Africa Walking Safaris

Africa walking safaris are a huge draw for many travelling to Africa on luxury safaris – nothing can compare to being in the middle of no where on foot, exploring uncharted territory and pristine African bush amongst big game and beautiful scenery. Walking safaris in Africa take many forms from walking out into the wilderness to a fly camp, to short out walks from your luxury lodge or camp.

Walking safaris in South Africa are extremely popular not least because of the stunning coastal and inland scenery in the South of the country, but also because the guides in South Africa are incredible – African walking safaris with them, either through game rich bush, or on scenic tours are incredibly interesting. They literally know everything about their chosen area and often pick up on the small things, which we would otherwise miss if walking alone. Walking safaris can easily be unescorted (in areas with no game) or taken with a guide depending on where you are walking. Of course if you are planning to walk in areas where there is wildlife you will be with a professionally trained walking safari guide.

Makuleke Concession in the Northern Kruger Park offers the most magical walking safaris of all when it comes to walking in South Africa. Here there is unrivalled biodiversity, spectacular scenery and abundant wildlife. You will literally see everything and the guides there are fantastic. This walking safari is just three nights and is remote and wild, it combines beautifully with a luxury African lodge safari or perhaps a walking holiday in the Winelands and Cape Town region. When you get out on foot you really get to appreciate the finer things and get to know the bush and your surroundings intimately, so properly immersing yourself in the African lifestyle.

Each day on this walking safari is spent in a different part of this wonderful concession and you return each night to a friendly and warm camp. There is everything here from rivers, floodplains, seasonal pans and baobab dotted kopjes. This is more remote than one can get anywhere else in the Kruger so provides an insight into the area many years ago, when the first explorers were there. There is a sense of history in this area and you will see plenty of wildlife. Unique scenery includes Lanner Gorge, Crook’s Corner and the Limpopo fever tree forest. You really will have a special time here and will certainly have your own tales to return home with.

Recently an extremely luxurious lodge in the Sabi Sands, South Africa, won an award for it’s Africa walking safari team. Chitwa Chitwa is an exclusive and unusual lodge which is hard to beat in terms of game viewing and valur for money. The Chitwa Chitwa special offers really are some of the best out there – this luxury camp in the Sabi Sands are of the Kruger is incredibly chic, romantic and intimate, but also perfect for families with a huge family suite and fantastic private houses perfect for those wanting utter exclusivity and family time.

Chitwa Chitwa is family owned and run and offers excellent game viewing over 5,000 hectares of private land. It’s also tiny making it incredibly personal.

Anyway to the point – stay for four nights and your last night is free, or one child under 12 stays for free – fantastic offers valid ALL YEAR! Chitwa is one of the best walking safari destinations in Africa.

Botswana is also the land of the Africa walking safari and our three favourite camps offer exceptional options when it comes to walking from a luxury lodge or camp. We’re always banging on about Duba Plains, Selinda and Zarafa in the Okavango Delta Botswana because they are literally the best luxury safari camps around. They are heavenly with huge rooms, sweeping views of the surrounding game rich bush and the best guides, food and locations in the business. Walking here is done with some of the best guides in Africa, and they won’t disappoint when it comes to spotting unusual and exciting things.

Duba Plains is set in its own little world in the Okavango Delta and is most famous for it’s ability to give guests some of the most incredible lion sightings in the business – the lion around Duba often hunt the local buffalo and this is an extraordinary thing to be a part of. Seeing a hunt is every wildlife enthusiasts dream and at Duba this is often the case. It is not always possible to walk at Duba as it very much depends on buffalo and lion movements in the area.

Moving onto the heavenly Selinda Camp – Selinda sits in its own private concession, which is famous for its exclusivity and excellent private game viewing whilst on a luxury safari here. The camp is relaxed and unpretentious offering guests some of the best guides in Botswana, with unlimited safari options – walking, boats, game drives, whatever it is that suits you best you will find it here. Walking here is like something out an Ernest Hemingway book – pristine, peaceful and exciting.

And finally Zarafa, which recently quite rightly won many awards for it’s brilliant safari service – it is without doubt one of the best safari operations in Africa and offers unrivalled personal service, enormous suite like tents with roll top stand alone baths, and some of the best guides in Africa, we’re not surprised therefore that its reputation as the best camp in Africa is growing – of course the walking here is sensational. There is another camp, Selinda Explorer which is taken on exclusive use and is just for walking safaris and canoe safaris – a true purists safari heaven.