The ‘Big Five’ and the other lesser known – but just as important! – ‘Little Five’ are words synonymous with a safari to Africa. The Big Five are Buffalo, Lion, Elephant, Leopard and Rhino and can be found together in many national parks, game reserves and privately owned conservancies in Southern and Eastern Africa. In South Africa the best known park is, of course, the Kruger National Park. Nearly two million hectares in extent, the Kruger was gazetted in 1898 to protect the South African lowveld wildlife. A plethora of environmental techniques and policies makes the region an ongoing conservation success. There are also privately owned reserves contiguous with the Kruger which feature beautiful and often luxurious safari lodges and camps. Such areas include the well known Sabi Sands where seeing a huge variety of animals is almost guaranteed on an African Big Five Safari.

Elephants on the Chobe - African Big Five Safari With AfricanExplorations.com

Many of these properties accommodate children and offer specialist children’s programs, so an African Big Five Safari is not just for adults! Children’s guides keep children happy and enthralled, including trying to find the ‘Little Five’: buffalo weaver, elephant shrew, leopard tortoise, ant lion and rhino beetle as well as tracking and identifying animals, birds, and insects. Children are kept occupied for hours with short bush walks and spotting “creepy crawlies”, whilst other staff might teach them how to bake animal-themed cookies in the camp’s bush oven (for everyone’s afternoon tea!) whilst adults are busy on a game drive.

For those who like ‘lists’, how about the ‘Birding Six’? These include Ground Hornbill, Kori Bustard, Lappet-faced Vulture, Martial Eagle, Pel’s fishing Owl and Saddle-bill Stork. And then there are the “Little Six Antelope”: Grey Duiker, Sharpe’s Grysbok, Steenbok, Klipspringer, Livingstone Suni and Oribi.

The Rare Pels Fishing Owl - African Big Five Safari With AfricanExplorations.com

An African Big Five Safari is, surely, only possible on land? Not so! For those with a love of the sea and who visit South Africa’s gorgeous coastline there is also the ‘Marine Big Five’ which includes the Southern Right Whale, Cape Fur Seal, common Dolphin, Great White Shark and African Penguin. The best time for whale watching in South Africa is between July and November; several places on the Garden Route feature marine activities although the Walker Bay/Hermanus region is especially well known for easy access to marine wildlife with excellent guiding.

Cape Fur Seal - African Big Five Safari With AfricanExplorations.com

What is a Luxury African Safari? It is many different things to many people! Perhaps this clip defines it in more detail!

An Africa Safari Vacation is one of the most amazing and rewarding types of holiday that one can ever imagine! With magnificent wildlife in abundance, incredible walking, scenery and top class guiding – as well as having such a variety of first class accommodation – all this contributes to having the perfect safari!See the video below to get an idea of which country might be right for you! We come from Africa and have been arranging bespoke safaris for our clients for 21 years – so, if only the very best will do – we would love to assist you in arranging your safari of a lifetime!

San Camp must rank as one of my favourite ten camps in Africa. It is simply astonishing! First of all – take the location. It simply couldn’t be surpassed!

San Camp sits in the Makgadikgadi Salt Pans, which represent the last visible remains of a ‘super lake’ once known as Lake Makgadikgadi. This lake covered an area of 80 000 square kilometres and covered most of northern Botswana.

San Camp with AfricanExplorations.com

There are just a handful of  tents with white canvas on dark wooden platforms that command possibly the most incredible view of any camp in Botswana – hundreds of miles of white salt pan. The rooms are truly glorious and luxurious with a bedroom and sitting area, ensuite bathroom and a shower with a view over the pans. The tents are rectangular with octagonal ends and are elegantly furnished with a colonial feel.

San Camp with AfricanExplorations.com

Visit to a family of meerkats who have been habituated so that one can get very close to them; or a walk with bushmen who will show one how to light a fire with their traditional sticks, find water and track game and birds; quad bike excursions are also offered and there are wildlife researchers operating in the pans who are studying brown hyena which you can also see.

San Camp with AfricanExplorations.com

Abu  Camp is a wonderful phenomenon – especially for those who either feel a real empathy with elephants or for those who are interested in elephant safaris.

This is the most magical experience that we have ever witnessed. One spends three nights at the beautiful Abu’s Camp and each morning, your mahout and guide tells you all about your elephant family. Learn all about their behaviour, their bonding and then ride them into the heart of the Okavango Delta – watching the elephant calves running alongside their mothers and family – splashing around in the water and playing and generally having a glorious time. This is a real privilege and the most warming experience one could possibly have!Learn about conservation issues and participate or observe mud bathing, training and veterinary care. Watch wildlife from the back of an elephant – completely peaceful and quiet – simply observing in an unobtrusive manner.

Abu Camp with AfricanExplorations.com

The rooms are beautiful and open fronted, set beneath a grove of mature trees and overlooking the waterway of the Delta yet they blend in beautifully with the environment.There is even a star bed which we can request for you so that one night you sleep beneath the vast canopy of stars – ever closer to the elephants.

Abu Camp with AfricanExplorations.com

The camp itself is gorgeous and spoiling – but in addition, one can also go out on game drives to search for other mammals and predators and also glide along the floodplains in a mokoro – a canoe – as you are poled along the floodplains. This is one of the most beautiful experiences and iconic of the Okavango Delta. Call us to arrange your elephant safari of a lifetime!

Luxury Okavango Delta Safari – these are some of the most magical safaris possible!

Luxury Okavango Delta Safari with AfricanExplorations.com

Flying across the delta, looking at the bejewelled waterway beneath you – landing on an island and immediately seeing a myriad of wildlife around you and you could be forgiven for thinking you had just landed in paradise – because that is exactly what it is!

There are so many very beautiful camps offering all sorts of different experiences in the Delta – from lodges with gorgeous architecture to a private tented, simple tented camp to a private camp which has persian rugs in your room and silver candelabra on the dinner table for night dining – with your own private vehicle and guide – this is all that awaits you!

Luxury Okavango Delta Safari with AfricanExplorations.com

Then you can go out on an elephant-back safari for three or four days where you watch and become part of the herd or even go out with a zoologist one day for a couple of hours, walking with his herd of elephant. There is even amazing riding in the Okavango Delta too.

Combine this with the Kalahari Desert and you have the safari of a lifetime!