Authentic African experiences

Native Escapes, a new small group and tailor made tour operator, is launching a distinctive and inspirational vacation to travellers who want an educational, fun and ethical safari experience.

Targeting holidaymakers who really want to get under the skin of the country they travel to, Native Escapes has already spent considerable time prior to launch appointing local, specialised guides and building bespoke itineraries that go beyond the normal trips taken by other tour operators.

Specialising in trips to traditional safari destinations such as South Africa, as well as emerging ones like Namibia, Botswana and Zambia, Native Escapes’ philosophy is built on four principles: high quality, small and authentic accommodation, qualified botanists or local historians as guides, opportunities for lots of activities that are unique to the destination, and a focus on using suppliers that are acting responsibly towards their local communities and environment.

Managing Director, Sharon Holmes, comments: “In developing our itineraries, we were looking for that unique experience – we believe that our guides are different because they know the roads that are off the beaten track and are able to point out a scar on an elephant and give a likely reason for it, rather than simply stop and stare at it in what amounts to a tourist traffic jam.

“We have also recognised that whilst guests might want to go hurtling down the sand dunes on a sandboard, or drudging through the mud tracking rhinos, at the end of the day they need a comfortable bed, en-suite facilities, and good food.”

Many activities are included in itineraries, such as game drives, visits to local sites of historical importance, bushwalks or canoe trips. There are also plenty of optional activities: like taking a hot air balloon trip over the Namibian Desert at sunrise, eco-quad biking over the sand dunes, a scenic flight over the Victoria Falls, swimming with dolphins off the coast of Mozambique or whale watching off the Elephant coast in South Africa. There is also a programme of extensions for those wanting to spend a few extra days in the region.

Native Escapes is also intent on using suppliers that are using their tourism businesses to benefit their local environment or communities. Each small group itinerary on the website contains a paragraph titled 'What this trip contributes’: this might include cheetah-tracking activities that benefit a local foundation dedicated to the rehabilitation of big cats back into the wild in Namibia, or an accommodation provider in Zambia which funds a medical clinic for the local village.

However, Native Escapes are not attempting to be tourism-missionaries - at the end of the day, guests will more likely than not be sat round the evening fire with a glass-of-something under the stars and listening to the nocturnal sounds deep in the African bush ... a sure sign of a ‘getting-away-from-it-all’ experience.

For more information, visit Nativeescapes.com.