Special Offer – EXTRAORDINARY AFRICA

Once every so often, absolutely ridiculous special offers come across our desks, and this is one. You may well know that the Okavango Delta has the reputation as one of the best places in the world for safari. What you may not know is that within the Okavango Delta, some of the very best game viewing is found on Chief’s Island.

Game viewing so good the wildlife comes to the airstrip to meet you…

If you wish to do safari on Chief’s Island you can either stay within the public areas of the Moremi Game Reserve, and take your chances with other vehicles, or you can stay in one of two ultra high end private camps- Mombo or Chief’s Camp– both of which cost over $2,000 per person per night. In fact, at the height of peak season, Chief’s Camp costs an eyewatering $3,285 per night. And yes, that is per person.

Camp reopens on the 10th of December, and there are astonishing re-opening special offers, starting as low as $294 (£226) per person per night. If you can, go now.

The fine print: During high season (21st Dec- 3rd Jan) stays cost from £554-£443 per person per night ($720-$576ppn), otherwise the range is £376-£226 ($490-$294) per person per night. This runs until the 31st of March, and the more nights you stay, the better the per night price is.

Logistics: At the time of writing (November 2020) UK residents will still need to quarantine on return from Botswana, though we hope this will be lifted soon. As the Foreign Office still advises against travel to almost all of mainland Africa, you will need to get appropriate travel insurance. Lastly, a negative PCR test will be required prior to travelling to Botswana. Worth it? Absolutely.

Kenya, Special Offer, Tanzania

THANK YOU, doctors, nurses and healthcare workers: up to 70% off safari camps in Kenya and Tanzania

May 26, 2020December 4, 2020 Alexandra Matts

There’s a little known “special” in the safari world: residents’ rates. Safari companies across Africa offer heavily discounted rates for local residents, so that they get to experience the natural wonders on their doorsteps. For many these would be unaffordable otherwise, and it means that camps can fill empty beds at the last minute or during low season. Not only this, but there’s a huge conservation benefit in local residents enjoying and appreciating the animals and landscape they might not otherwise see.

We are utterly thrilled to see one of our favourite safari collections extending residents rates as a thank you to doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers. This averages out at about a 70% discount on most camps. We are all so incredibly grateful for the work they have done, and know they will need a break more than most when this is all done.

Rhinos at Ol Pejeta Bush Camp

Encounter Mara

Rekero Migration

In Kenya you can choose from lovely rustic Ol Pejeta Bush Camp for rhinos and activities, three fabulous camps in the Masai Mara (Rekero, Naboisho and Encounter Mara), and the Mara Bush Houses if you want to try out a family safari. We’ve earmarked these as an ideal first safari destination for the youngest member of the EA team.

Over the border in northern Tanzania you can choose from six gorgeous camps in the Serengeti. Olakira, Kimondo and Ubuntu are seasonal camps which broadly track the movements of the Great Migration. Sayari sits in splendour in the far north of the park, Dunia- famously staffed by an all-female team- and Namiri, in a splendid spot for big cats. If you want serious style, we’d find the Highlands at the Ngorongoro Crater a tough one to beat, though the walking in this area gets us even more excited than the lodge. A short distance from such a well-known safari spot, it feels incredibly wild, authentic, and unspoilt. As a last stop in northern Tanzania, you can also stay at Oliver’s Camp in Tarangire– a particular favourite for elephant-lovers during the dry season.

The ladies of Dunia

Sunset at the Highlands

Lions near Namiri

Heading further off the beaten track into Southern Tanzania, the wild and rugged Ruaha is one of our favourite parks in all of Africa. Here you can choose between rustic Kwihala or serious luxury at Jabali Ridge (have sampled, can confirm- very nice). Then for birding and boat safaris, not to mention an extremely civilized way of being, Roho ya Selous has a pretty location in the Selous Game Reserve.

Jabali Ridge infinity pool

Gorgeous Ruaha

Selous Hippo

And if you really hate safari (seriously, are you sure?) Matemwe Lodge and Matemwe Retreat are laid-back spots on Zanzibar, where you can cheerfully spend a week or so snoozing beside the Indian Ocean.

Matemwe Bar

Plunge Pool

Retreat roof terrace

The fine print:

Travel before May 2021.
Valid for any nationality with proof of work ID card showing name/job description – e.g. doctors, nurses, paramedics, elderly care home workers, pharmacists, ambulance drivers etc.
Discount valid for one partner or friend sharing a room.
Children aged 5-18 travelling with healthcare workers will be charged resident’s child rates.
Flights, park fees and other government fees charged as normal.
Postponements due to Covid-19 will be possible within the same rules as the company’s Covid-19 policy, with the only additional requirement to not rebook new postponed dates in high or peak season if new dates fall after 1 June 2021, due to the level of discount applied on this offer.

FAQS….

COSTS- all of our trips are completely tailor-made, so there are no fixed prices or fixed packages. However, to give you a general ballpark figure to start from, a 4 night safari at Mara Bush Homes plus 4 nights on Zanzibar costs from around £9,000 for a family of 4 using the special offer, excluding international flights. This would cost about £14,000-£17,500 normally.
10 days on safari in Northern Tanzania using the special would cost around £4,600 per adult excluding international flights.
A week’s safari in Southern Tanzania using the special offer costs from around £2,800 per adult excluding international flights. Normal price would be £5,200-£6,900 per person.
CHILDREN most of these camps have a lower age limit of 5, except for the Mara Bush Homes, the ultra luxury private villa at Jabali Ridge, and the private house on the beach at Matemwe which are totally private and have no lower age limit. As parents ourselves, we think we’d be very unlikely to take children much under 3 on safari.

Want to know more? Just contact us

Special Offer, Zambia

50% off at Chongwe River Lodge until 31st May

February 13, 2015February 16, 2015 Alexandra Matts

Safari doesn’t come cheap, so we’re the first to leap at a good value safari. Normally this might mean a free night once you’ve paid for three or four, or 10% for the bride. Chongwe River Camp has knocked these out of the water with a special offer that we can’t ever remember seeing before- for every night you pay for, you’ll get another one free.

It’s valid till the 31st of May, so if you can, we’d recommend trying to book towards the end of that period for frankly lovely weather, great game viewing, and one of the prettiest spots in the Lower Zambezi National Park.

Elephant at Chongwe River Camp — Breakfast at Chongwe River Camp!

Chongwe’s the perfect sort of spot for slow safari (just sit around camp- we wouldn’t be surprised if the elephants come to you). There are long, languorous boat safaris, lazy afternoon naps, and game drives or a spot of tiger fishing if you need a quick adrenaline buzz.

To add to that (do we need more?) if you want even better value, this offer’s also valid at sister lodge Kasaka. If you want to head further north and extend your safari to the South Luangwa National Park, you can combine either Chongwe River Camp or Kasaka with Kapani Lodge and receive 30% off at Kapani too. And while you do this, we’ll be dying quietly of jealousy in our chilly office in the UK.

Hippos on a walking safari near Kasaka — Hippos on a walk near Kasaka

We’ve done a quick sketch on costs, and we think you could do six, wonderful, envy-inducing nights at Chongwe from £2,275 per person, including international flights from London, saving £1,300 per person.

Or combine Kapani for four nights with four nights at Kasaka for £2,860, saving £1,050 per person.

International and domestic flights are included, your food’s included and all of your game viewing’s included too, so all you really have to do is buy some sunscreen and a safari hat!