Building the Custom African Safari:
These days, most Africa travel is done wrong. It is too frequently viewed as simply another vacation, with travelers settling for minivans, crowded lodges and undistinguished guides.
That's unfair to Africa, and to the traveler. The classic, singular African experience still exists--a private guide deep in game-rich wilderness; lion roaring just beyond the campfire flame; an attentive private staff bringing civility and comfort to your private swath of the savanna. This is Hemingway's Africa, and maybe 1 in 100 Africa travelers share it.
It is, however, the only kind of African experience that this agency will book--in one of three ways:
1. The Classic Private Tented Safari. This is the quintessential African safari, conducted with traditional grace. Our SGC guides establish their camps in only the most rewarding and secluded game areas. Even in Kenya, our guides often see not a single other tourist. The itinerary, of course, is up to you. And, please, do not confuse these arrangements with American "camping." Your private staff accompanies these expeditions; your meals are gourmet; and your large, real-bed sleeping tents are more comfortable than most lodges. Per person rates vary according to the number in your group, but on average range from $400-$450/person/day. In our menus, private safari prices are quoted for each of a group of four; and
2. The Open Departure. Recognizing that private, custom safaris can be cost-prohibitive to individual travelers, or even couples, some of the SGC guides, including Robin Pope and Soren Lindstrom, have reserved some 12-15 day periods each year for "open departures." These safaris employ the same exclusive camps, private staff and itineraries as these guides' most popular private safaris. They are generally open to only 6-10 people, who can join these safaris at more affordable rates--usually $350-$400/person/day. This is not "group" travel. These safaris faithfully replicate the private safaris that, in essence, they remain; and
3. Small Permanent Camps. Scattered throughout the finest game reserves in Africa are small, permanent camps that accommodate 12-16 people in singular luxury. They are quite isolated, and their accomplished resident guiding staff escorts guests by foot, boat and open vehicle through the riot of game that invariably thrives in the camps' environs. Kenya's Elsa's Kopje, Zimbabwe's The Hide, Tanzania's Mahale and Zambia's Tena Tena are but four of these extraordinary little camps that, generally speaking, run in the $250-$350/person/day range (the prices given in the menu are based on double occupancy--usually single supplements of some kind apply).
Our Destinations Include: