Journey planning

Whether you know exactly where you want to go or if you’re open for us to guide you, our travel designers will discuss numerous options with you over the phone or on a video call to help you figure out which type of trip will best suit you.

Absolutely. You can book your entire trip, from start to finish, through us. This includes flights, transfers, accommodation and activities. You can also book a range of properties through us, either Wilderness owned camps and lodges as well as properties owned and operated by our trusted partners. We will put together itineraries that suit your preferences and budget the best.

Yes we do. Our experts are extremely well travelled and have stayed in hundreds of lodges and camps across Africa – some owned by Wilderness but a great many owned by other high-quality companies. Thus, we can design a trip best suited to your needs.

Let your travel designer know that you would like to go ahead and book your trip. They will talk you through paying the deposit, completing a booking form and will let you know when your balance payment is due. They’ll be in regular contact with you to reassure you of any next steps, ensuring the booking process is as seamless as possible.

We will send you a quote that details what is included and what will be at an extra cost. This varies with every trip we design, with some elements such as drinks and all meals being included or sometimes at an extra cost. Some activities are also an extra cost, though we can include many that you may want to pre-book and pay for as part of the package. Travel insurance, including medical cover, evacuation and repatriation, is always an additional cost and essential for every person that travels with us. Tipping is also an additional cost, at your discretion, and is payable locally.

We’d love you to bring your children along. Our experts have an in-depth knowledge of the best places to take children, depending on their interests and age restrictions at certain camps. We are well versed at planning multi-generational itineraries, making sure your journey is safe, engaging, and enjoyable for the whole family.

As custodians of six million acres of wild, untamed land, we take sustainable tourism extremely seriously. It’s why, for the last forty years, we’ve pioneered conservation tourism that benefits not only the wildlife, but the people who call these wild places home. It’s why our camps are built with light footprints, why we endeavour to go off-grid, why we uplift communities and support local. You’ll believe it when you see it.

A safari with Wilderness is as safe as it gets. Though safaris typically take you to remote locations with wild animals around, and where there is always an element of risk, accidents are extremely rare. We advise all our travellers on how to be as safe as possible on safari, and we only use the best companies in the business. Every property we work with that is not our own, is vetted by a health and safety specialist.

We’ve got you covered. We have 24-hour medical support via phone, where trained safari park doctors are on call to talk to anyone with a health concern. In an emergency, Wilderness 24, our own in-house emergency service, will arrange evacuation to the nearest suitable medical facility from our camps. From our partner properties, we ensure that they have clear and well-planned emergency procedures of their own in place.

Though we encourage connection with nature, Wifi is available at most properties. Ask your expert what it is like at the properties you are considering. If it is essential for you to have Wifi, let us know as early as possible in the planning process and we’ll do our best to make sure you stay connected. That said, via the Wilderness teams it will always be possible to get urgent messages from or to you.

As part of our pre-departure advice, we will guide you on what to do if you need a visa. Many nationalities do not need a visa to Southern African countries, but most will need one for East African countries. We can assist our American, Canadian and British travellers with applying for a visa via our Client Experience team.

It is best to consult with your doctor in regard to what vaccinations you will need – this will vary for each person depending on their own personal health requirements though you’ll probably be advised to be up to date with tetanus, diphtheria and polio. As part of the booking process, we will inform you if you need any specific vaccinations such as yellow fever.

As always, it’s best to consult a trusted health professional but almost all of our itineraries will require travellers to take anti-malarial medication, unless your trip is only to the southern region of South Africa. Your expert or concierge will be able to advise you, depending on your specific itinerary.

Our concierge team will advise you if you need to take any COVID tests in the month prior to departure. Requirements like this can change over time, but your personal concierge will ensure you have the latest, up-to-date guidance.