Thomson Tailormade launches new Africa brochure

Tour Operator Thomson Tailormade has launched the Africa brochure, offering an extensive selection of quality hotels and unique experiences tailored to suit every need.

Witness the annual migration in Kenya, climb Table Mountain in South Africa or hear the thunder of the mighty Victoria Falls in Zambia – Africa is so diverse that every visit will peel away a new layer to reveal something new and enticing.

Thomson Tailormade specialises in flexible durations and an extensive range of tours and twin or multi-centre options. With Thomson Tailormade’s Worldwide Value you can get more for your money and save further through a range of special offers including free nights and room upgrades. The Africa brochure features a number of suggested itineraries for fantastic holidays – but the team of dedicated travel consultants can tailor-make virtually any holiday request.

KENYA:
The home of safari! Famed for its large herds and game rich national parks, intriguing masai culture and a warm Indian Ocean coastline offering outstanding marine-life and luxury resorts.

Kenya will always be the African safari dream. Each year the thousands of wildebeest and zebra migrate as the seasons change and they search for greener pastures. The migration is the greatest wildlife show on earth! As with many natural events, dates are unpredictable but the migration usually begins in the Serengeti in mid-march, moving through the northern Serengeti plains between May to July when the wildebeest congregate and prepare to cross the famous Grumeti River. The wildebeest arrive in the Masai Mara between August and September and stay until the end of October when the rains return to the Serengeti.

Kenya boasts an idyllic coastline with 500km of tropical beaches fringed by turquoise waters sheltered by spectacular coral reefs. Visit Watamu on the northern coast to see rare Green-Backed Turtles laying eggs in their natural breeding ground, or the southern coast where protective reefs have created beautiful beaches with calm and inviting waters where offshore reefs flourish.

Examples include:

• The Kenya Classic Safari over 8 days costs from £1,679 per person and includes 1 night in Nairobi, 2 nights in the Masai Mara for the ‘Big Five’ safari and the opportunity to see the wildebeest migration, 1 night at Lake Nakuru to see the flamingos and rhino and 2 nights for vast numbers of elephant and views over Mount Kilimanjaro as well as international airfares. This exciting safari visits some of Kenya’s most loved parks, taking in the open plains of the Masai Mara, the shimmery pink waters of Lake Nakuru and the swamps of Amboseli. It also provides the perfect opportunity to spot Africa’s Big Five and more amongst beautiful and diverse scenery including magnificent views of Mount Kiilmanjaro.

• Combine a romantic safari and beach holiday in Kenya over 17 days costs from £4,499 pp including international and internal airfares, or if it is a first time safari and beach holiday you are looking for Thomson Tailormade offers 14 days from £1899 pp including international and internal airfares.

TANZANIA & ZANZIBAR:
With a backdrop of Mount Kilimanjaro and a foreground including Big Five game and herds of wildlife, Tanzania is truly spectacular. Combine this with coral reefs and a fascinating history of Zanzibar and you have created an ultimate African journey.
The very word ‘Zanzibar’ brings to mind intrigue, adventures on the high seas and tales of pirates and traders. Today the ‘Spice Island’ retains all of its romance and mystery and combines it with a collection of boutique accommodation that makes it a perfect place to unwind and relax.
Examples include:

• The 4 day Selous Fly-in Safari costs from £1,209 and includes 3 night’s accommodation and international airfares. The Selous Game Reserve in Tanzania is one of the largest reserves in the world boasting over 54,000 square kilometres and three quarters of a million wild animals including hippo, crocodile, elephant, buffalo, wildebeest, zebras, giraffe, waterbuck, baboon, leopards, lion, wild dog, eland, sable and roan. Game drives are open 4 x 4 vehicles, by boat, or, unlike most other national parks and reserves, on foot.

• Thomson Tailormade offers 1 night at the 4 star plus Zanzibar Serena Inn hotel in Zanzibar from £85 per person. The Zanzibar Serena Inn is a converted 18th Century house situated on Stone Town’s magnificent ocean front. Located in the heart of Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the hotel has been restored into a unique property echoing the grandeur of days past with intricately carved doors and furniture coupled with colourful mosaic flooring. The most spectacular of excursions is to the Serena owned Mangapwani where guests can experience dazzling white secluded beaches, spice gardens, private water sports and the most sumptuous dining in simple elegance.

• Thomson Tailormade offers 17 days in Tanzania and Zanzibar from £3,299 pp including international and internal airfares.

SOUTH AFRICA:
Dazzlingly diverse, South Africa offers spectacular natural landscapes, bustling modern cities, incredible wildlife, plenty of sunshine and superb food and wine. South Africa is a world within one country. Awe-inspiring landscapes, cosmopolitan cities, beautiful vineyards and amazing wildlife - the Rainbow Nation offers something for everyone, where the people and culture are as diverse as the landscape. Africa’s southern most country has long been the inspiration of travellers the world over promising your return time and time again…

Cape Town & Surrounds: Visit Robben Island where Nelson Mandela and other political prisoners were incarcerated, you will be shown around the prison by an ex-inmate to learn about the island’s turbulent history. Take a day to drive down to Cape Point, one the world’s greatest landmarks where the Atlantic and Indian Oceans meet and enroute visit the Cape of Good Hope and Boulders Beach, home to a colony of penguins. Relax in the fashionable Cape Town suburb of Camps Bay, this area offers urban beach life at its best offering stylish cafes, bistros, clubs and restaurants, a great combination with a stay in the city.

The Garden Route: The Garden Route is one of the world’s best self-drives running through some of South Africa’s most stunning landscapes. The drive between Cape Town and Port Elizabeth follows the foot of the Outeniqua and Tsitsikamma Mountains, each curve revealing another natural beauty that will take your breath away. Pristine white beaches border extensive lagoons where stunning landscapes, fascinating wildlife and colourful cultures await, all blended effortlessly to create a truly diverse South African getaway.

Kruger National Park: Kruger National Park is synonymous with safari, offering a world class game reserve experience. One of the biggest, oldest and most famous game reserves in the world, Kruger stretches almost 350km. Home to the greatest variety of wildlife in any South African park, you have a chance of spotting lion, leopard, elephant, cape buffalo and black rhino (the Big Five) as well as cheetah, giraffe, hippo and many species of antelope and smaller animals. Wildlife spotting will always be down to luck but you’re likely to be luckier in Kruger than anywhere else.

Examples include:

• Thomson Tailormade offers a 12 day ‘World In One Country’ tour from £2,279 per person. The price includes 1 night in Johannesburg, 3 nights in Mpumalanga, visits to the Kruger National Park to seek out the Big Five, 1 night in Swaziland for a Swazi cultural experience, 1 night in St. Lucia, 1 night in Durban, 2 nights in Knysna and the Featherbed Nature Reserve, 1 night in Outshoorn to enjoy an ostrich farm experience and discover the Cango Caves and international airfares. This comprehensive tour reflects the true spirit of this vibrant country. Gain an insight into its history and culture and experience South Africa’s superb wildlife and stunning scenery.

• Thomson Tailormade offers 1 night at the 4 star Four Rosmead hotel in Cape Town from £64 per person. An exclusive boutique hotel situated on the slopes of Table Mountain, overlooking Cape Town’s City Bowl and close to the trendy restaurants and shops of Kloof street. Modern and stylish in design, yet with a distinctly African feel, the result is a chic guesthouse enhanced by original South African artwork throughout. With just eight rooms, all individually furnished, you are assured of attentive service after a hard days sightseeing.

• Combine boutique Cape Town and the Winelands through a fascinating 10 trip with Thomson Tailormade. The price costs from £1,399 pp and includes car hire, international airfares.

BOTSWANA:
The year round water supply of the Chobe and Okavango rivers gives Botswana the greatest concentration of wildlife in Southern Africa. Enjoy a unique safari experience in a mokoro (dug-out canoe) to witness large game and abundant predators close up and at eye level.

Examples include:

• Thomson Tailormade offers a 7 day tour of Victoria Falls, Chobe and The Okavango Delta from £3,115 per person. The price includes 2 nights at Victoria Falls, 2 nights at the Chobe Game Reserve and 2 nights at the Okavango Delta as well as international and internal flights. A short flight into the unique wetland that is the Okavango Delta. The 16,000 sq kms of crystal clear channels produce a labyrinth of lagoons, floodplains and islands creating a safari experience like nowhere else on earth. Game viewing activities are by canoe, motorised boat or on foot ensuring big game close-up.

• A fabulous multicentre suggestion is to combine luxury Cape Town and Botswana over 12 days. The price costs from £3,999 pp and includes international and internal airfares.

MOZAMBIQUE:
One of the last destinations in the world to honestly call itself ‘undiscovered’. With over 2000km of pristine Indian Ocean coastline and virtually untouched by tourism, Mozambique boasts Africa’s finest luxury resorts on fine, white sands on islands surrounded by the warm Indian Ocean. The magical offshore islands feature pristine beaches that melt away into the turquoise warm waters of the Indian Ocean where shallow reefs protect a kaleidoscope of marine life and some of the best dive sites in the world.
Examples include:

• Thomson Tailormade offers 1 night at the 5 star elite Indigo Bay Island Resort from £319 per person. Indigo Bay is an exquisite island resort, situated on the golden shores of Bazaruto Island, the largest of the archipelago, it was granted National Park status and is one of the largest conservation areas in the Indian Ocean. The resort offers understated, elegant accommodation in sheltered and secluded thatch and reed chalets, with direct access to the Indian Ocean beachfront.

• Enjoy the luxury of Kruger National Park with Mozambique on an 11 day trip with Thomson Tailormade costing £3,099 pp. Price includes international airfares.

For bookings and information, visit thomsontailormade.com.