Preferred Tour Operators
Audley Travel
Starting out in 1996, Audley is now firmly installed in its converted 17th Century mill in Oxfordshire. The heart of Audley's business has remained unshakeably its country specialists; individuals such as Sarah Read who have all travelled independently and extensively to regions and have an infectious passion for what they have experienced.
Cedarberg African Travel
Cedarberg African Travel has offices in leafy Twickenham, London, and in South Africa. Cedarberg began in 1995 and the last 14 years have been spent working solely with people who want a high value, highly tailor-made safari or holiday in Africa and the Indian Ocean islands. Their clients range from parents anxious to make sure that all that the family's needs are met on a first-time safari, via time-pressured honeymooners, to safari veterans keen to try somewhere different. As well as tailormade safaris and holidays, Cedarberg has a particular interest in family safaris and walking safaris & hiking tours.
Kate Bergh, and the Cedarberg team of 17, have plenty of first hand experience throughout Africa visiting safari lodges and camps, driving the roads, sleeping in the beds, watching the sunrise over a waterhole on the game drives... It's a tough life!
Hippo Creek Safaris
With Nina Wennerstein and her son, Dan Saperstein, at the helm of Hippo Creek, clients can be assured that their dreams for an African safari are realised. Whether Eastern or Southern Africa, visiting gorillas or lions, Hippo Creek will find the safari to make their client's heart soar. The Hippo Creek team is continuously travelling to 'safari' Africa and prides itself on personally inspecting any lodges or camps before recommending them to any client. Since 1991 Hippo Creek Safaris has been selected by Conde Nast Traveler Magazine as one the 'Top Travel Specialists for African Safari', a true testament to the hard work and commitment of the team.
Jacana Tours
Jacana Tours was established in 1991 and specializes in tailor made tours to Southern and Eastern Africa. The members of the Jacana team are either from Africa or have lived or travelled there extensively. The focus is on the touristic assets of these destinations: the small and intimate country houses, camps and lodges - often owner run, individually designed, and offering high quality accommodation and guiding. Jacana sells the Africa that the team loves - off the beaten track.
Okavango Tours & Safaris
Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the company specialises in individually tailored itineraries to southern and east Africa. Each member of the enthusiastic team has either lived in Africa or travelled widely so there is a breadth of knowledge to be called upon. Their attention to detail is reflected by the AITO's Award for the Tour Operator of the year which has twice been given to Okavango Tours & Safaris.
Original Travel
Original Travel was launched in early 2003 and is an award-winning travel company, arranging unforgettable experiences and tailor-made holidays to destinations world-wide. We use our personal insights and experiences to hand-craft trips into unique and memorable holidays. We have over 150 years of high end travel experience within the team, and specialise in honeymoons, family trips, private properties, experience-filled adventures, safaris, luxury exclusive travel and short breaks. In early 2009 we acquired luxury long-haul travel experts, Tim Best Travel, specialists in Africa, Latin America, the Indian Ocean Islands, Australia and India, Tim Best Travel was founded in 1994 and like Original Travel was born out of a passion for travel. In Africa, the company focuses on small, exclusive lodges, hotels and camps, many of which are off the beaten track where a range of activities and superb guiding are all on offer. The team have all been brought up or lived and worked in many of the countries in which they specialise and invest much of their time revisiting old haunts and exploring new and exciting places and bringing a wealth of knowledge, experience and personal service to their clients. Original Travel is committed to eco-friendly outfitters and companies who are concerned for the wildlife, the environment and feel a responsibility both to their local communities and areas in which they operate.
Pulse Africa Tour Operators
Established in 1992, Pulse Africa has a long and successful history of sending discerning clients to all corners of Africa. Pulse Africa specialises in holidays that are original and tailored specifically for individual client needs. Based in South Africa and with a staff of sixteen, Sandy and her team are able to draw on a great deal of local knowledge and expertise and they are passionate about the areas they sell. Each of the fifteen countries and the many destinations offered to clients have been visited by a member of the team, and Pulse Africa prides itself on keeping current with the finest Africa has to offer.
Safari Consultants
Safari Consultants have been leading specialists on 'safari' Africa since 1983. Voted AITO Tour Operator of the Year in 2006, we have always been a small, personal company with a deep passion for Africa. All our safari holidays are individually tailored to suit personal interests and requirements.
We cover 14 countries across East and Southern Africa and the Indian Ocean Islands, and use a very wide range of accommodation options and safari providers, from adventurous mobile tented camps to luxurious safari lodges. Our ability to do this is based entirely on our extremely in-depth knowledge of the regions in which we specialise, and of the safari industry in general.
Scott Dunn
Scott Dunn is a luxury tour operator based in London and Chichester. Scott Dunn specialises in tailormade holidays in Africa and around the world as well as operating luxury ski chalets in the Alps and villas in the Mediterranean. Known for its depth of knowledge and individual service Scott Dunn has thrived and its tailormade holidays now account for the major part of Scott Dunn's business.
Steppes Travel
Steppes Travel (or Steppes East as it was then) was founded in 1989 with the objective of creating a travel company where service and knowledge are of the highest priority. Steppes offers individuals the ability to travel safely in remote areas in the knowledge that one of the Steppes Team has been there before. Furthermore Steppes runs a 24-hour emergency service, which ensures that at any time, a member of staff is on call to help resolve a local difficulty. To achieve this Steppes demands a very high calibre of staff who, through a combination of upbringing and education, can objectively analyse the resorts they visit and absorb the culture and history of the country and who will, at a moments notice, disappear off to some far flung remote corner to visit a particular treasure which, for what ever reason, has grabbed their attention.
Tanzania Odyssey
Tanzania Odyssey was founded on the principle of knowing the most about the destinations offered, and being able to impart this information in an intelligent and unbiased manner. To this end all of the Tanzania Odyssey consultants regularly visit Africa (usually at least 3 times a year) and one has even written a guidebook to Tanzania (the Cadogan guide).
From early beginnings in Tanzania, the company is now proud to offer Kenya, Uganda, Botswana, Zambia, Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa, the Seychelles and Mauritius, always without compromising exacting standards, and never selling areas or lodges that they don't know backwards.
With private presentations to clients in the Fulham offices, Tanzania Odyssey will shortly open a satellite office in Texas to provide the same level of service to those in the States. Their extensive video library alone is a fantastic aid for those clients trying to decide where to visit.
Thika Travel
Joost Tania's passion for Africa's wildlife lies at the core of Thika Travel and is the reason the company was born in 1987. It became the ideal 'excuse' to venture into the bush as often as possible, and to share his unique experiences with his guests. At the same time Joost is privileged to be surrounded by an expert team of Africa fundis, eager to share their travel knowledge and passion with you. They never tire of Africa and its wildlife and people. It is part of them, and they hope it will become part of you.
Driving by the requests from many a repeat client, Thika Travel ventured into other – mostly pristine - wildlife areas and now operates bespoke individually tailored journeys into Latin America, Alaska and Canada, the Indian Subcontinent and all the Polar Regions. Grown as a beach extension to the safaris, Thika Travel also runs a resort program into the Indian Ocean Islands, is a long time wildlife travel partner for WWF and is proud to have been chosen by National Geographic Benelux to run their travel program.
Timeless Africa
Julian Asher is the founder of Timeless Africa and heads up the office in London, England. Timeless Africa specialises in creating customised African safaris to the finest destinations in Botswana, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania, Victoria Falls, Zambia, and Zimbabwe. Timeless Africa focuses on bringing their clients the best that Africa has to offer, in small intimate camps and lodges set in exclusive wilderness areas undisturbed by mass tourism.
toescapeto
Tom Corcoran is the Director & co-founder of to escape to, a UK tour operator specialising in tailor made holidays, with offices in London & Cape Town. More akin to a personal secretary than a tour operator, to escape to offers expert advice and a comprehensive booking service, from flight tickets and transfers to added extras such as romantic restaurant bookings, alternative safari experiences and surprise snorkelling excursions to deserted islands. to escape to is committed to staying ahead of the game and bringing unique and interesting resorts to their clients- particularly those resorts featured in the Good Safari Guide.