Spring’s sprung - don’t hang around!
There’s a lot happening in the safari world! April and May are great months for savvy travellers to benefit from low or shoulder season rates (excepting the Easter break) so please read on for my news and stay to the end for a really special Namibia flying safari offer!
What’s happening in April?
In Botswana, April marks the transition period between the hot, wet summer and the cooler, dry winter months. The Central Kalahari Game reserve is green and it’s Elephant breeding season in the Okavango, if you’re lucky you might see mating and baby eles are born around this time too.
One of the Wonders of the World - Victoria Falls - are in full spate at this time of year with towering clouds of spray visible from a great distance and rainbows all over the place. Go and enjoy a soaking!
Autumn is beginning in South Africa and April is the rutting season in Kruger where distracted Impala make easy meals for leopards (see above - sorry!). Rutting male impalas make the most terrifying roaring as they charge about asserting dominance.
It’s not to early to plan for next year so if you’d like to talk about a safari in any of these wonderful destinations please get in touch
Destination Tanzania
Tanzania is where my safari obsession began, my very first trip to Africa was a ‘Small Group Adventure’ tour in 1997 - visualise 12 people in an unreliable minibus! It was a memorable trip for all sorts of reasons, buy me a drink sometime and I’ll tell you the unpublishable bits!
In spite of the various highs and lows it was certainly an adventure and it had a life changing effect on me, visiting some incredible off the beaten track wild places, seeing some amazing wildlife and experiencing the thrill of fly-camping in the bush for the first time. The rest is history…
There’s lots of debate about Tanzania vs. Kenya as the best safari destination, and I’m planning a revisit soon to take a deep dive into the Serengeti – which is almost 10 times bigger than the Masai Mara - as well as the Ngorongoro Crater and some of the smaller parks in the North – Arusha, Tarangire and Lake Manyara.
The North of Tanzania is famous for the Great Migration, the huge open plains of the Serengeti and the stunning vistas of the crater but as well as updating myself on some of the best camps and locations I’m hoping to go beyond the obvious attractions and bring you news of some more ‘off-piste’ activities beyond the traditional game drive.
If you’d like to see how this plan develops please follow me on Instagram @safari_lucie for updates.
To Mara or not to Mara?
Did you see the second episode of the BBC’s ‘Mammals’? If not I highly recommend watching it on iPlayer. I’m really enjoying the series, this episode was beautifully filmed as usual and very thought provoking, and I found the sequence of the cheetah attempting to hunt surrounded by vehicles particularly confronting and painful to watch.
However, the situation deserves further examination and shouldn’t deter you from choosing Kenya for a safari. Yes, the main Masai Mara National Reserve is overcrowded during peak season and unscrupulous operators do overcrowd sightings. To alleviate the situation park fees have been increased from $80 to $200 per person per day, and only time will tell how effective this will be and how well enforced.
However it’s still possible to visit the area responsibly - the Mara is surrounded by well managed Conservancies which share unfenced borders with the reserve. Vehicle numbers are restricted to those operating lodges on the conservancy, a code of conduct is rigorously applied, and wildlife is less stressed and flourishing in these areas.
During my recent visits to Naboisho Conservancy - which boasts a wealth of wildlife and a thriving cheetah population - I was in the only vehicle present at sightings and really enjoyed seeing the animals doing their thing without distraction.
If you’d like a chat about how to visit the Mara responsibly I’d be delighted - please drop me a line!
Safari Specials
This is really exciting - I have an EXCLUSIVE offer for a Luxury Namibian Flying Safari – 13 nights of opulence and adventure on a tour of the best destinations in Namibia.
My Affordable Fly-In itinerary makes use of FlyNamibia’s exciting safari circuit. Guests pay for a seat on scheduled flights, rather than having to pay for a private charter. Flying between lodges allows travellers to cover a lot of ground in a relatively short time, and this spectacular safari covers Sossusvlei, a marine cruise in Swakopmund, Twyfelfontein World Heritage site, five nights of exceptional wildlife viewing opportunities in two private reserves located on the border of Etosha National Park, and a unique ‘Dream Cruiser’ sleepout in the Onguma Reserve.
After your first night in Windhoek, you’ll begin your adventure flying into the NamibRand Nature Reserve where you’ll find desert adapted wildlife, Namibia’s famous red dunes and enjoy star spotting under spectacular dark skies.
Next to Swakopmund, Namibia’s quirky coastal hotspot, for some adventures on and off the coast including a dolphin spotting cruise followed by oysters & bubbly at a beach BBQ.
Then you’ll fly up Twyfelfontein, an UNESCO World Heritage site and home to one of Africa’s most extensive and important sites of San Bushman rock art, with over 2,500 figures engraved into the sandstone over the past 6,000 years.
Finally you’ll fly to Etosha and stay at 2 of the best locations – Etosha Heights and Onguma Game Reserve - on opposite sides of the vast pan that makes up the heart of the National Park. As well as having a wealth of wildlife these are two of the best places in the world to see both Black and White Rhino. The accommodation throughout is some of the best that Namibia has to offer, so this is the most stylish and luxurious way to experience Namibia.
Check out the full itinerary by clicking here or email me for details.
This Etosha lion thinks this is an epic trip! 😂
Honeymoon specials!
There are simply too many good offers to list, including lots of 50% discounts making a safari & beach honeymoon an affordable, ultra romantic and adventurous way to kick off married life. Get in touch future honeymooners!
Honeymoon Offer in the Tanzania’s ‘Secret South’ for travel before 31st Dec 2025:
Stay 5+ nights at a combination of Sand Rivers and or Kigelia to unlock:
20% discount
A complimentary bottle of bubbly on arrival
An upgrade to a plunge pool suite (subject to availability)
A private dinner
A complimentary massage
1 night complimentary fly camping under the stars at Sand Rivers
+ Private car & guide as standard
East Africa Special - internal flights for free!
Book 7 nights in Asilia camps and your internal flights and transfers are free! This is a brilliant offer - combine a stay on a Mara Conservancy in Kenya with Asilia’s gorgeous lodges in North and Southern Tanzania or visit North & Southern Tanzania. Get in touch or click here for more info.
Share the love!
Please forward this to friends or family, don’t forget that if you refer anyone to me and they book I’ll send you a lovely hamper as a thank you, and for regular(ish) doses of inspiration please follow me on Instagram @safari_lucie, or like my facebook page Lucie Thaxter Safaris.