As international borders begin to reopen, travelers are eager to start dreaming of faraway places offering secluded, wide open wilderness areas.  This is the perfect time to start planning your safari for summer/fall 2021 or 2022.  Our clients have learned that advance planning ensures they can travel when and where they want.   We anticipate there to be strong demand from travelers seeking safe, exclusive, private and more isolated destinations.   While we have always considered a safari to be one of life’s best experiences, this is amplified in a post-pandemic world for a number of reasons.  You can rest assured knowing that safari camps and lodges are welcoming clients with new rules in place for the safety and well-being of clients including protocols on personal hygiene, interaction with others, luggage handling, screening and monitoring of staff and cleaning and sanitation best practices.

Wide Open Spaces

Both the remoteness and intimate size of safari camps and lodges make them well suited to travelers who want to avoid crowded areas but be able to interact in a safe space.  Most “rooms” (tents or chalets) are well spaced for privacy, perfect for maintaining social distance.  Central, shared areas are generally open-air, allowing fresh breezes to circulate and feature multiple lounge areas allowing guests to sit at a safe distance from new friends.  Rooms will continue to be cleaned and refreshed several times daily with the same housekeeping staff allocated to each guest’s room.

Private Dining

Varied and unique dining experiences are a highlight of any safari with camp management striving to create memorable moments for guests.  This often results in guests enjoying a different dining venue at almost every meal. These might include bush dining venues, private room dining, terraces, gardens, settings around a swimming pool and other secluded places at the camps and lodges.  As an added precaution, camps and lodges are now serving all meals a la carte, having been prepared (as always) with strict health measures in place.  Camps can cater to dietary restrictions and allergies as well.

Game Drives and Transfers

The rule of thumb has generally been a maximum of 6 people per vehicle on shared game drives, allowing everyone a “window” seat on open vehicles.  Vehicles have routinely been well stocked with hand sanitizer, in anticipation of comfort breaks and refreshment stops!  Camps also offer the opportunity to prebook a private vehicle for the duration of your stay.   As always, clients are welcomed to camp by management and their guide, who remains with them for the duration of their stay.

Exclusive Use Accommodations

Families and friends looking for a sense of privacy and distance from other travelers will be easily catered for on safari.  We can recommend a number of gorgeous exclusive use properties, which include dedicated staff, a private chef and a private guide and vehicle for game drives.  This is a perfect set-up for multi-generational travel or small groups of friends.  With quarantine restrictions keeping us all separate from extended family and friends, a safari is an ideal opportunity to share time together to reconnect and create life long memories.

Community and Conservation

Conservation, local communities and wildlife are in need of your support, now more than ever. We have strong relationships with camps and lodges who incorporate sound, sustainable and eco-friendly practices in all aspects of wildlife management as well as camp operations.  Additionally, safari camps and lodges have strong ties to local communities, who depend on tourism for their livelihoods, which in turn supports wildlife conservation as locals turn from poaching to guiding.  It’s a fascinating and educational experience to learn about this circle of life in the safari world and this can all be arranged as part of your visit.

So if you are ready to plan to travel again, for all these reasons we encourage you to consider a safari; now is the time to start making that dream reality!