Inspiration for your own tailor-made trip
Samburu, Meru & the North, Kruger National Park & Sabi Sands, Laikipia, The Kenyan Coast,Victoria Falls,The Masai Mara,Cape Town
100% customisable for you
Your luxury Africa sabbatical begins with an 11-and-a-half-hour overnight flight to Cape Town, the South African capital. With six days to play with, why not get your bearings on your first day? Head out on a private guided tour of Chapmans Peak, Hout Bay, Noordhoek and Cape Point, where the Indian and Atlantic Oceans meet. You'll also have your first animal encounter: paddleboarding with the local penguins.
During your time in Cape Town, take a day trip to Kirstenbosch National Botanical Garden, one of the most beautiful in the world. We’ll also arrange for you to get involved with one of Uthando charity’s development projects, which cover issues from education for young children to sustainability.
Cape Town is known for its incredible food and locally sourced ingredients, so make sure to visit its markets and sample the fresh produce. Spend your final two days in Cape Town’s winelands: explore the sweeping estates and vineyards, taste their finest wines (paired with some delicious dishes, naturally) and gain an insight into the winemaking process.
Hop on a two-and-a-half-hour flight north to Kruger National Park, one of Africa's largest game reserves. Kruger boasts sensational wildlife-spotting opportunities and is the perfect place to catch the Big Five in action.
For the next four days, follow the well-heeled paths of the bush under the African sun, both on foot and in a 4x4. Along the way, learn from your expert guide about the lesser-known details of the park and its inhabitants, such as how to distinguish animal tracks. If you’d like to experience the park on two wheels, head out on a guided mountain bike expedition through the bush instead.
In the evenings, enjoy sweet sundowners and tasty bush dinners. If you have an adventurous streak? Opt to sleep out under the glittering night sky, listening to the nocturnal sounds of the savannah.
A short two-hour flight from Kruger will take you to Livingstone, home to Victoria Falls. Over the next three days, experience the famous falls in all their glory, beginning with a sundowner cruise on the Zambezi River. See the falls from above from a microlight plane, or enjoy a helicopter flight through five miles of winding gorges.
The adventure continues with a thrilling swim in Devil's Pool overlooking the mighty falls, followed by a tasty lunch at the Elephant Café, where all profits go towards the upkeep of the resident rescued elephants.
There's so much more to do here, from canoeing on the Zambezi and bungee jumping off the falls to – if you’re visiting during a full moon – experiencing the lunar rainbow. After an adrenaline-filled few days, wind down with a delicious dinner aboard the Royal Livingstone Express steam train.
For the next five days, it's all about animals. Leave Zambia behind and drive one hour and 40 minutes south from Victoria Falls to Hwange National Park.
This incredible national park is chock-full of wildlife, from buffalo and giraffes to lions and leopards. Hwange is also home to an estimated 45,000 elephants (so sightings aren’t in short supply), and you may even have the chance to see wild dogs and aardwolf as you learn about the park’s conservation initiatives.
In this glorious setting, head out on a variety of game drives, keeping a watchful eye out for the wonderful wildlife that calls the park home. You’ll also have the chance to hone your photography skills while in the bush, with the help of purpose-built hides, professional photographers and guides.
After five fantastic days in Hwange, hop back into the car and return to Livingstone for your three-hour flight to Nairobi. Your first stop in the Kenyan capital is the Sheldrick Wildlife Trust, a charity which rehouses orphaned elephants. Enjoy a tour of the orphanage, where you’ll meet the keepers and learn more about the individual elephants and traumas they’ve overcome.
Next, continue the conservation theme with a visit to Ocean Sole. This wonderful charity transforms flip flops into art, aiming to create a cleaner ocean environment and save marine wildlife that would otherwise die from eating plastic waste.
On your last day in Nairobi, you can choose where you’d like to give back to the local community. Spend your last few hours at either the One Horizon women’s centre or a local school to see how tourism can positively impact wildlife and conservation projects.
Your spectacular African sabbatical continues in Laikipia, a short 40-minute flight from Nairobi. The wildlife-rich Laikipia plateau is overlooked by Mount Kenya – the second-highest mountain in Africa – and has a deep-rooted history in conservation.
For the next four days, join the front lines of conservation projects in the area. Help out with anti-poaching patrols, visit conservation headquarters and meet the people (and dog units) spearheading the war against poaching. You’ll even learn about elephant collars and how they’re used to track movement and prevent conflict. Pretty cool, right?
It’s up to you how to spend the remainder of your time here. Explore your surroundings on a 4x4, walking or horseback safari, see the world from above in a helicopter or venture to Mount Kenya to catch trout. For a moment of calm, head to Sundowner Rock, which inspired the creators of The Lion King, or really get back to nature with the ultimate fly-camping experience.
After a short one-hour flight to Samburu National Reserve, your first stop is a tour of a local village. Led by a Samburu warrior guide, you’ll have the opportunity to meet their family and friends and truly immerse yourself in local culture.
Over the next few days, visit the singing wells with Samburu cattle herders to gain an insight into their way of life. Keen for a dash of adventure? Go quad biking alongside the Ewaso Ngiro river, enjoy a 4x4 safari to see the reserve’s myriad wildlife or explore the Matthews Range by camel for a taste of Kenya's mountains.
For the final safari section of your sabbatical, hop on a two-hour flight to the legendary landscape of the Maasai Mara. Spend the next five days in safari heaven; this sprawling expanse of grassland, dotted with acacia trees and trampled by migrating herds, is an incredible sight to behold.
The Maasai Mara National Reserve is one of the few places where reality trumps the imagination. Each day that you're here, you’ll have the chance to come face to face with the giants of the African plains, including majestic lions, sleek leopards and immense rhinos. Need we say more?
End your sabbatical in style on the Kenyan coast. First, board a one-and-a-half-hour flight to Nairobi, where you’ll catch another short one-hour flight to Lamu Island, your home for the next six days (lucky things).
With postcard-perfect beaches, lush mangrove swamps and a UNESCO-protected old town, Lamu has everything you need to wind down and reflect on your experience of a lifetime. And relax…
It’s sadly time for your luxury Africa safari sabbatical to come to a close. Hop back aboard a flight to Nairobi, where you’ll catch your direct nine-hour flight home. Arrive back in the UK the next morning, boasting glowing tans, a camera roll full of photos and memories that will last a lifetime.
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
ENQUIRE NOW
Each of our trips is entirely tailor-made with originality, quality and cultural immersion in mind. Our team of destination specialists will craft itineraries based on your tastes, using their first-hand knowledge and the help of our in-country team of Concierges and guides. All trips are accompanied by a wide range of additional services, including a 24-hour helpline, the Original Travel app, fast-track airport services and much more.
ENQUIRE NOW
Our team of destination experts will get to know you and your unique requirements for your holiday
We work with you to build an ultra-personalised holiday itinerary with your choice of accommodation, experiences and activities
All of our holidays include little extras designed to make a big difference to your trip, from fast-tracking you through airport check-in and security to our network of local Concierges
