A line of elephants crossing open savannah with Kilimanjaro filling the sky behind them

Africa — home of the original safari

Golden light, thundering herds, and predator-prey dramas across vast open plains.

African bush elephant / Amboseli National Park

The place

A rhythm unlike anywhere else

Africa offers a rhythm unlike anywhere else. Whether it's lions in the Maasai Mara, elephants in Amboseli, or leopards in South Africa — we'll take you there.

It is also the easiest safari to take first. Sightings come in open country rather than closed forest, the vehicles are open-sided, and a single morning drive can produce more species than a week in a tiger reserve. Guests who have never held a long lens tend to come home with pictures.

The essentials

Africa in short

Kenya
Maasai Mara, Amboseli
South Africa
Kruger, Sabi Sands
Terrain
Open savannah, acacia woodland, riverine bush
Accommodation
Classic tented safari camps through to luxury lodges
Vehicles
Open-sided 4×4, usually with a tracker
Best for
First-timers, luxury safaris, action-packed game viewing
How it is sold
Bespoke — quoted per itinerary

Highlights

What you come for

The Big Five, and beyond

Lion, leopard, elephant, buffalo and rhino — plus cheetah, wild dog and the full plains-game cast that makes the predator drama possible.

Elephants under Kilimanjaro

Amboseli is the one place on earth where you photograph elephant herds against a snow-capped mountain. It is worth building a trip around.

Leopards in the Sabi Sands

Leopards that are relaxed around vehicles, photographed from open vehicles permitted to go off-road.

Camps to suit the trip

From mobile tented camps that move with the herds to lodges with a plunge pool and a butler. Both are legitimate; they are different holidays.

From the archive

Lala's African work

Frames from Kenya and southern Africa. Three are sold as prints and Lion Cuddle Puddle as a postcard; the titles are his.

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