Questions Travellers Actually Ask.

For most itineraries, three to six months ahead gives the best choice of camps and flights, especially for July to October travel, which is peak dry-season game viewing across Southern and East Africa. If gorilla trekking in Rwanda is part of your trip, aim for four to six months or more — permits are limited and allocated on a first-come basis, particularly in June to September and December to February.

No. The seven signature itineraries are starting templates that show the kind of journeys I plan well — practical South Africa, luxury multi-country Southern Africa, golf and safari, golf and rail, a classic Chobe–Falls–Cape route, private charter safaris, and Rwanda gorilla trekking. Most of the trips I actually book are custom-built from scratch around a traveller's dates, interests, and pace.

Yes, and it's often the best way to experience the continent. Southern Africa in particular lends itself to this — Cape Town, the Okavango Delta in Botswana, and Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe are commonly combined using short scheduled and light-aircraft flights, as in our Grand Southern Africa Journey itinerary.

It changes the practical details — flight routing, visa requirements, and the best entry point — but not the quality of planning. I regularly plan for travellers connecting through Doha, Dubai, Amsterdam, Istanbul, Hong Kong, and Addis Ababa, and I factor jet lag and long-haul recovery into the itinerary pacing itself.

African safari and lodge pricing varies enormously by season, party size, room category, and current availability — a published "from" price is usually misleading by the time you actually enquire. I quote personally, based on your real dates and preferences, so the number you receive is accurate rather than a teaser.

Generally: accommodation, most meals while on safari, game drives and listed activities, and the transfers named in the itinerary. International flights, travel insurance, visas, gratuities, and personal spending are usually excluded — each itinerary page on this site lists exactly what's included and what isn't.

Most camps and lodges require a deposit to hold space, particularly in peak season when availability is genuinely limited. I'll explain the exact deposit and payment schedule for your specific proposal before you commit to anything.

The dry season — roughly May to October across Southern and East Africa — concentrates wildlife around rivers and waterholes and is generally considered prime game viewing, with Zimbabwe's Victoria Falls also at its most dramatic earlier in that window. The wet, green season from November to April brings lush scenery, newborn animals, and considerably fewer other travellers, and suits a different kind of trip well.

It depends entirely on your passport and the specific countries on your itinerary — requirements differ for South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Namibia, Tanzania, Kenya, and Rwanda. I confirm the exact requirements for your nationality as part of planning your trip, well before you need to apply.

Requirements vary by country and even by region within a country — a yellow fever certificate is required for entry into some countries if you're arriving from certain other countries, and malaria precautions are relevant in lower-lying areas such as the Kruger Lowveld and the Okavango Delta. This isn't medical advice — please confirm current requirements with a registered travel health clinic — but I'll flag what's relevant to your specific route.

The lodges, reserves, and regions featured on this site are well-established parts of the tourism industry with strong guest-safety standards, and millions of international visitors travel through them safely every year. As with any international travel, ordinary common-sense precautions apply, and I route itineraries through secure, well-travelled corridors rather than anywhere untested.

Neutral, breathable clothing (khaki, olive, and stone tones rather than bright white or black), a warm layer for cold dawn game drives even in summer, a wide-brimmed hat, sunscreen, and your own binoculars if you have them. I send a tailored packing note for your specific itinerary and season closer to travel.

Many lodges welcome children and some run excellent dedicated family programmes, though a number set a minimum age — commonly six to twelve years old — for standard game drives, purely for safety reasons. Family-friendly properties and itineraries can absolutely be built in; just let me know ages when you enquire.

An early wake-up before dawn, a game drive while the bush is coolest and most active, brunch back at camp, free time during the heat of the day, afternoon tea, a second game drive into sunset, and dinner — often outdoors, under a genuinely extraordinary number of stars.

Moderate fitness makes the day considerably more enjoyable — treks can range from thirty minutes to several hours over steep, sometimes muddy volcanic terrain at altitude. Porters are available to carry bags and offer a supporting hand, and I'd recommend hiring one regardless of fitness level; it also directly supports the local community.

Rwanda's Volcanoes National Park issues a strictly limited number of permits per day through the Rwanda Development Board. I'd recommend booking four to six months ahead as standard practice, and considerably earlier for June to September or December to February travel.

I choose lodge and reserve partners on this basis deliberately — favouring camps and parks that reinvest guest fees into anti-poaching efforts, habitat protection, and community-owned conservancies, over those chosen purely for marketing reach. You can read more about this approach on our About Us page.

Yes, when it's done responsibly. Well-managed tourism funds anti-poaching units and park management directly, and gives local communities and governments a genuine economic reason to protect wild land rather than convert it to other uses — which is precisely why the choice of operator and reserve matters as much as the destination itself.