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Hermanus – More than Whale Watching

Hermanus – More than Whale Watching

Close to Cape Town, Hermanus is famous for its whale watching but that’s just the start of that this town has to offer. Bring hiking boots, a camera, binoculars and a taste for fine food and wine. Got children? Even better: I hope they like penguins. Let’s see what Hermanus has to offer.

Beach Life: Discover Mozambique with Us

Beach Life: Discover Mozambique with Us

With a promise of sunshine, flip-flops and short sleeves every day, Mozambique is the ultimate beach retreat where visitors can do as much or as little as they want. It is an ideal destination for those seeking to relax after a busy safari adventure.

About Blooming Time! The Cape’s Flowers

About Blooming Time! The Cape’s Flowers

Home to 10% of the world’s flowering plant species, the Cape’s Flowers in South Africa send their luxuriant flora into a dazzling climax. To see the best displays, more wildlife (and fewer crowds) then two destinations stand out above all the others…

The Many Faces of Mana Pools

The Many Faces of Mana Pools

Mana Pools appears on the map as a lumpy rectangle running southwards from the Zambezi River. It’s one of Zimbabwe’s best big game destinations and most diverse national parks and is marked by distinct seasons. Find out where and when to go…

Ethiopia: A Journey into the Heart of Africa

Ethiopia: A Journey into the Heart of Africa

Thinking about Ethiopia as your next travel destination? Travellers to Ethiopia fall into two broad groups: those coming for the country’s extraordinary human culture, and those with an eye for rare and endemic wildlife.

Travel to Madagascar with Simone

Travel to Madagascar with Simone

Although we currently don’t sell this destination, we would like to share about our client’s scenic journey through remote and rugged landscapes, baobab trees and semi-nomadic villages where traditional Malagasy life unfolds.

Balancing act: the Matobo National Park

Balancing act: the Matobo National Park

This small national park is somewhat hard to define when compared to the country’s other safari destinations such as Hwange and Mana Pools. Striking a balance between a safari & a hiking/biking destination, Matobo is also one of the best places for a rhino encounter…

Ilona in Zambia and Malawi

Ilona in Zambia and Malawi

I highly recommend considering Zambia and Malawi for your next African safari. Take it from me: you can expect remote and pristine wildlife areas without the crowds plus amazing cuisine, exceptional guiding, and friendly locals along the way.

Travel with Jano: Children in Botswana

Travel with Jano: Children in Botswana

Never think it’s too early to take kids on safari; Jano was only three when we took him on safari the first time. But eight is a suitable age to push the envelope a little: it was time to take him to Botswana.

Mokoro Safari: Five things you should know

Mokoro Safari: Five things you should know

Okay, so you know it’s a kind of canoe, and you watch wildlife from it, but hang on: a canoe needs water, and … uhm … doesn’t that mean hippos and crocodiles? What’s a mokoro made from? And exactly who is paddling this thing?

Rwanda: More than Gorillas

Rwanda: More than Gorillas

Ask most travellers to Rwanda why they are going there, and the answer is usually: “To trek for gorillas!”. But more and more visitors to Rwanda arrive not just for the gorillas but for a wide range of other safari activities – many of which you’d expect, and some you wouldn’t…

Choosing Your Kilimanjaro Hiking Guide

Choosing Your Kilimanjaro Hiking Guide

When it comes to selecting a guide for your Mount Kilimanjaro hike, cost often plays a significant role, but it’s not the only factor to consider. Some operators distinguish themselves by offering exceptional service that goes beyond the norm.

Planning an African Honeymoon?

Planning an African Honeymoon?

How to create such an experience? Easy: we’ve grouped our best honeymoon destinations by region – Southern Africa and East Africa – which means you can mix and match destinations within each region to build your perfect itinerary.

Safari & Seychelles – a perfect match

Safari & Seychelles – a perfect match

You have to admit it: the combination of an African safari and the Seychelles is pretty hard to beat. And because there are flights to the Seychelles from either East Africa or Southern Africa, the classic African experiences are all available to you!

Choosing your Safari Lodge or Camp

Choosing your Safari Lodge or Camp

Whether you are a newly-wed or a parent planning a safari with kids under 12, here’s some advice for choosing your African Safari Lodge or Camp. Although many accommodations claim to cater to both kinds of travellers, there are certainly those more suited for one rather than the other.

Ruaha National Park: Land of giants

Ruaha National Park: Land of giants

Combine Tanzania’s classic destinations the Serengeti & Zanzibar with Ruaha National Park for a truly diverse experience. The secret behind Ruaha’s bio-diversity lies in the fact that it sits – ecologically – between East and Southern Africa, bringing together two main habitats.

Making a Real Difference on Safari

Making a Real Difference on Safari

The region of Victoria Falls is a victim of its own success but you can help solve the plastic crisis by making a real difference on safari. It won’t cost much more than a coffee & a sandwich. Find out more!

Connect with Africa on a Walking Safari

Connect with Africa on a Walking Safari

Connect with Africa on a walking safari combined with game drives in private Big Five reserves – what’s not to like? Walking safaris are considered best in the dry winter season but don’t discount the possibility of walking safaris in the summer months…

A New Kenyan Experience: Safari & Hike

A New Kenyan Experience: Safari & Hike

Multi-day walking safaris can now be experienced also in Kenya and, to make sure that you don’t miss out on any of Kenya’s famously good game viewing, they combine with traditional wildlife watching from a vehicle. It’s not too facile to say you get the best of both worlds.

Culinary Cape Town

Culinary Cape Town

Visitors to South Africa often ask me what the country’s national dish is. It’s a tricky question because it depends who you ask. The melting pot of South African ethnicity is reflected – how else? – in the food and drink of its people.

Hwange’s elephant-hunting lions

Hwange’s elephant-hunting lions

… I’ll never forget seeing Hwange elephant-hunting lions, yes, lions that hunt elephants; the carcasses left behind were evidence of the fierce battle. If you want to see nature act naturally, then this is the place to do it.

Private Kruger Safari – Choose Klaserie

Private Kruger Safari – Choose Klaserie

A private nature reserve set in the midst of a large conservation area contiguous with the Kruger National Park, Klaserie is able to offer a wide range of safari experiences and it is more competitively priced than some of its neighbouring private reserves…

Zambezi River Safaris – Where & When to go

Zambezi River Safaris – Where & When to go

Rising in central Africa, the Zambezi is home to or near several of the continent’s most iconic destinations – Victoria Falls, Chobe River, Lake Kariba – and offers the fullest range of safari activities: drives, walks, flights, river cruises – plus white-water rafting and canoe adventures.

Treat yourself: Cottar’s 1920

Treat yourself: Cottar’s 1920

Cottar’s Camp has been in the family for a hundred years and the spirit of the Golden Age of Safari – Hemingway, Blixen et al – lives on. Treat yourself Cottar’s 1920, set in an exclusive-use reserve, offers a private Masai Mara experience for both couples & families.

Top 10 Family Safari Lodges

Top 10 Family Safari Lodges

Choosing a lodge for your family safari needs a bit of consideration. Phew, where to start? Although family lodges are big on activities for children as well as for their parents, there are different experiences on offer.

Victoria Falls Activities: Tried & Tested

Victoria Falls Activities: Tried & Tested

We sent two of our Safari Experts – Karina and Vaneshree – to check out Victoria Falls activities. Most visitors to Victoria Falls spend only a couple of days there so it’s good to know what you should be booking before you go.

Add Wildwaters to your East Africa Safari

Add Wildwaters to your East Africa Safari

Add Wildwaters to your East Africa Safari and gorilla trek. Wildwaters Lodge lies on a private island mid-stream within the mighty River Nile in Uganda and offers a unique white-water experience but also…

A 15-Day Adventure in Botswana and Beyond

A 15-Day Adventure in Botswana and Beyond

Kim’s 15-day safari exploring the Jewel of Africa took her from the northern fringes of the Kalahari Desert to the breath-taking spectacle of Victoria Falls with stops at the Moremi Game Reserve, Okavango Delta and the Chobe River along the way.

Chobe River Safari – what you need to know

Chobe River Safari – what you need to know

The big thing about a Chobe River Safari is that it’s one of the most seasonally-affected destinations in Botswana. Rain is the most important factor, or more precisely, the lack of it. But peak season brings other aspects to the experience – not all advantageous to the traveller.

Shinde Footsteps – Walk the Okavango Delta

Shinde Footsteps – Walk the Okavango Delta

Set in an exclusive-use wildlife concession, Shinde Footsteps sits under forest trees next to a hippo-filled lagoon: it couldn’t be more Okavango Delta if it tried. And the camp’s position in a private reserve gives it advantages over a similar location in a national park…

Ilona’s Botswana educational trip

Ilona’s Botswana educational trip

Ilona’s Botswana educational trip was truly special, from the warm-hearted locals and amazing wildlife to conversations around the campfire and breath-taking sunsets – she cannot wait for her next adventure!

Tswalu – The Red Kalahari

Tswalu – The Red Kalahari

You can visit the Kalahari and view its wildlife in several countries – notably Botswana – but if you are looking for the purest distillation of the Kalahari experience, then South Africa’s Tswalu Reserve stands head and shoulders above everyone else.

Kids & the Okavango: Young Explorer Camp

Kids & the Okavango: Young Explorer Camp

Family safaris to Africa are becoming more and more popular because they are becoming easier and easier to do. Now you can explore the wildest places from the comfort of a camp that has been designed for families and one of the best places to experience this is Botswana’s Okavango.

Cape Town’s best Nature & Wildlife tours

Cape Town’s best Nature & Wildlife tours

Cape Town’s best nature and wildlife tours are easy to do on a self-drive holiday. But if you want to go birding at the best spot in town, or you’d like explore low-tide rock pools and learn about the plants that cover the mountains then you’re going to need a specialist guide.

Exploring the Skeleton Coast

Exploring the Skeleton Coast

Combining Shipwreck Lodge with a stay at Hoanib Valley Camp, allowed us to enjoy a one-of-a-kind self-drive activity through the interior of the Skeleton Coast with a transfer vehicle driving ahead of us…

Top 5 New Year’s Eve Destinations

Top 5 New Year’s Eve Destinations

New Year’s Eve safaris deliver a unique experience: the weather is warm and the sun bright during the southern summer. Africa’s wildlife reserves are lush and green and on the coast, beaches bustle with holiday activity and Africa’s most-loved city – Cape Town.

First-time Safari guide & the Words you’ll need

First-time Safari guide & the Words you’ll need

Planning your first safari can be daunting. There’s the question of what to wear, what to bring and what to expect. And it gets more confusing when people start using familiar words in unfamiliar ways: what can you look forward to on a bush breakfast, for example?

Spotlight on Etosha – what you need to know

Spotlight on Etosha – what you need to know

There are different regions to Etosha National Park – its famous pan is only a quarter of its area – and these regions each have a character. You’ll need to decide about your accommodation: private lodges, state-run safari camps or camping facilities. Oh, and there’s a rainy season too.

Our Best Safari Lodge Views

Our Best Safari Lodge Views

Every safari lodge in Africa has a view but there are views and there are views. The one from your kitchen window compared to the one from the edge of the Ngorongoro Crater, for example. And the view from a safari lodge can tell you a lot, not just about the landscape but the experience too.

Cape Town & Kruger with Kids: put to test

Cape Town & Kruger with Kids: put to test

I’ve often wondered about the Cape Town/Kruger Park combination with kids: does it really work as well as everyone says it does? Is it easy to do – really – with young children? Is there enough to do and see? How many hours do I have to spend driving?

South African Safari with Kids

South African Safari with Kids

Read all about the Kohrs family safari in the northern part of South Africa. They had such an
amazing time together and created lifelong memories. Follow the link to the blog where you’ll also see more photos and a video.

Mozambique’s Coral Lodge has it all

Mozambique’s Coral Lodge has it all

Well, if you are planning a safari in Africa and want to combine it with a beach holiday then you no longer need fly all the way to the Seychelles – it’s lying on the Mozambique mainland. Set on a tropical peninsula, Coral Lodge lies on pristine beaches surrounded by the balmy Indian Ocean.

Peak Season Safaris – What You Need to Know

Peak Season Safaris – What You Need to Know

Anyone planning an African safari can be forgiven for equating ‘peak season’ with ‘the most expensive season’. And while there’s no getting around the fact that you’ll be paying the year’s top price for a lodge or a safari in peak season, it’s worth considering why.

Best safaris along Africa’s Rivers

Best safaris along Africa’s Rivers

On a continent known for its aridity, Africa’s rivers carry a great deal of currency. And the animals know it too: name any great wildlife reserve in Africa and you’ll find a teeming river at its heart. What could be better for a safari?

Africa’s Top Birding Destinations

Africa’s Top Birding Destinations

With a quarter of the world’s 10 000 bird species either living on or migrating to the continent, it’s fair to say that Africa is a birding destination par excellence. From the world’s biggest bird – the ostrich – to some of its most familiar – flamingos, hornbills and parrots.

Why Go on safari in Shoulder Season?

Why Go on safari in Shoulder Season?

A safari shoulder season is essentially the time between peak and low season. And since the shoulder season edges both peak and low, it carries with it aspects of each. For example, you should see better wildlife during a shoulder season than a low season…

Cultural Activities on Safari

Cultural Activities on Safari

It’s the age-old question: how do you experience cultural activities on an African safari? How to do it in a way that delivers genuine, non-intrusive cultural experiences without resorting to stereotype? Or indeed exploitation?

Scuba & Safari – Best Places This Year

Scuba & Safari – Best Places This Year

No-one does sun, safari and scuba better than Africa – even in the continent’s cooler, drier months of June, July and August, which makes it a great destination for that vacation this year. These three months also see some of the best game viewing across Africa…

Houseboat safaris in Africa

Houseboat safaris in Africa

Do it differently & go on a houseboat safari: great wildlife, birding & fishing on Africa’s rivers or the Indian Ocean. If you’re the sort of safari traveller who likes a 24-hour safari experience, then a houseboat safari in Africa is going to be your kind of thing.

Kruger’s Private Game Reserves

Kruger’s Private Game Reserves

“To get lost is to learn the way.” Vaneshree and her husband had the privilege of an unforgettable week away in the Kruger National Park and this African proverb perfectly describes the start of their self-drive safari adventure.

Plan your 2023 Victoria Falls Lunar Rainbow

Plan your 2023 Victoria Falls Lunar Rainbow

Of all the natural wonders that lie in wait for visitors at Victoria Falls, surely a lunar rainbow is the least expected. By the light of the monthly full moon, the misty spray of the waterfall reveals an arc of light, as surely as sunshine produces a rainbow on rainy days.

High & Low: How Victoria Falls Works

High & Low: How Victoria Falls Works

Victoria Falls sits at the centre of many African safaris and expectations of visitors are high. This Natural World Wonder has distinct high and low levels of water depending on the time of year, which then influence the rest of your safari activities there…

Safari Guide Training

Safari Guide Training

Safari guide training is gaining popularity as an alternative to a traditional safari. Instead of sitting in the back of a 4X4 and listening to all the information, travellers are now immersing themselves in experience by learning, training and practicing how to become professional safari guides.

African Bicycle Safaris

African Bicycle Safaris

Much of your African safari is enjoyed from a vehicle so why not diversify your experience by swopping four wheels for two. Bicycle safaris are fast becoming a feature of activities offered across Africa and deliver a different perspective to the environment.

image showing a tree at sunset in the Masai Mara in Kenya

Kenya’s Masai Mara & Private Conservancies

Our team travelled to East Africa to explore and learn. To make sure our travel recommendations are as good as we say they are. During October Marleen explored Kenya; starting at the famous Masai Mara and more north to the Lewa and Ol Pejeta conservancies.

Luxury Train Travel in Africa

Luxury Train Travel in Africa

Train travel is truly about the journey. Step aboard and the experience begins: you’ll enjoy top service, fine dining and great South African wine plus all the fineries of luxury travel like air-conditioned suites and room service.

Want to know more about the Shoebill?

Want to know more about the Shoebill?

In serious bird watching circles, the Shoebill Stork (Balaeniceps rex) is known as a ‘Mega Tick’ or even a ‘Lifer’, conveying the magnitude of such a sighting on one’s life list of recorded species. Birds like these are hard to find: they are rare – the Shoebill is listed as Endangered.

Southern Tanzania and Zanzibar

Southern Tanzania and Zanzibar

“Everything in Africa bites, but the safari bug is worst of all” – Brian Jackman. And would only add: “The only antidote is to go back on safari again and again.” So this time Sabrina and her husband ventured to East Africa, specifically to Southern Tanzania and Zanzibar.

Africa Marathons and Safaris

Africa Marathons and Safaris

The timing of the best African marathons, held in iconic destinations from Cape Town to Mount Kilimanjaro, coincides nicely with some safari highlights across both East and Southern Africa, so it makes a lot of sense to combine your African marathon with a safari.

Green Season Safari: Southern vs East Africa

Green Season Safari: Southern vs East Africa

Africa’s Green Seasons are synonymous with some of the year’s most exciting wildlife events – great migrations of antelope and zebra, the mass birthing of animals, the appearance of migrant birds, and the enrichment of the landscape with colour and form.

Adding Whales & Flowers to your Safari

Adding Whales & Flowers to your Safari

As the savannah landscapes dry up across Southern Africa, the opposite is happening in the South Africa’s Western Cape: colourful sunbirds and sugarbirds take advantage of bright flowering winter-aloes and the ocean welcomes the southern right whales, migrating from the Antarctic to the Cape.

Secret Safari: Kalahari Zebra Migration

Secret Safari: Kalahari Zebra Migration

Who would think that Africa’s second biggest zebra migration happens in the Kalahari Desert? In fact, if you want to see zebra herds rivalled only by those of East Africa’s mighty migration – then you need to go to Botswana’s Kalahari Desert.

Our Hidden Gems of Zambia

Our Hidden Gems of Zambia

Where does the traveller look for a more off-the-beaten-path safari experience? Those who want something a bit different, perhaps unique, and definitely without any crowds… Let’s open Zambia’s natural treasure box and find those hidden gems.

Zanzibar Safari & Beach: what you need to know

Zanzibar Safari & Beach: what you need to know

Many African destinations sell themselves as a safari and beach combination but few do it with such scale and authenticity as Tanzania and Zanzibar. Let’s take a closer look at Zanzibar Island. It is actually the biggest island in the Zanzibar Archipelago…

Africa’s Best Canoe Safaris

Africa’s Best Canoe Safaris

So here’s the dilemma: you are planning an African safari and want a bit of adventure and a lot of wildlife. But you’d also like to reduce your impact on the environment you are visiting. And it wouldn’t hurt to have a comfortable bed and good food too…

Changing Conservation: Gonarezhou

Changing Conservation: Gonarezhou

Gonarezhou is the second biggest national park in Zimbabwe but chances are you’ve never heard of it. It’s a wildlife reserve with all the animals you’d expect – elephants, lions, hippo, buffalo – but it’s also the place where a revolution in conservation was born.

The Cape Winelands by Bike

The Cape Winelands by Bike

As sure as wine and cheese go together, the Cape Winelands is a destination that combines naturally with two wheels. After all, if you are there to taste wine then you certainly don’t want to be driving a car and it probably wouldn’t be a bad idea to put in a little exercise too.

Nature Unleashed: Madagascar Masoala Forest

Nature Unleashed: Madagascar Masoala Forest

Lying on Madagascar’s north-eastern coast, Masoala is a World Heritage Site and protects the greatest area of lowland rainforest in the country as well as mangrove swamps and coral reefs. At the heart of it is Masoala Forest Lodge…

Five Star Guiding at Mana Pools

Five Star Guiding at Mana Pools

It may be stating the obvious but your Safari experience depends to a large degree on the quality of your guides. Of course there are great guides all across Africa but if you are looking for the most experienced and the most highly trained, then look no further than the guides of Zimbabwe.

Saddle up: Okavango Delta Horseback Safari

Saddle up: Okavango Delta Horseback Safari

Horseback safaris offer you the chance to ride alongside antelope, zebra and giraffe instead of disturbing them. It’s a great way to see birds and small animals going about their business as well as the African heavyweights – elephant, buffalo and rhino – in a natural, relaxed setting.

Best Photography Hides in Southern Africa

Best Photography Hides in Southern Africa

Photography hides are changing the face of an African safari. Available at a few select lodges, they provide the wildlife photographer – beginner or professional – with the perfect foil to traditional game drives and walks. Photographic hides are all about letting the wildlife come to you…

Back to basics: Safari Sleep-outs & Fly Camping

Back to basics: Safari Sleep-outs & Fly Camping

Sleep under a canopy of stars and wake up to simplicity: a basin of hot water and fresh coffee. The rising African sun floods the landscape with golden light, and your guide and vehicle are ready for the new day’s adventure.

Africa’s fives: the Big, Small & Ugly

Africa’s fives: the Big, Small & Ugly

Africa’s Big Five are easy to find if you go to the right places. Not so the Small Five – creatures that require a slower pace and a keener eye to spot. You will, however, have an easier time ticking off the members of Africa’s Ugly Five, animals that perhaps only their mother could love…

Congo Safari: Understanding the Congo

Congo Safari: Understanding the Congo

The Congo. No other destination in Africa has a greater name-resonance. A land of rainforest, rivers & swamps, thunderstorms & heat. And a place of astonishing wildlife: monkeys, forest elephants & buffalo as well as gorillas & pangolins and the extraordinary bongo antelope.

Photographic Safaris & Camera Rental

Photographic Safaris & Camera Rental

They say everyone is a photographer these days, thanks to hi-tech digital cameras and online editing tools. But good cameras and the lenses suitable for wildlife photography can be ferociously expensive. Make it easy on yourself with one of Africa’s photographic safaris.

Easy Guide to Africa’s Safari Seasons

Easy Guide to Africa’s Safari Seasons

How do you decide in which season to go on safari? There are seasonal events such as wildlife migrations and then there are different climatic periods, typically a dry season and a wet season, but some destinations even have two wet seasons! Our knowledgeable team comes to the rescue!

Rise & Fall: How the Okavango Delta “works”

Rise & Fall: How the Okavango Delta “works”

If you’re planning a safari to Botswana’s Okavango Delta, then it’s a good idea to understand how it works. This way you can safely set your expectations concerning the wildlife you may see or the activities you will be able to do…

Room with a View: Africa’s Top 10 Star beds

Room with a View: Africa’s Top 10 Star beds

We go on safari to see wildlife during the day but Africa’s main show is at night. Elevate your safari experience with a night in a Star bed; they are available only at certain lodges across Africa but we’ve made it easy for you with our choice of Africa’s Top 10 star beds right here.

Accessible Safaris

Accessible Safaris

Many safari travellers visit both East and Southern Africa but not many have done it confined to a wheelchair. But Tineke Dirks from the Netherlands has, and is happy to prove that it is completely possible.

Wild Night: a Salt Pan Sleep-out

Wild Night: a Salt Pan Sleep-out

Sure there are safari lodges in the Kalahari but what about really sleeping out? As in under the stars. And what stars there are. The area is called the Makgadikgadi Pans (try Ma-ghadi-ghadi as the pronunciation). There are two salt pans, and they are surrounded by classic Kalahari savannah…

Top 5 Luxurious Beach Holidays in Mozambique

Top 5 Luxurious Beach Holidays in Mozambique

Safari Online’s Top 5 luxurious beach holidays in Mozambique: we’ve seen them for ourselves and rate them as much for their comfort and cuisine as the range of activities that they offer. Pop on a sun hat and have a look for yourself.

From Desert to Delta: Tsodilo Hills & Okavango

From Desert to Delta: Tsodilo Hills & Okavango

Botswana’s Tsodilo Hills are more than just a geological oddity. Declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2001, this is a place of deep spiritual and cultural significance for the indigenous San (Bushman) people and they have left behind a great treasure. Not gold or silver, but art…

Botswana multi-generational Family Safari

Botswana multi-generational Family Safari

A Botswana multi-generational family safari is one long remembered. Big cats at dawn; elephants at the waterhole; sunset drinks on the river – your family will be talking about this holiday for years to come.

Exclusive Use Safari Camps in Southern Africa

Exclusive Use Safari Camps in Southern Africa

One of the fastest growing travel trends in Southern Africa is for exclusive use safari camps, for an unbeatable safari experience for families with children & groups of friends. Fully serviced and very comfortable, these camps are found across Botswana, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Best South Africa Malaria-free Safari Reserves

Best South Africa Malaria-free Safari Reserves

Whether it’s the Kruger or Kenya, an African safari usually carries a risk of malaria. And while the risk of contracting malaria on safari is generally very low, a South Africa malaria-free safari is your chance to visit genuine Big 5 reserves with no risk of malaria at all.

Counting the Giants: an Aerial Whale Survey

Counting the Giants: an Aerial Whale Survey

Southern Right whales visiting the coastline of South Africa’s Western Cape have been recorded in a recent aerial survey & the results not only give us an idea about how many there are but also where they are most easily seen. And it’s all pointing to one place.

Karina’s Fly-in Botswana Safari

Karina’s Fly-in Botswana Safari

From 21st to 29th August 2021, our travel-specialist Karina traveled to Botswana and its top safari regions: Central Kalahari, Magkadigkadi, Okavango Delta, Moremi and Chobe’s Savuti and River. We do regular site inspections to ensure our travel recommendations are as good as we say they are.

Shinde: Diamond in the Delta

Shinde: Diamond in the Delta

Deciding which safari camp to visit in Botswana’s Okavango Delta is not always easy: do you go to a water camp or a land camp? At Shinde you get both: year-round water activities plus day & night game drives in wildlife-rich private reserve.

Rhino Conservation Safari & Conservation Week

Rhino Conservation Safari & Conservation Week

A unique rhino experience gives you the chance to play your part in their continued survival. Malaria-free Marataba is offering a unique Rhino Conservation Week, split into two experiences of three nights each. See when…

Under a Sky of Stars: Kubu Island

Under a Sky of Stars: Kubu Island

Kubu Island is simply one of those amazing places for landscape and astrophotography. I have quite an obsession with astrophotography and “shooting” the stars at Kubu has long been on my bucket list. Due to the remote location of Kubu, there is hardly any light pollution.

Exclusive Use Safari Camps in East Africa

Exclusive Use Safari Camps in East Africa

Planning a safari to East Africa as a group of friends or intergenerational family? What about a safari that runs to your own schedule? You’ll get private guides and vehicles plus an entire safari camp to yourselves, complete with chef, housekeeping staff and child minders if you need them.

Top 10 Garden Route family activities

Top 10 Garden Route family activities

You’d expect such a well-loved family holiday destination to have plenty of things to see and do, and you’d be right. Set in a malaria-free landscape of sandy beaches and rolling mountain ranges, Garden Route family activities range from whale watching and interactions with friendly elephants.

Top 10 Cape Town activities for families

Top 10 Cape Town activities for families

South Africa’s leading holiday destination, Cape Town’s unique location means a truly amazing range of activities for families. It’s a city where you can walk on mountains, play on beaches and enjoy wildlife, adventure and cultural tours.

Bucket List Africa – 15 Incredible Experiences

Bucket List Africa – 15 Incredible Experiences

Table Mountain, Victoria Falls, gorilla trekking and the Serengeti Migration – if Africa doesn’t hold the record for most bucket-list destinations in one continent then it surely lays claim to the most spectacular and unique ones. Check your Africa bucket list with ours and see if you agree!

South Africa Safari & Malaria

South Africa Safari & Malaria

First the good news: malaria in South Africa is restricted to a very small area of the country and is seasonally driven. In fact, you can enjoy a South Africa safari and avoid malaria entirely: there are many malaria-free reserves across the country which offer excellent Big 5 game viewing.

Madikwe Family Safari

Madikwe Family Safari

The Kohrs family share their thoughts on their safari experience at the Madikwe Game Reserve in South Africa. Travelling with their two children aged 2 and 4, they had a fantastic time: find out about the lodges they visited, what made their stay excellent and what to consider when travelling on safari with kids.

Children’s Activities in Victoria Falls

Children’s Activities in Victoria Falls

Whether you’re bringing toddlers or teenagers, the range of children’s activities in Victoria Falls makes it the perfect destination for a family safari. These activities are professionally run, age-appropriate and create life-long memories.

Okavango Delta with Children

Okavango Delta with Children

A safari to Botswana’s Okavango Delta with children promises to be a memorable family holiday. An unspoilt landscape of lazy lagoons and grazing grasslands, the Okavango Delta is home to abundant wildlife ranging from elephants and big cats to monkeys and mongooses.

Botswana malaria risk for children

Botswana malaria risk for children

Planning a Botswana family safari & need to know about malaria? Read about reducing the malaria risk for children here. Botswana is a country mostly free of nasty diseases and natural disasters but there is a malaria risk for children and adults.

Travelling to Botswana with children (Ages 6+)

Travelling to Botswana with children (Ages 6+)

Families travelling to Botswana with children aged six plus will find it easier than those with very young children: there are more destinations to choose from, more accommodation options and more time in the year in which to travel.

Travelling to Botswana with toddlers & babies

Travelling to Botswana with toddlers & babies

Travelling to Botswana with toddlers and babies on safari may seem a daunting prospect but with a bit of planning it is much easier than you think. For a safe and rewarding Botswana safari with activities for the whole family, it’s simply a question of when you go and where you go.

Is Botswana Safe for Children?

Is Botswana Safe for Children?

Botswana is a country full of big wild animals and remote destinations; the first question I was asked as a guide by concerned parents was – naturally – is Botswana safe for children? Yet it is a country that has been safely delivering family safaris for decades.

Why book an African Safari (Especially Now)?

Why book an African Safari (Especially Now)?

What was the thing you craved most while under the recent Covid-induced lockdown? Open, sunny skies is my guess, and although it seems impossible when contemplating the four walls of your current position, there’s nothing much sunnier or more open than the African sky.

Kids Activities in Botswana

Kids Activities in Botswana

One of the major attractions of a Botswana family safari is the range of activities on offer, especially in private concessions. You’ll enjoy day and night game drives as well as fishing trips, guided walks, motor-boating and adventures by mokoro…

Safari Vehicles in East Africa

Safari Vehicles in East Africa

Since you’ll be spending much of your time sitting in one, it pays to know what kind of vehicle you can expect on your East Africa safari. Rugged and with four-wheel drive obviously, but what about ease of viewing and comfort?

Tanzania and Kenya honeymoon safari

Tanzania and Kenya honeymoon safari

Thrills beyond those you could imagine, luxurious accommodation out in the wild, and experiences that cannot rivalled… those are the ingredients for the perfect honeymoon. And you will undoubtedly find all of that with a Tanzania and Kenya honeymoon safari.

Where to Honeymoon in Africa?

Where to Honeymoon in Africa?

In this blog, we’ll be highlighting some of the most exciting and gorgeous destinations for honeymooners. And the best part is that you’ll find that there are many honeymoon specials reserved for newlyweds. So, if you’re wanting to know where to honeymoon in Africa, read on.

Chobe Ballooning from May 2020

Chobe Ballooning from May 2020

Experience Chobe Ballooning, in one of Africa’s great wilderness destinations, epitomises the very best of game viewing, flying over a vast concession known as the Seloko Plains in the Chobe Region of Botswana. It’s the ideal opportunity for us to share with our guests the wonders of the Chobe Region from a completely different perspective.

Okavango Delta Activities

Okavango Delta Activities

Okavango Delta activities are a range of motorised and non-motorised excursions, all of which are led by professional guides. A lodge’s location will dictate what activities it offers. Camps based on permanent water focus on water activities while those in drier areas specialise in game drives.

Kenya Safari Tour

Kenya Safari Tour

I traveled to Kenya from the 20th June to the 30th June 2019 and explored the three top safari regions in Kenya. The regions that where included on my Kenya Safari tour were the Amboseli NP, Laikipia region and the Masai Mara Reserve.

Cape Town Hiking

Cape Town Hiking

Hiking trails criss-cross the peninsula and include the most iconic destinations: Table Mountain of course, but also Lion’s Head, Cape Point and – beyond Cape Town – the Cape Winelands and Whale Route. Different kinds of hikes too: half-day and full-day hiking; easy, moderate or challenging hikes; and walks focussed on wildlife or bird watching.

Okavango Delta Ballooning

Okavango Delta Ballooning

Experience Okavango Delta Ballooning, in one of Africa’s great wilderness destinations, epitomises the very best of game viewing, flying over a landscape flooded with water and winding channels, dotted with islands, and combined with large expanses of woodland forests. This age old ballooning adventure explores the Okavango Delta in a completely unique way offering a […]

African Travel Calendar

African Travel Calendar

If you’re planning to travel to Africa, then it pays to know what happens where and when. A continent of dazzling diversity, Africa is a destination where each month delivers something special; the trick is to match your month of travel with the best experience at that time. Use our African Travel Calendar – a month by month guide.

Livingstone Island Tour

Livingstone Island Tour

The Livingstone Island tour is offered 5 times on a daily basis. A twin-engine boat will take you on a thrilling journey through the fast-moving channels of the Zambezi River. On the island you will be given a guided tour, learning about its history from ancient times when it served as a sacrificial site to the present day and its World Heritage status.

Botswana Houseboat Safari

Botswana Houseboat Safari

Providing a unique river-based experience, a Botswana houseboat safari is ideal for discerning safari travellers and those in search of a more intimate and unusual approach to a safari. Usually a chef, guide and housekeeper ensure guests want for nothing, and the focus in on a personalised stay. Guests aboard a Botswana Houseboat can look forward to plenty of rest and relaxation.

Mahale Chimp Trekking

Mahale Chimp Trekking

Mahale Chimp Trekking in Tanzania is a lifetime experience. The Mahale Mountains which are home to the world’s largest known population of chimpanzees, with approximately 1000 individuals inhabiting the national park. Once you’ve found the Mahale Chimps you’ll have 1 hour to hang out with them and watch as they play, groom and forage on the floor around you.

Rubondo Island Chimpanzees

Rubondo Island Chimpanzees

The group of 16 Rubondo Island chimpanzees who were originally rescued and introduced onto the island were raised in European zoos. Many of the safari guests wonder how the chimps arrived on the island in the first place.

Ngorongoro Crater Rim or Karatu

Ngorongoro Crater Rim or Karatu

Magnificently panoramic and packed with wildlife, the Ngorongoro Crater is one of Tanzania’s most iconic safari destinations and perhaps the easiest place in Africa to see the Big Five – lion, leopard, rhino, elephant and buffalo. But you need to make a decision about where to stay. Ngorongoro accommodation is neatly divided into two groups: […]

Serengeti Calving Season

Serengeti Calving Season

If you’ve ever wondered why nearly two million wildebeest put themselves through the ordeal of the migration every year, then the Serengeti calving season will show you why. The southern plains of the Serengeti turn green after the November rains and fresh grazing is just what the wildebeest need for their energy-demanding calving season: several hundred […]

Great Migration River Crossings

Great Migration River Crossings

It is early July in the northern Serengeti and the first few wildebeest are arriving at the banks of the Mara and Grumeti Rivers. More wildebeest quickly pile up behind them, shuffling nervously and peering closely at the murky brown water. None of them enters the river yet. Having eaten their way across the Serengeti […]

Lower Zambezi Fly Camping

Lower Zambezi Fly Camping

These are the only camps in the Lower Zambezi Valley to offer a location quite like that of these Islands. Set up on two private islands in the Lower Zambezi the Fly Camping Safari experience is a back to nature wilderness adventure. Game viewing is totally flexible but is primarily on foot or on the canoes; Game Drives, Boat Cruises, […]

Hands-on Expertise

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Reviews

Best trip I have ever been on. Highly recommend.

Would highly recommend. Safari online asked questions when booking and were efficient and knew exactly what we were looking for in terms of accommodation and animals were wanted to see. Gave advice on a few little extras with no pressure, which we did and am very grateful which make trip even more exciting. Would definitely recommend booking with them.

It was a safari of a lifetime and exceeded all of our expectations!

Our mom grew up in Central and South Africa so we had visited the continent many times. My sister and I wanted to take our teens and husbands to Africa to experience the magic. We had a limited budget but big and specific expectations and by some miracle Walter was able to manage both.

Heather (USA)
Karina was absolutely instrumental to our safari success.

Our experience with Safari Online was excellent. After becoming very frustrated trying to search for a safari destination on our own, we turned to Karina for help and she was a lifesaver.  We had an amazing safari adventure at the lodge–the experience of a lifetime–and are so grateful for her help. We literally couldn’t have done it without her!

Chris (USA)
Safari Online were extremely efficient and absolutely charming to work with.

Our 28-day itinerary took us to South Africa, Namibia, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Botswana. A magnificent and unforgettable adventure. Everything ran smoothly and efficiently from the flights, transfers, rides, connections, etc. Absolutely wonderful! Can’t thank them enough!

Ann and Mario (Canada)
An incredibly well organised tour with no hassles whatsoever.

Safari Online understood our needs and was able to present us with sensible options to choose from. It was evident that this tour operator has knowledgable and experienced agents who can arrange a seemless tour. We were provided with a professional online itinary which was comprehensive and easy to use, knew exactely what to expect, and encountered no stumble blocks along the way.

Gwen (AU)
Professional, patient, efficient and responsive. Met all our travel needs and requirements spot on

Communication was excellent – I asked A LOT of questions and did a ton of research myself and Walter was extremely patient with me and very responsive. he was straight forward and extremely professional. Tour itself was excellent – an incredible experience and one never to be forgotten. Everything was spot on.

Neena
Professional, quick and top of the edge service!!!

From the very first contact we’re very happy about the respond time and quality of information from safari-online.com. Based on the received first tailor-made quote, which is a weblink with all the details about the flights, photos of the lodges etc. we knew that this is “our” partner for this trip. Our expectations were excelled!!!

Lukas (Germany)
Walter has always been an excellent communicator and has supported us fully

We have been to Africa for 24 of the last 27 years so know a bit about what is involved. Walter has arranged the details for the last couple of years, and has done a superb job. He is always quick to respond and comes up with answers immediately……..no evasive tactics, always head-on!

Roger (UK)
Very helpful good suggestions for holiday ideas always available for questions good organising

Excellent service and they supplied good suggestions for our holiday they also organised all internal flights and arranged check in for us so we had no worries while on holiday. We have had a most memorable holiday staying at wonderful places thanks to Sabrina and Safari Online. Would recommend Safari Online to organise your holiday.

Lorraine (UK)
Safari Online made our fantastic family holiday dream come true!!

Safari Online have been nothing but professional and incredible from the time we made our first enquiry to the last day of our stunning holiday. Nothing was too much trouble for Walter. We are now starting to plan our next family Safari for 2019. Guess who we will be booking with??? Safari Online we hope you are ready!!!!!

Penni (AU)