Activities Active Hoidays Wildlife Tours
Wildlife Tours
WILDLIFE TOURS with the groups company appeal to those who like to combine a love of animals with a taste for travel. They usually prefer to travel slowly, with an itinerary which allows plenty of time for game-viewing. Early morning starts for the best game-viewing are not a problem, whilst early nights, in the absence of much in the way of nightlife, are fine. Group members possessed of patience, and an understanding that sighting of animals cannot be guaranteed, will enjoy their holiday to a greater degree.
Some wildlife itineraries involve visiting areas where sightings of game are – almost – guaranteed, such as Ngorongoro Crater in Tanzania; others prefer the excitement and uncertainty of searching, and perhaps finding, game, such as in the tiger reserves of India.
Some people prefer a group tour based on camping, with that feel of being closer to the bush and sitting round the campfire in the evening. Others prefer the luxury of a lodge at night (although it has to be said that some camps offer a degree of luxury not far below that of lodges, in many parts of the world).
Transport can be based on using an expedition truck; travelling in several 4WD vehicles such as Land-Rovers or Land Cruisers, or can be designed around the use of minibuses. The first and second allow the greatest off-road ability, whilst minibuses, although effectively restricted to surfaced roads or graded roads, allow a greater degree of comfort.
Whether you choose to camp or stay in lodges; to go off-road or travel in comfort is your choice at the planning stage; you and your group choose the style of wildlife holiday that you want.
We operate Wildlife tours to the following destinations:-
Angola, Arctic & Antarctica, Argentina, Australia, Botswana, Costa Rica, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Iceland, India, Madagascar, Malaysia, Namibia, Romania, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Tanzania
A typical day...
When in a game park the day starts early. After a morning tea, the group departs on a morning game drive; typically this will start around dawn and will last two or three hours. On returning to camp, or our lodge, a leisurely breakfast takes us up to mid-morning. The middle part of the day may be spent in camp, or at the lodge, relaxing around a pool, reading, or snoozing away the effects of that early rise. Mid-day has too much heat and too few animals.
After afternoon tea, the second game drive of the day takes place. Again it lasts for typically two or three hours, ending around dusk. On our return to our accommodation there will be time for sun-downer drinks and then dinner before probably an early night. The day’s timings may be swiftly amended if one of the trackers locates a particularly elusive animal in the bush and alerts your driver, who will then endeavour to get you to the location of the sighting before the animal disappears into the bush.
On travelling days, between game parks or to and from the game park regions, you will in all probability again have early starts to the day’s journey, as it is preferable to travel in the cool of the early morning and avoid the heat of mid-day. Also drives to, from or between game parks often involve stops or detours for game sightings.
Whether you decide to include several game parks or concentrate on just one or two; and whether you prefer to include two game drives per day or only one, with more relaxation time, is up to you. You and your group decide the style of wildlife holiday you want.
Sample itineraries...
The itineraries below are intended only to give an indication of what might be possible in a particular country, following an itinerary catering for a particular special interest..
No details of meals or accommodation are included in the itineraries as it would be your decision, at the planning stage, as to what is included. You would decide whether your tour included all meals, just Bed and Breakfast, or Bed and Breakfast plus some lunches or dinners at certain points on the itinerary. Similarly you would decide what standard of accommodation you wanted to use.
The itineraries detailed are deliberately short ones. It is intended to give a flavour, an outline, of an itinerary. If you have more time, then extra time can be built into each stop on the itinerary, and additional places of interest and overnight stops can be added. Lengthening the itinerary, to 10 days or two weeks, for example, and adding further night-stops will enrich your journey; shown below is just a brief skeletal itinerary as a basis for discussion and more detailed planning.
Botswana - 10 days: -
1. Fly Johannesburg.
2. Arrive Johannesburg; fly to Livingstone, Zambia.
3. Drive to Chobe.
4.Drive to Makgadikgadi Pans.
5. Drive via Maun to Kwai River.
6. At Kwai River.
7. Drive to Moremi.
8. Drive to Maun.
9. Fly to Johannesburg; transfer to flight to UK.
10. Arrive UK.
Botwana -11 days:-
1. Fly Johannesburg, South Africa.
2. Arrive Johannesburg; fly Maun, Botswana.
3 and 4. Okavango Delta camp.
5. To Tsodilo Hills camp.
6. Enter Namibia; Mahango National Park.
7&8. At Kwando River.
9. Drive to Livingstone, Zambia.
10. Fly to Johannes burg; depart for UK.
11. Arrive London.
Botswana - 15 days: -
1. Fly Johannesburg.
2. Arrive Johannesburg; fly to Livingstone, Zambia.
3. Drive to Chobe.
4.Drive to Makgadikgadi Pans.
5. Drive via Maun to Kwai River.
6. At Kwai River.
7. Drive to Moremi.
8. Drive to Maun; afternoon flight over the Okavango Delta.
9. Exploring the Okavango Delta by mokoro.
10. Drive into Namibia, to Mahangu National Park.
11. Drive along the Caprivi Strip;visit Susuwe National Park; drive to Kwando River.
12. Drive to Mudumu National Park.
13. Drive to Livingstone.
14. Fly to Johannesburg; transfer to flight to UK.
15. Arrive UK.
Madagascar - 12 days: -
1. Fly Tana. 2. Arrive Tana; drive to Andasibe Reserve. 3. At Andasibe. 4. Drive via Tana to Antsirabe. 5. Drive via Ambositra to Ranomafana National Park. 6. At Ranomafana. 7. Drive to Isalo. 8. Isalo National park. 9. Drive via Tulear to Ifaty. 10. At Ifaty. 11. Drive to Tulear; fly to Tana. 12. Fly to UK.
Namibia - 14 days: -
1.Fly to Windhoek.
2. Drive to Waterberg Plateau.
3. Drive to Etosha.
4. Explore Etosha.
5. Drive to Ruacana National Park.
6. At Ruacana.
7. Drive to Opuwo.
8. Drive via Joubert Pass to Palmwag.
9. Drive to Spitzkoppe.
10. Drive to Swakopmund.
11 and 12 Drive via Walvis Bay to Namib Desert and explore Sesreim and Sossusvlei.
13. Drive to Windhoek. 14. Fly to UK.
South Africa – 8 days: –
1.Fly Capetown.
2. Arrive Capetown; afternoon city tour.
3. Drive to Albertinia; Big 5 sunset drive.
4. Drive to Oudtshoorn.
5. Drive to Storms River.
6. Drive to Swellendam.
7. Drive via Hermanus to Capetown; transfer to airport for flight to UK.
8. Arrive UK.
Tanzania 4 x 4 - 10 days: -
1. Fly Kilimanjiro.
2. Arrive Kilimanjiro.
3. Drive Tarangire.
4. Drive to Lake Manyara.
5. To Serengeti.
6. In Serengeti.
7. Drive to Ngorongoro.
8. At Ngorongoro.
9. Drive to Arusha; depart for UK.
10. Arrive London.
Angola - 15 days: -
1. Fly to Windhoek.
2. Fly to Ondangwa; drive to Ruacana.
3. At Ruacana; visit Falls.
4. Drive into Iona National Park.
5. Continue through Iona National Park.
6. Drive to Foz do Cunene.
7. Full day drive up the beach to Flamingo Camp.
8. At Flamingo Camp.
9. At Flamingo Camp.
10. Drive via Leba Pass to Lubango.
11. At Lubango.
12. Drive to Cahama.
13 Cross back into Namibia; drive to Ondangwa.
14. Fly to Windhoek; transfer to flight to UK.
15. Arrive UK.
Ethiopia - 14 days: -
1. Fly Addid Ababa.
2. Arrive Addis Ababa; city tour.
3. Drive to Kombolcha.
4 and 5. Drive to Lalibela.
6. In Lalibela; visit rock churches.
7.Drive to
Gondar.
8. In Gondar.
9. Drive to Simien National Park.
10. Drive to Bahar Dar.
11. Visit Blue Nile Falls and Lake Tana; overnight Bahar Dar.
12. Fly Addis Ababa.
13. In Addis Ababa; depart for UK. 14. Arrive UK.
Iceland - 9 days: -
1. Fly Reykjavik.
2. Visit Geyser and Gullfoss; return to Reykjavik.
3. Visit Blue Lagoon and Lava Fields; return Reykjavik.
4.Drive to Vik; cruise.
5. Visit Western Fiords.
6 and 7. Expedition to Central Highlands with overnight camp.
8. Return to Reykjavik.
9. Fly to UK.
Romania – 9 days: -
1. Fly to Bucharest.
2. Morning city tour; afternoon drive to Sinaia.
3. Walking tour of town; afternoon cablecar to walk in Bucegi Mountains.
4. Drive to Piatra Cruiului National Park; guided visit to the Park. Evening observation of brown bears.
5.Morning walk in Zarnesti Gorge; afternoon continue to Bran and Brasov.
6. Drive via Bucharest to Tulcea and the Danube Delta.
7. Explore Danube Delta.
8. Explore Danube Delta.
9. Drive to Bucharest; transfer to airport for flight to UK.
Antarctica - 14 days: -
1.Fly to Buenos Aires.
2. Arrive Buenos Aires; transfer to flight to Ushuaia; board vessel and sail.
3 and 4. Sail the Drake Passage.
5-9 Explore South Shetland Island and Antarctic Peninsula.
10 and 11. Return across Drake Passage.
12. Arrive Ushuaia; fly to Buenos Aires.
13. In Buenos Aires; depart for UK.
14. Arrive UK.
Argentina & Antarctica - 19 days: -
1. Fly to Buenos Aires.
2. arrive Buenos Aires; city tour
3. Fly to Trelew; visit Valdes Peninsula.
4. Fly to Ushuaia; visit National Park.
5. Board Antarctic vessel and depart Ushuaia.
6 and 7. Sail the Drake Passage.
8-12. Explore South Shetland Island and Antarctic Peninsula.
13 and 14 Return across Drake Passage.
15. Arrive Ushuaia; fly to Buenos Aires.
16. Fly to Iguassu Falls.
17 Full day visit Falls;
18. Fly Buenos Aires and connect with flight to UK.
19. Arrive UK.
Arctic - 15 days: -
1. Fly to Moscow.
2. Morning Moscow city tour, then fly to Murmansk; board Ice-breaker and sail.
3. Sail towards Franz Josef Land Archipelago. Helicopter instruction during the day.
4 and 5. Explore Franz Josef Land Archipelago by boat and helicopter; chance to see polar bear and walrus.
6 and 7. Through the ice towards the Pole; flying off ship by helicopter for better views.
8. Late afternoon reach North Pole. Picnic on the ice.
9 to 11. Returning south through the ice.
12 and 13. Across the Barents Sea.
14. End of the Polar voyage as we sail into Murmansk. Fly to Moscow.
15. Fly to UK.
