After living in New York for the last few months and exploring a new city and the wonders of Central Park (no, really), we have gotten so excited to travel and explore new places again. Up first on the list will be a trip to South Africa, which will include going to Kgalakgadi Transfrontier Park as well as meeting some familiar faces (or familiar voices for the Safari Stories Podcast listeners) in the lowveld part of the country.

Across the African continent, hotels, safari lodges, and national parks have reopened their proverbial doors and are welcoming guests back with open arms.

We believe there is no better time to book a safari for a few reasons...

1. You can get a great deal

   1. Many lodges are offering fantastic deals to encourage travelers to come and stay. Here’s just a few to whet the appetite.

   2. Combine a visit to the Namib Desert with Botswana’s Okavango Delta and receive 20% off your accommodation at any Natural Selection lodges for 5 nights or more.

   3. Visit the Shipwreck Lodge on Namibia’s infamous Skeleton Coast and receive a 20% discount off your accommodation when you stay for 5 nights.

   4. Book a combination of 5 nights at any of Singita’s renowned Sabi Sand and Kruger National Park lodges and get 1 night free and 1 complimentary inter-lodge flight per person.

2. There’s rare short-term availability

   1. Safari lodges book out well in advance. We’re talking two years in advance at some of the top lodges. Now, however, you now have the unique luxury of booking your safari now and traveling within 1-6 months; A luxury that will quickly disappear as travel resumes and bucket list trips that were put off are moved to the top of the list.

3. Relax in the wilderness, safely

   1. Safari is an outdoor experience. You spend much of your day on an open vehicle, enjoy private meals in outdoor locations, and often sleep with fresh air slowly blowing through the mesh windows of your tent or room.

   2. All lodges have strict COVID protocols in place to ensure guests and staff are kept as safe as possible. Some lodges, like Wilderness Safaris’ Bisate Lodge, have been lucky enough to get almost their entire staff vaccinated already.

4. Need to postpone? Not a problem.

   1. One thing that has carried over from the early days of the pandemic is flexible postponements of bookings. Lodges are still offering very generous policies for postponing bookings, which means you can book your trip with the peace of mind that plans may change, and you will be able to change the dates of your safari accordingly.

5. Contribute to Employment and Conservation

   1. Since 2017, around 16 million visitors a year have entered South Africa, directly or indirectly providing an income for about 10% of South Africa's working population employed in the tourism industry, with many more people reliant on it.

   2. During 2020 that all but stopped. With the halt in tourism followed a halt in funding of conservation projects and a stark incline in wildlife poaching.

   3. By visiting, you are directly supporting the millions of people working in the tourism industry as well as the species affected by the recent rise in poaching.