Cultural Safaris in Africa

In any event, we will always ask whether at each camp, you would have any interest in visiting a school (always popular on our family safaris to Africa) or a clinic, or a local village or a market.

The rains arrive in the Makgadikgadi Pans in Botswana, triggering a migration of herds of zebra and wildebeest across the plains, with predators closely following in their wake. The plains become green and scattered with wild flowers, the horizon ablaze with rainbows backed by glorious sunsets and clouds illuminated by lightning. These camps offer Bedouin chic in the Makgadikgadi and are a window into an otherwise unknown world.We offer either individual stays at these camps followed by three nights spent in the western Kalahari with the Zu’hoasi Bushmen or for a small group or family, we can arrange for you to be led by bushman expert and bon viveur, Ralph Bousfield.

We also can arrange for you to have a private quad biking safari in this region for a couple of nights, sleeping out beneath the stars with bedrolls.

Another alternative is in Namibia in the Khaudom region where one can spend time with the Bushmen or San people.

A more rustic experience can be had by visiting the Hadzabe and Datoga tribes of the Lake Eyasi region of northern Tanzania. The Hadzabe have been featured by Ray Mears as one of the last, genuine, hunter-gatherers left on earth and our trips here are very ‘down-to-earth’. There is a super small camp near the lake, a magnet for pelicans, which is ideal as a springboard for visits to these very special people. Many people on safari in northern Tanzania will have their own guide and vehicle for the duration of the safari, which offers continuity and the smooth running of your safari. It is during this time that you will spend huge amounts of time with your guide and learn all about their culture, as well as often developing a life long friendship.

Alternately, one of our favourite ways of experiencing the culture of the country, is by going on a walking safari. Kenya offers this perfectly, where you can walk in the Laikipia plateau with your Samburu guide and crew. Three nights or more are spent walking and learning about the ways of the bush as well as learning about the local culture. This is a wonderful way to explore the land, in peace and at your own pace, away from any vehicle. Another way is in the Loita Hills on the edge of the Masai Mara, where you spend around five days walking with your Maasai guides, as they show you their villages and tell you all about their culture as part of your mule assisted walking safari, camping out each night.