Despite the wide range of safari options available for African off-the-shelf organized trip does not always fulfill all the safari goers’ expectations.
A tailor-made safari, instead, gives one the perfect opportunity to personalize the entire experience from the ground up, thereby creating an itinerary best suited for the interests, time frame, and most importantly, the budget of the visitor.
Remember, custom safaris are independent trips, where you select your own travel dates, your choice of accommodation and travel free, rather than in the company of a large group.
Benefits of a customized safari
Before you decide on the destination for your exquisite Tailormade safaris, let us see how wildlife lovers can benefit from such planned trips:
Option to choose desired mode of transportation: This will give the flexibility to pick departure dates, airport transfers and mode of transfer. Those with limited time may consider a fly-in safari, while some may prefer traveling overland. Opting for a tailored safari gives the person complete control over time and itinerary, the two most important aspects of any trip.
Services of an expert: Dealing with a travel consultant having in-depth knowledge of the safari destination will greatly enhance the whole safari experience. A travel expert can ask about destination preferences and then suggest a trip within the stipulated time frame and budget.
Services of a professional guide: Tailor-made safari packages include the services of a knowledgeable and professional guide for the entire duration of the trip along with the resident guides at the lodges you stay at. While some may prefer a guide good in flora, others may prefer birding guides. A good guide is, therefore, the backbone of a successful safari vacation.
Choosing one’s own safari activity: A regular safari offers ample activities, but not all. Creating a tailor-made safari will allow you to add activities, such as a hot air balloon ride, which are not included in regular safari packages
Flexibility in choosing safari accommodation: Your choice and location of stay is a factor not usually covered in a normal safari package. If by chance you don’t like your accommodation, you will have to shell out extra cash, and that too at the last moment, to stay somewhere else. Accommodation is a critical element of a safari, and only a tailored package can give you the luxury of choosing where you wish to stay.
Top tailor-made African safari destinations
Africa is right up there with the best when it comes to incredible scenery and amazing wildlife. These selected safari destinations will stir up emotions like no place on earth, leaving the nature lover yearning to come back.
South Africa
There are few places on the planet that offer diverse wildlife, set among a diverse landscape. A tailor-made safari to South Africa, often referred to as a world within one country, is the key to the success of the trip.
The country is home to some excellent National Parks, which are well supported by the government, including the world-famous Kruger National Park. Kruger is spread over 20,000 sq km and can be overwhelmingly crowded at times, the reason a custom safari will hand-pick the most exclusive game parks to experience best what South Africa has to offer.
Madagascar
Walk among giant baobab trees and get up close to wild animals found nowhere else on Earth if you want to have a safari experience that will leave you spellbound.
Madagascar is an abyss as far as wildlife is concerned and its world-famous lemurs lay testimony to the fact. Moreover, the country is so unique, diverse, and mysterious, like no other place on earth with tons of exciting spots to visit.
Kenya
Kenya is right up on the top as far as customized safaris are considered. After all, where else in Africa can you get jaw-dropping scenery, parks teeming with wildlife in the vast savannahs, and the most unique game-viewing spectacle each year on the planet.
The country has over fifty national parks and game reserves, with some of them being among the best in the world. The Masai Mara, for example, is home to many iconic species, not to forget the Big 5. For elephants, you can head to Amboseli and to Lewa for the rhino.
Botswana
Being one of the most diverse regions in the whole of Africa, Botswana enjoys the status of having one of the richest ecosystems in the entire world. The Okavango Delta is the largest wetland on the globe and a tailored safari holiday here promises a wildlife experience like no other.
Apart from the swampy wonderland, there are the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans to explore or the vast expanse of the Kalahari Desert. Botswana compliments its safari trips with exceptional lodges to create an awesome tailor-made experience, hands down.
Tanzania
From the iconic Ngorongoro Crater to the vast Serengeti and miles and miles of Selous, Tanzania prides itself in being a top tailor-made safari destination without equal. Add to this the dramatic slopes of Mount Kilimanjaro and you probably have the best of what Africa has to offer in terms of an epic wildlife vacation.
Tanzania is the largest country in East Africa and has set aside as much as a quarter of its land mass for wildlife conservation, the result it harbors 20% of the large mammal population of Africa. The key to the success of this fantastic treasure is the extremely friendly people of the country.
Rwanda
Affectionately known as the “Land of a thousand hills’, a safari to Rwanda can provide a spectrum of habitats, not to be found anywhere else in Africa. From chimpanzees, and gorillas to extraordinary landscapes, a tailor-made Rwanda safari holiday is indeed out of the ordinary.
Visitors can explore the plains and woodlands of the Akagera National Park or head to the impressive Nyungwe Forest National Park, home to the largest remaining tropical mountain forest tracts of East and Central Africa. Rwanda, today is said to be a fine adventure and ecotourism destination in Africa.
Uganda
The landlocked country of Uganda is a relatively lesser visited safari destination, but this undiscovered jewel is fast developing into a tailor-made East African holiday venue for the discerning traveler.
Uganda is a lush country and apart from the world-renowned gorilla trekking tours, the country has laid great emphasis on the conservation of other species and has added as many as seven more national parks and an equal number of wildlife reserves to the country’s list.
Namibia
Few destinations in Africa can capture the imagination of the safari enthusiast than Namibia. Covered mostly by the vast sands of the Namib and Kalahari deserts, animal viewing in this wilderness is said to be the finest.
Because of the low population, you will hardly come across a soul once you leave the capital, Windhoek. Most visitors head north to the Etosha National Park and further to the desert plains of Damaraland. The iconic Namib Rand Nature Reserve marks the end of the circuit for customized holidays to Namibia.
