The questions we are asked most

No. Our work is built into the lodge and transfer rates we book for you, so you pay what you would pay booking direct.

Vikki or Sian plan your trip, and Roxanne is closely involved in every booking. The person you first speak to stays with you through the planning and while you are away.

Most trips go from first conversation to confirmed booking within a few weeks. If your dates are close we can move faster, and we will tell you honestly if a window is too short to do the trip properly.

For the busiest months and the most sought-after lodges, the earlier the better, and often a year or more ahead. Lodges also release cancellations and late availability, so a short lead time is always worth asking about.

No. We can show you sample journeys for shape, but the trip you book is built around your dates and the people travelling with you.

Continuity. The people who plan your trip are the people who answer while you are travelling, and they remember the details that matter to you.

You have a direct line to us for the whole trip. Because we work directly with the lodges and the operators on the ground, most problems are fixed before they become problems.

For the bush, the dry winter months from May to September, when the vegetation thins and animals gather at water. For Cape Town, the summer months from December to February. Most trips balance the two, and the quieter shoulder months are often the sweet spot.

June to October is the classic dry season, when the Okavango flood is high and wildlife gathers along the rivers. November to March is the green season, and the months either side bring lower rates and fewer vehicles.

In the dry season, which surprises most people. The water falls as rain in the Angolan highlands and takes months to travel south, so the Delta is at its fullest in the middle of the southern winter.

Kenya works almost all year. July to October brings the migration to the Masai Mara, while January and February are quieter, with strong resident wildlife and softer rates.

January to March for the calving season on the southern Serengeti, and June to October for the dry season, with river crossings in the north from around August.

Usually from late July to early October, but they are never guaranteed. The herds can cross several times in a day or wait for days, so we build the wait into the itinerary.

Late June to October, the dry season, is the strongest window for walking safaris and game viewing. The green season from December to March is beautiful, but many lodges close.

Late June to October for game viewing in Hwange and Mana Pools. Victoria Falls is at its fullest from around March to June, when the Zambezi is in flood.

May to October, the dry season, suits both wildlife and landscape photography, with game gathering at Etosha's waterholes in the middle of the year. December to February is very hot in the interior.

Gorillas can be seen all year because they do not migrate. The dry seasons, June to September and December to February, give the easiest trekking, and permits for those months go early.

May to October, the southern winter, brings calmer water and clearer diving, with humpback whales passing Bazaruto from around June.

For bush and city together, around nine nights is a practical minimum. Two weeks leaves room for a second region or a slower drive along the coast.

A week is the practical minimum, usually split between the Okavango Delta and one of the river regions. Ten nights or more leaves room for a third lodge or Victoria Falls.

A week at least, and nine to twelve nights for a first trip that combines the Mara conservancies with Laikipia or the Samburu.

A week at least, usually South Luangwa with the Lower Zambezi or Victoria Falls. Longer trips pair easily with Botswana or Malawi.

Four or five nights gives the beach its proper weight. Three can feel rushed once you allow for the travel day.

Two nights is the minimum for a city to earn its place in the trip, and three is more comfortable.

For most travellers, yes. The wildlife moves freely across an unfenced border, but in the private reserves guides can drive off-road and after dark, and the number of vehicles at a sighting is limited. It costs considerably more, and it is a different kind of safari.

They are two parts of one ecosystem at different times of year. The Serengeti holds the herds for most of the year, including the calving season, while the Mara has them from roughly late July to October. Many of our guests see both on one trip.

Rwanda usually means shorter, more predictable treks and an easier start for first-timers. Uganda feels wilder and offers the longer habituation experience.

We usually recommend the conservancies, which share the Reserve's wildlife but allow off-road driving, walking and night drives, with vehicle numbers capped. The Reserve has the river crossings, so some guests split their stay.

The Zimbabwean side has the long, classic view and the rainforest walk. The Zambian side gets you closer to the edge. We choose based on the rest of the trip and the time of year.

Mauritius is a full country with mountains, beaches, towns and a varied food culture. The Maldives is a string of single-resort islands built around the sea and stillness.

Yes, and we plan these often. Cape Town makes a gentle start before heading north, and two weeks is a comfortable length for two countries.

Madikwe, the Waterberg, Welgevonden and the private reserves of the Eastern Cape sit outside the malaria zone. They suit young families and anyone who would rather avoid anti-malarial tablets.

Yes, the whole country is a malaria area. Your travel doctor will advise on the right tablets, and long sleeves at dusk help.

Yes. Rwanda is orderly and well run, and its parks are well managed and well guided. We follow current government travel advice and our partners on the ground.

Yes. The safari areas are well run by experienced operators, and we follow current government travel advice and our partners on the ground.

The southern islands and coast are straightforward to travel in. Parts of the far north have had security problems, and we check the situation for the lodges we use each season.

Yes, at the lodges and reserves we use. Transfers are private and the walk back to your room at night is escorted as standard.

It depends on where the gorilla family is that morning, and the walk can be short or take much of the day through steep, sometimes muddy forest. A reasonable level of fitness helps, and we match the permit to your group.

Most lodges take children on game drives from around six, and a few family-focused and exclusive-use lodges welcome younger children. We check each lodge's current policy.

Yes, and South Africa is the easiest place to do it, because the malaria-free reserves remove the biggest worry most parents have. We steer you towards lodges with private vehicles and proper programmes for children.

It depends on the ages of the children and how you feel about anti-malarial tablets. With older children, Botswana and Zambia work well on the right medication.

Not if the trip is built well. We mix game drives with walking, photography, conservation work and choices they help to make.

Yes. We work to the standard you keep, and our kosher adviser agrees the arrangements with you directly before anything is booked.

Not if the lodge has been properly briefed in advance, and that briefing is part of our job.

Some do, at specific lodges, but it is never a given. We confirm vehicle access at booking and look at alternatives where there is no ramp.

Yes. Cape Town has a visible, well-established LGBTQ+ community, and it fits easily into a wider South Africa trip.

Not always. We negotiate waivers where we can, especially on longer stays and in quieter months.

Not unless you want to. We default to a private vehicle for romantic safaris, which some lodges include and others charge for.