Africa is on the up
Luxury holidays operator, Cox & Kings, has launched its new Africa brochure for 2012, featuring escorted group tours, private journeys and many new suggestions for tailor-made itineraries throughout Africa.
2011 has seen Cox & Kings’ passenger numbers to Africa increase by 25% compared to 2010 and tailor-made holidays Africa now account for 55% of all Africa bookings, which has risen from 30% in 2007. Cox & Kings’ Africa product manager, Louise Stanion, explains: “People are feeling more confident about devising their own itineraries in Africa with input from our experts, and tend to have a greater knowledge of the destinations they want to visit. Clients still want our recommendations and value our feedback and input but are increasingly venturing away from the traditional tourist trails to see lesser-known sights.”
South Africa: Both Cox & Kings’ group tours have increases on 2010 passenger numbers, showing that demand for tours to South Africa is returning to pre-World Cup levels. For 2012, Cox & Kings has introduced luxury departures on both Taste of South Africa and Splendours of South Africa, which upgrades accommodation to some of the country’s finest hotels.
Taste of South Africa is a 10-day / 7-night escorted tour priced from £1,895 per person for the superior tour and £2,245 per person for the luxury option, which includes flights, transfers, excursions and accommodation with breakfast daily. Clients can also choose to take the tour with private guides and transfers, or as a self-drive.
As more clients are booking itineraries off-the-beaten track, Cox & Kings has introduced two new private itineraries in the 2012 brochure. The Three Kingdoms is a 14-day / 11-night private journey priced from £5,995 per person that combines the highlights of the mountain kingdoms of Lesotho, Swaziland and Zululand with their fascinating history and beautiful mountain scenery. South African Safari is a 15-day / 12-night itinerary showcasing the great diversity of South African wildlife on a safari to three of the country’s best wildlife parks while staying in small owner-run lodges.
Ethiopia: The escorted tour to Ethiopia has established itself as the bestselling group tour in the Africa brochure with a 50% increase in passenger numbers since 2010. Stanion says, “Clients want to experience authentic destinations with culture and history. As the only African country never to have been colonised, Ethiopia has a rich heritage with fascinating rock churches, endemic wildlife and stunning scenery” The brochure includes two new private tours. Ethiopia’s Tribal Kingdom visits the fascinating and colourful tribes in the Omo Valley and is priced from £4,095 per person for a 13-day tour. The Road to Lalibela uses the newly tarmacked roads in the north of the country to explore some of Ethiopia’s most spectacular scenery with a private driver / guide and is priced from £3,975 per person for 14 days.
New for the group tour is a visit to the lesser known rock-churches of Wukro Cherkos and Abraha Atsbeha near Mekelle in the north of Ethiopia. Ethiopian Odyssey is priced from £2,845 per person for a 14-day tour and includes flights from London with Ethiopian Airlines, transfers, excursions and full board accommodation. Several of the departures have been adapted to coincide with the most celebrated of Ethiopia’s festivals: Timkat, Meskal and Tsion Mariam.
Madagascar: The Madagascar Adventure group tour has seen a 30% increase in passenger numbers compared to 2010 and due to high demand, the tour is now four days longer but at a similar price. Madagascar Adventure is now a 14-day / 11-night tour priced from £2,645 per person including flights, transfers, excursions and full board accommodation. There are also two new suggested itineraries: Marvels of Madagascar explores national parks known for superb lemur sightings and is priced from £3,995 per person; and Island Hopping, priced from £3,895 per person, explores some of Madagascar’s tropical islands.
Namibia: The group tour to Namibia, The Untouched Wilderness, has seen a steady increase in passenger numbers compared to 2010 and the 13-day / 10-night tour is priced from £3,335 per person for 2012, compared to £3,895 per person in 2011. A new private tour for 2012, Namibia’s Natural Wonders, travels overland with a private driver/guide throughout, which allows clients to travel at their own pace and explore Namibia’s magnificent dune fields, lunar landscapes, salt pans and wildlife. Priced from £7,795 per person for a 15-day / 12-night trip, the cost can be reduced to £5,795 per person if there are four people sharing a vehicle, rather than two.
Please see our website for the full programme to Africa, which also includes Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Rwanda, Malawi, Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana, Mauritius and the Seychelles.