ADORE Africa Safari Guide

Why Go?

If you’re looking for your next travel destination but aren’t quite sure where to go yet, consider a trip to Africa. A vast and highly diverse continent full of fascinating cultures, dramatic scenery and extraordinary animals, Africa offers some of the most amazing travel experiences in the world.

Many people who think about travelling to Africa think about a safari – but how easy is it to organise? Where do you go and when? What about accommodation? 

Relax, our ADORE Safari Guide provides you with all the answers.

Let’s start with where to go

Africa’s wide range of destinations means a multitude of different holiday experiences in both East Africa and Southern Africa. Some of the most popular include Big Five Safaris in the Kruger National Park; wildebeest migration safaris in the Masai Mara and Serengeti; gorilla trekking in the forests of Uganda and Rwanda; beach holidays and cosmopolitan ‘world-in-one-city’ experiences in Cape Town.

Golf in Southern Africa is unparalleled. In the Western Cape alone you will find Steenberg Golf Club in Tokai, Cape Town; Pearl Valley in the tranquil Cape Winelands; Arabella Golf Club not far from Hermanus; and Fancourt Links in the Garden Route. Top spots in other provinces include Durban Country Club in KwaZulu-Natal, Leopard Creek in Mpumalanga, Humewood in the Eastern Cape and Gary Player at Sun City in the North West.

The Indian Ocean cocoons true jewels on tropical islands such as Lemuria Golf Course on Praslin Island in the Seychelles. Top courses in Mauritius include Ile Aux Cerfs, Heritage Golf Club, Anahita in Beau Champ, Avalon in Bois Chéri, Legend and The Links courses at Constance Belle Mare Plage, Tamarina, Paradis in the Le Morne Peninsula and Mont Choisy Le Golf.

Have a closer look at our Destinations for more inspirations on where to go.

The same could be said for the types of holidays and safaris on offer in Africa. Whether you’re looking for a combination tour packed with highlights or a specialised safari in a single location, we can tailor-make any kind of tour – after all, that’s what ADORE Africa specialises in.

Why go to East Africa

East Africa delivers a classic Out of Africa safari with its rolling grasslands, rich diversity of wildlife, colourful Maasai and Samburu warriors, luxurious lodges and tented camps. Visitors are warmly welcomed and the infrastructure is excellent, especially the network of airports serving the far-flung reserves via the international air hubs of Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.

East Africa is home to two of Africa’s most popular safari destinations – Kenya and Tanzania – along with gorilla encounters in the rainforests of Uganda and Rwanda, and the tropical beaches of Zanzibar.

Kenya’s world-famous Masai Mara  reserve is the setting for the region’s spectacular wildebeest migration between August and November each year, but it boasts one of the most diverse resident wildlife populations all year round. Kenya safari highlights include the Amboseli and Samburu wildlife reserves. A visit with the Samburu, a sub tribe of the Maasai, residing in north-central Kenya will allow a glimpse into a fascinating distinctive culture of these semi-nomadic herders of cattle, sheep, goats and camels. Kenya combines well with gorilla trekking, tropical islands like the Seychelles, and Tanzania’s top reserves.

Kenya’s world-famous Masai Mara  reserve is the setting for the region’s spectacular wildebeest migration between August and November each year, but it boasts one of the most diverse resident wildlife populations all year round. Kenya safari highlights include the Amboseli and Samburu wildlife reserves. A visit with the Samburu, a sub tribe of the Maasai, residing in north-central Kenya will allow a glimpse into a fascinating distinctive culture of these semi-nomadic herders of cattle, sheep, goats and camels. Kenya combines well with gorilla trekking, tropical islands like the Seychelles, and Tanzania’s top reserves.

Tanzania’s most famous safari destinations – the Serengeti, Ngorongoro Crater and Lake Manyara – lie conveniently close to each other on the ‘Northern Safari Circuit’ and, along with Tarangire, deliver some of Africa’s very best Big Five game viewing and wildebeest migration safaris. A visit with the Maasai people, who live along the game parks, will provide an enriching experience of a distinctive culture and dress style that has become internationally renowned.  South Central Tanzania is less well known and offers uncrowded game viewing in superb reserves such as Ruaha, Selous and Katavi. For an off-the-beaten track experience into the wilderness, the exotic Mahale Mountains along Lake Tanganyika are fascinating – you’ll find forests full of chimpanzees and glorious clouds of butterflies. When it comes to travel bucket lists, Tanzania is home to both the Serengeti – the setting for the wildebeest migration between January and August – and Africa’s highest peak and the only snow-capped mountain in the tropics, Mount Kilimanjaro. Tanzania combines well with gorilla trekking, tropical islands like Zanzibar, and Kenya’s top reserves. 

Uganda’s Bwindi Impenetrable Forest is home to endangered mountain gorillas. The gorilla population is growing thanks to a ground-breaking partnership between local communities, national parks and tourists trekking to see them. Gorilla trekking offers one of Africa’s most unique and unforgettable experiences – encounter wild gorillas in their natural habitat, no fences, no interference other than gentle habituation to the presence of humans in the rainforest. Uganda is also a famous bird-watching destination with exotic migrants and abundant resident species. It offers Africa’s best on-foot chimpanzee encounters at Kibale Forest and unique combination safaris featuring big game and big primates in Murchison Falls and Queen Elizabeth National Parks.

Tiny Rwanda punches above its weight when it comes to an East Africa safari. Fly into the capital Kigali and, within a matter of hours, you’ll be in the emerald world of the Volcanoes National Park, the rainforest home to several mountain gorilla families. Gorilla trekking in Rwanda combines well with safaris in Tanzania and Kenya as well as tropical islands like Zanzibar.

Why go to South Africa

A Southern Africa safari is all about diversity. Some of Africa’s most iconic and wildly different travel destinations, such as Victoria Falls, the Kruger National Park, Lake Malawi and the Namib Desert dunes are found in the region, and there are plenty of places that still lie far off the beaten path.

Using Johannesburg or Cape Town as your international entry points, the top destinations in Southern Africa are easy to reach, easy to combine, and thanks to modern logistics and infrastructure, easy to enjoy. Most destinations are suitable for families with children (South Africa offers excellent malaria-free Big Five safaris) and there are enough honeymoon hideaways, 5-star hotels and rural retreats to satisfy all tastes.

There’s not much that South Africa’s powerhouse cannot offer its visitors. The Kruger National Park’s private reserves deliver Africa’s most intensive Big Five game viewing while Cape Town and the surrounding Cape Winelands provide an elegant, Mediterranean twist to a South Africa safari, especially in whale-watching season. The Garden Route is the place for fool proof family holidays, excellent golf and self-drive adventures, especially when combined with the malaria-free reserves of the Eastern Cape. You can always add KwaZulu-Natal’s big game and beaches to the mix and finish off with golf in the gorgeous Cape Winelands or simply play Leopard Creek if you are near the southern part of the Kruger National Park and Surrounds.

There’s not much that South Africa’s powerhouse cannot offer its visitors. The Kruger National Park’s private reserves deliver Africa’s most intensive Big Five game viewing while Cape Town and the surrounding Cape Winelands provide an elegant, Mediterranean twist to a South Africa safari, especially in whale-watching season. The Garden Route is the place for fool proof family holidays, excellent golf and self-drive adventures, especially when combined with the malaria-free reserves of the Eastern Cape. You can always add KwaZulu-Natal’s big game and beaches to the mix and finish off with golf in the gorgeous Cape Winelands or simply play Leopard Creek if you are near the southern part of the Kruger National Park and Surrounds.

Ever wondered what Africa’s wildlife was like before the modern era? No need to dream: head for Botswana. Home to Africa’s greatest numbers of elephant and stronghold of its largest predators, Botswana is serious big game country with Chobe National Park and the Okavango Delta as the best wildlife destinations in the area. It’s also a country that combines easily with next-door Victoria Falls and if you fancy a bit of crowd-free game viewing, try one of Botswana’s three Kalahari parks, most spectacular in the early summer months.

The soaring sand dunes of the Namib Desert take centre stage on a Namibian safari but this is a country where spell-binding scenery comes standard at all its destinations. It’s also a country with better game viewing than you might think for such an arid land: Etosha National Park is one of Africa’s best and the tucked-away reserves of the Caprivi Strip deliver an Okavango Delta-style experience. But the real wildlife surprises lie in rugged Damaraland where desert elephants and black rhinos trek along ancient game trails to find water.

Boasting the best views of thundering Victoria Falls and a wide range of associated activities – such as scenic helicopter flights, signature cruises on the Zambezi River, swimming in Devil’s Pool (a natural infinity pool that allows you to peer over the edge) and gourmet picnics on Princess Elisabeth Island – Zimbabwe has also long had a reputation for some of the best game viewing in Southern Africa. Botswana’s legendary Chobe National Park lies less than a 2-hour drive away from Victoria Falls but Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park is elephant country while Mana Pools gives you the chance to explore the Zambezi River by canoe and its hinterland with a 4X4 and on foot.