Africa, by its sheer size and the convoluted nature of the countries that make up this fascinating continent, can be slightly daunting when one is thinking of planning a safari or a vacation. Of course one wants to see as much as possible on what may be the “trip of a lifetime” but balancing activities and locations with the logistics of travelling around and making sure that the lodges, camps or hotels in which one might stay are “just right” can be a real task and a huge responsibility without essential first-hand knowledge of the destination.

I Left A Footprint In Africa - Africa Custom Vacation at Chada Katavi With AfricanExplorations.com

That’s where a long-established specialist like African Explorations comes to the fore. With over 20 years of trading as a specialist tour operator based in the UK, dealing with clients worldwide, we are experts in Africa custom vacations. Put simply: we know what we are doing. Our small team of dedicated, highly knowledgeable, professionals have all lived, worked in or otherwise have vast in-depth knowledge of the countries in which they create safaris and holidays for their clients. It is this knowledge, constantly updated, that is the anvil on which we forge your loose ideas into a gorgeous-but-workable end product that offers the correct balance of value and experience to ensure a superb vacation, whether it be a couple, a family, a single traveller or a specialist group. And there’s no downside for our clients because it costs no more to use us than it would if one was able to create the same trip oneself!

Camp Overlooking The Zambezi - Africa Custom Vacation With AfricanExplorations.com

An Africa custom vacation can engage with almost any client interest, be it wildlife, culture, a specialist activity or maybe some other reason for travelling to these fabulous destinations. We are proud to create vacations that are completely tailored to our client’s requirements, down to the last small detail to the extent that it is almost unknown for us to send two different clients on exactly the same vacation. This may seem surprising but every individual on this planet is different; ergo each safari – if truly personalised – will be unique and cater for differing desires and personalities!

Samburu - Kenya - Africa Custom Vacation With AfricanExplorations.com

Africa custom vacations are, simply, our life. Our only requirement is that the vacation we create is exactly right for you, our client!

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

A Kenya Camping safari is one of the most rewarding ways of being on safari! Here one has the flexibility to spend the day exactly as one chooses, with ones guide.

One of the best areas is the Masai Mara – which offers world class game viewing – if not the best – especially at the time of the wildebeest migration from July through to October. Here one can have a luxury, private tented camp erected just for your party – whether two of you or a family or group of friends! Other parks which are superb are Meru and Samburu. I love a private mobile safari because it means that you have complete flexibility – spending as long as you wish at sightings and having your professional guide and vehicle all to yourself, so if you want to spend time learning about the behaviour of a bat eared fox or looking at a rare bird or even brushing up on your photographic skills, it allows you the freedom and comfort to do this and not worry about others in the vehicle!

Kenya Camping Safari with AfricanExplorations.com

The tents are large and luxurious, have en suite bathrooms with hot water showers and flush toilets and the meals served under canvas are some of the best! This is the very best way of being on safari – and far more intimate.

If you want to join a safari, then we do have one set departure safari which takes in the Masai Mara, Samburu and then staying at a private home in the Rift Valley with a great friend of ours who is a wonderful guide!

Kenya Camping safari with AfricanExplorations.com

Otherwise, we also do some lovely walking safaris for a week or less into the Loita Hills on the edge of the Masai Mara – where you camp out at night in a small pup tent, but everything is done for you and again, you have your own private guide who is just superb, hot water for showers and a short drop loo. Walking is one of the finest ways of being on safari! We also have a camp set up for our riding safaris in the Masai Mara and the Chyulu Hills – one hears the night sounds so much more clearly under canvas and the scent of the plants and the wind waft through your gauze windows – it really is lovely! Lastly, we have camel assisted walking safaris where one camps out at night, in the Laikipia and Samburu regions too which is also sensational and allows one to learn more about the tribal culture of the semi-nomadic Samburu tribe.

Coming from Kenya, we would love to assist you with your Kenyan camping safari!