They have just published their list of the world’s Top Ten Safari Tour Operators to Africa, in alphabetic order as follows. Only one of these has its head office in Kenya: Gamewatchers Safaris!
- & Beyond, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Abercrombie & Kent, Chicago, USA
- Africa Serendipity, New York, USA
- African Portfolio Inc, Connecticut, USA
- Gamewatchers Safaris, Nairobi, Kenya
- Micato Safaris, New York, USA
- Natural Habitat Adventures, Colorado, USA
- Nomad Tanzania, Arusha, Tanzania
- Roy Safaris, Arusha, Tanzania
- Wilderness Safaris Gaborone, Botswana
Top 10 African Safari Tour Operators
Posted by Fodor’s Editors on August 6, 2015
Recent controversy surrounding the death of Cecil the lion in Zimbabwe at the hands of a big-game hunter has raised an important debate: What is the best way to protect African wildlife? On one side, pro-hunting advocates argue that exorbitant hunting fees fund conservation efforts that would otherwise be underfunded or nonexistent. Meanwhile, other argue that going on game drives (and thereby pumping money into local economies) benefits the animals. But not all safari outfitters are created equally, and some are much less conscious of respecting animals and the environment than others. If you’re a responsible traveler who wants to plan an African safari, work with one of these top-rated tour operators, most of which have dedicated philanthropic causes.
Gamewatchers Safaris
This Nairobi-based company specializes in delivering luxury, tailor-made safaris to small camps and lodges in the top game-viewing areas of East Africa. Every traveler is guaranteed a personal, authentic safari and the opportunity to experience the magic of the African bush while helping protect Africa’s wildlife, ecosystems, and cultures. Gamewatchers runs its own ground operations, ensuring guests are well looked after from the start of their trip to the finish. Guests often add beach trips to the end of their safaris.
Destinations: Botswana, Kenya, Mauritius, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia.
Popular packages: African Splendours Safari, twelve nights, from $5,895; Gamewatchers Adventure Camping Safari, six nights, from $1,995.
Philanthropy: It supports a school in Kibera, Nairobi, and more than 1,000 Maasai families are directly benefiting as a result of its conservancies. It has also set up outreach pro-grams to assist with water provision, education, and predator protection.
What they do best: A personal, authentic experience, as far from mass-market tourism as it’s possible to get.