Tailor-made safaris and travel to Southern Africa

SCHEDULED (SMALL GROUP) SAFARIS

Scheduled Safaris follow a pre-determined itinerary, and are typically small group safaris departing on specific dates. The principle advantage of a Scheduled Safari is that a small group of travelers shares certain fixed costs (e.g. transportation and/or a specialist guide), thereby decreasing the per person price of a trip. In essence, this makes Scheduled Safaris (particularly Fly-Drive Safaris) a good choice for the more budget-conscious traveler. Some of our scheduled departure safaris are short (e.g. the three night Mana Canoe Trail, and the three or four night Skeleton Coast Safari) and are designed to fit into a customized itinerary. Others (e.g. most of the Fly-Drive Safaris) are itineraries in themselves, although it is always possible to add on destinations either before or after such safaris. The key features of our scheduled departure safaris are: they focus on the region's top gameviewing and wilderness areas using the prime locations, they make use of only the best guides, and group size is small (we do not offer any scheduled departure safaris hosting more than 12 guests, and most only accommodate 8). We categorize our scheduled departure safaris as Fly-In Safaris, Fly-Drive Safaris, and Adventure Safaris.

[ FLY-IN SAFARIS ] - [ FLY-DRIVE SAFARIS ] - [ ADVENTURE SAFARIS ] - [ COMFORT RATINGS ]

FLY-IN SAFARIS

Guests are flown between permanent safari camps ensuring maximum time spent on safari and minimum time in transit. This also facilitates a greater range of travel, and the flying itself can be a highlight as one gets a 'birds eye' view of the vast, unspoiled African wilderness.

Elephant Back Safaris (Abu Camp) - Botswana - 4 days / Six

The ultimate luxury adventure safari - game viewing on a 500,000 acre private concession in Botswana's famous Okavango Delta from the backs of African elephants. Safari starts on Tuesday or Saturday.

Cost (2009): $7,994 per person sharing

Best of Namibia Wing Safari - Namibia - 7 days / Four and Five

This seven day safari takes in all the major highlights of Namibia - Sossusvlei and the Namib Desert, Swakopmund and the Skeleton Coast, Damaraland, and Etosha National Park. A plane stays with the safari throughout, and accommodation is in Namibia's top safari camps and lodges.

Cost (2009): $5,556 to $5,892 per person sharing

Skeleton Coast Safari - Namibia - 4 or 5 days / Four

The Skeleton coast is one of the most remote and unspoiled areas of Africa, offering an incredible diversity of experiences. We offer two safaris, one for four nights/five days (departing every Saturday) and another for three nights/four days (departing every Wednesday). Both are fly-in safaris, starting and ending in Windhoek.

Cost (2009): $4,430 or $4,645 per person sharing

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FLY-DRIVE SAFARIS

These scheduled departure safaris drive between camps where feasible, and fly when the drives are too long and/or unproductive. This combination maximizes their cost effectiveness. Accommodation is in both permanent and mobile tented camps/lodges. Four safaris involve more flying than driving, and utilize predominantly permanent camps. Three safaris drive more, with most accommodation in mobile camps. We do not take more than 8 guests on any of these safaris.

The Great Wilderness Journey - Botswana and Victoria Falls - 11 Days / Four

This is the most exclusive 'fly-drive' safari in Botswana. The safari is based almost entirely on remote private concessions in Botswana's prime wilderness areas, with guests staying in permanent tented camps. All travel between camps is by light aircraft. Full range of Botswana activities, including game-drives, night drives, mekoro, walking, and canoeing. Maximum of eight guests are accompanied by a professional guide and camp staff.

Cost (2009): $7,455 per person sharing

Migration Routes - Botswana and Victoria Falls - 10 Days / Three

A more traditional fully serviced overland safari offering excellent value for money. Most of the safari occurs on private concession areas, and guests are accommodated in large dome tents. Long, tedious legs of the routing are flown in light aircraft to maximize game-viewing time in prime areas. Destinations include the Okavango Delta and Linyanti/Chobe areas in Botswana, and the Victoria Falls. Full range of Botswana activities, including game-drives, night drives, mekoro, walking, and canoeing. Maximum of eight guests are accompanied by a professional guide and two camp staff.

Cost (2009): $4,150 per person sharing

Wilderness Dawning Safari - Botswana and Victoria Falls - 10 or 14 Days / Three

Two great overland safaris through northern Botswana for the more budget conscious traveler. These fully serviced camping safaris accommodate a maximum of nine guests, and cover the Moremi Game Reserve, the Okavango Delta, the Savuti Channel, and Chobe National Park, ending in Victoria Falls. The 14 day safari includes the Kalahari Desert.

Cost (2009): $2,800 to $3,175 per person sharing

Limpopo Sand Safari Botswana and South Africa - 9 Days / Four and Five

Incorporating three game-rich reserves along the legendary Limpopo and Sand Rivers, including Mashatu Reserve in Botswana's Tuli Enclave, Pafuri Camp in the Makuleke sector of the Kruger National Park, and MalaMala in the Sabi Sand Reserve. Featuring some of the best game-viewing that southern Africa has to offer, a wide range of activities and landscapes, and a unique combination lodge + tented camp experience.

Cost (2009): $4,690 to $4,990 per person sharing

Kafue's Rivers and Plains - Zambia - 8 Days / Four

A great value for money safari in one of Africa's largest National Parks. The Kafue features a wide range of mammal species, including all high profile predators and several endemics. Activities include game drives and night drives, walking, canoeing, boating, and fishing. Accommodation is in three permanent tented camps, each with private en-suite bathroom facilities. A maximum of eight guests is accompanied by a professional guide

Cost (2009): $3,336 per person sharing

The Great Namibian Journey - Namibia - 13 Days / Four

The Namibian equivalent of the Great Wilderness Journey, this exclusive safari covers the major highlights of this remarkable country of barren deserts, rugged mountains, and spectacular wildlife. The majority of the safari is conducted on private concessions, and modes of exploration range from game drives and night drives, to nature walks, quad-biking, boating, and mountain biking. Highlights include Sossusvlei, Damaraland, Etosha, and the incredible Skeleton Coast National Park. Maximum of eight guests are accompanied by a professional guide and four camp staff

Cost (2009): $7,030 to $7,460 per person sharing

The Spirit of the Namib - Namibia - 10 Days / Three

An exploration of the ancient Namib Desert, it's wildlife and contrasting scenery. From the mountainous and game-rich north to the mighty dunes of Sossusvlei in the south. The safari covers Etosha National Park, Kaokaland, Damaraland, Swakopmund, and Sossusvlei. Combination of flying and driving, with a maximum of eight guests, accompanied by a professional guide and two camp staff

Cost (2009): $4,128 to $4,335 per person sharing

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ADVENTURE SAFARIS

More active safaris, for example hiking and canoeing safaris. These safaris represent some of the most exciting and interactive wilderness experiences on offer anywhere in the world. Three and four rating.

The Mana Canoe and Walking Trail - Zimbabwe - 4 days / Three

The Mana Canoe Trail is an incredible journey through the heart of the Mana Pools area - a UNESCO World Heritage site by virtue of its beauty, wilderness, and biodiversity. This 4 day camping safari starts close to the western boundary of Mana Pools at Ruckomechi airfield and finishes at Chikwenya airfield; it operates from May through mid-November, and combines well with other safari destinations in southern Africa.

Walking Safaris - 2 to 10 days / Three and Five

One of the most intimate and exciting ways of experiencing Africa's wilderness and wildlife. With minimal technology separating one from the environment, walkers really feel that much closer to Africa. Choose from a range of walking safaris in different parts of southern Africa. Something to match every walkers interest - from a two day walking safari at a permanent tented camp in the Kruger Park, to a 10 day mobile walking safari in the wilds of Zambia's Luangwa National Park.

The Kubu Island Safari - Botswana - 6 days / Three

This five night safari is an in-depth exploration of the Kalahari Desert and mysterious Makgadikgadi Pans - the largest salt pans on earth. Guests enjoy three nights at either Jack's or San Camp, where they have the opportunity to discover the magic of the Kalahari and its fascinating eco-system. Two full days are spent traversing the Makgadikgadi's vast expanse of 'nothingness' on low impact quad bikes (ATV's), and guests spend two nights under the stars at the sacred and deeply spiritual Kubu Island. Safaris operate for a minimum of four guests on any dates from June through October.

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COMFORT RATINGS

In order not to confuse our ratings with those commonly used in the hotel industry, we have chosen the paw of a lion to reflect the quality status of each of our safaris, camps, and lodges. On each of our scheduled departure safaris, the paw symbol appears next to the name of the safari. This will allow you to determine the accommodation standard at a glance.

Six - These are the highest quality camps and lodges in our safari portfolio. They feature the ultimate in luxury, style, amenities, and service, and are consistently voted as being among the top properties in the world by international travel publications. Examples include Mombo, Jao, Abu, Vumbura Plains, and King's Pool in Botswana, several luxury lodges in South Africa, and Little Ongava and Little Kulala in Namibia.

Five - These are luxurious and elegant permanent safari camps and lodges with all the necessary features for a very comfortable stay. At a minimum, the rooms are large with full en-suite facilities (hot and cold running water, flush loos, showers, basins), closet space, ceiling fans, and real beds. The camps are stylish, often (though not always) raised off the ground on teak decking, and have swimming pools. Most camps and lodges in our portfolio fall within this category.

Four - Camps and lodges in this category are similar to 5 Paw properties with a few subtle differences. Rooms are not quite as big, furnishing are a little more basic with less attention paid to style and luxury. The camps are typically built at ground level and often don't have swimming pools. All rooms still have real beds and full en-suite facilities. These camps are, for the most part, used for our Fly-Drive Safaris.

Three - These are camps used for some of our high quality cross-country camping safaris (Fly-Drive). The camps are temporary, being moved every day (or every couple of days) along with the safari. A camp staff accompanies these "fully serviced" safaris (in addition to the professional guide) to deal with all camp chores - erecting and taking down tents, cooking, cleaning up, etc. Camp beds and bedding are provided. Tents range from smaller igloo shaped tents to walk-in Meru style tents. Bathroom facilities are comprised of a bucket shower and long drop or chemical loo - typically one bathroom facility shared between two tents (sometimes all tents share one bathroom facility). Examples include the Migration Routes Safari, the Mana Canoe Trail, Wilderness Dawning Safari, and Robin Pope Walking Safaris.

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Call toll-free on 1-888-227-8311 or email us at info@classicafrica.com