Bespoke African Safaris: Embarking On An Unforgettable Journey

November 18, 2022

Are you dreaming of warm days spent on safari, traversing African plains dotted with wildlife and indigenous vegetation? You’re not alone. Africa tops the list of many avid travelers searching for the journey of a lifetime, and for good reason! Filled with varied wildlife, ancient history, rich cultures, and incomparable views, this continent has to be seen to be believed.

While it may seem daunting to plan a vacation in a vast and unfamiliar place, bespoke safaris ensure that you embark on the trip of a lifetime without any logistical hang-ups. Aside from the ease of being guided through the planning process alongside experts armed with on-the-ground experience, niche safari companies offer distinct benefits to the discerning traveler.

Read on for 3 reasons we believe in traveling bespoke for an unforgettable African adventure.

Image of two children with guide on a giraffe safari at Mara Bush Houses in Kenya | True Africa | Blog | Mara Bush Houses, Kenya — *Image: Mara Bush Houses in Kenya*

1. Exclusivity comes standard with a smaller safari

Guests often point to long chats around campfires in the bush with fellow guests and safari guides as a highlight of their trip. Bespoke safaris tend to visit luxury lodges and safari camps with fewer rooms and a higher guide-to-guest ratio. This allows guests to enjoy exclusive amenities, personal attention from expert guides, and socialize with like-minded travelers all while immersed in the African wild.

Image of an elephant overlooking the Chongwe River in Zambia, with guests visible in canoes floating on the river | True Africa | Blog | Chongwe River, Zambia — *Image: Canoeing in Zambia (Chongwe River)*

2. Quality outweighs quantity with bespoke experiences

Smaller tour operators often draw on personal, on-the-ground knowledge to curate the best the continent has to offer. This means that many of the lessons that safari-goers tend to only learn the hard way – like that transit times always take longer in Africa, and that unpredictability is to be expected – are built into custom itineraries already. This leads to higher quality experiences from start to finish, as should be expected from a bucket-list trip!

Image of a guest and 2 locals enjoying the salt pans at Meno-A-Kwena in the Makgadikgadi Pans National Park in Botswana | True Africa | Blog | Meno-A-Kwena — *Image: Meno-A-Kwena, Makgadikgadi Pans National Park in Botswana*

3. Discover authentic Africa with remote escapes

Many of the continent’s top lodges and destinations are not widely known or are only available to visit through partnerships with niche safari companies. Traveling bespoke allows you to explore otherworldly stays that are often wholly off the beaten track. Our TrueAfrica team is proud to have brought travelers to some of the continent’s best-kept secrets, such as the surreal moonscapes of the Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana.