planet. The backdrop to the wildlife and people of Africa is a stunning, evocative, emotional magnificence that cannot fail to impress: from the majestic, rugged, Rift Valley with it’s soaring cliffs, fabulous views and deep freshwater lakes to horizon-stretching savannah plains and from the lofty snowcapped pinnacles of the world’s highest freestanding mountain to the hippo-filled reaches of some of the planet’s great rivers. There are many ways to experience Africa: animals are often viewed from a private 4×4 vehicle but the senses are awakened and the experience much more immediate if one is afoot. An unbeatable activity can be to ride a horse or camel, the human melding with the animal so that the wildlife is unconcerned. luxury safari holidays A gentle, relaxing, unusual way to connect with the bush is also to be in a boat, mekoro or canoe. Everything in Africa is interesting, not just the animals and people! The medicine-chest and toolboxes of local tribesmen are the plants and trees; then, fed by routes that have for millennia linked India, the Middle East and the eastern Mediterranean with much of eastern and southern Africa, the ancient African coastal dhow-borne trading culture is still visible today. luxury South Africa holidays The geology is fascinating. The convoluted history of Africa merits a lifetime’s study whilst tribal politics interweave with oral tradition. A luxury African safari is, simply, unique in its breadth.

Pup-tent Shelter with a Tarp