Get Active On Safari

Classic Portfolio are a rep company we love and admire, and have worked with for years. In the safari industry a rep company are the people who look after the camps and lodges and approach tour operators like us to persuade us to sell the safari camps and lodges they look after. We respect Classic Portfolio and their indomitable leader Suzanne Bayly who is an industry big dog. Her knowledge and eye for a good camp is unrivalled. As well as working closely with rep companies such as this we also have a policy of visiting every safari camp we sell – usually multiple times over the years, which gives us an edge over other safari tour operators who do not have such a broad and updated first hand knowledge of the safari properties we all sell. You never know a place unless you have stayed there, there are so many factors that go into a good safari camp.

Anyway… as curated by Suzanne at Classic Portfolio here are some ideas for those of you that want to get really active when on a luxury safari:

Quad Biking is a huge favourite for us – we love it everywhere and anywhere, we’ve done it in Botswana, Kenya, South Africa… if there’s a quad we’re on it. In this case Classic Portfolio draw attention to one of their lovely properties, Sasaab in Samburu – Northern Kenya. The quad biking here allows guests to get into areas of the private concession which are not accessible by car – ending up at an amazing bush breakfast or sundowner set up. Watching a Samburu in traditional Samburu regalia flying across the sandy dry river bed is nothing short of a vision.

Now onto Kayaking, another thing we adore – we have tonnes of kayaking and canoeing options from Kenya, to Zambia, to Botswana and everywhere in between. Masoala Forest Lodge in Madagascar is some of the most unspoilt kayaking in Africa and this area was only discovered in the 1990s, so you really are one of the first to explore these areas as not many have since. They are pristine, stunning and really really wild.

Walking safaris of course are an absolute classic – we have lots of options from walking between camps, short walks to look at small insects and tracks, children’s walks, to full on expeditions with fly camps every night under the stars. Without the noise of a vehicle you can soak up so much more of the wilderness around you.

Now – give us a horse and this beats everything else mentions above, although we are aware a horse riding safari will not be for everyone – however what about riding down the white sandy beaches and crystal clear waters of Benguerra Island in Mozambique, as you can do from Azura Benguerra. The horses here have a happily relaxed island life and adore cooling off in the gin clear waters of the Indian Ocean. Riding bareback with the horses swimming or just walking is as magical as it sounds. For the more experienced rider a canter along the beach may also be possible depending on tides. Oh to be in Mozambique now!