Collette’s African safari tours bring travellers up close to the continent’s wildlife while also connecting them to its culture and community. As part of the small group Explorations travel style, maxed out at 19 travellers for this product line, these safaris are designed by Collette’s local experts, who maximize value when it comes to experiencing wildlife, local community, and culture on a more intimate level.
“Our travellers experience an upscale African safari without the luxury price tag when they choose to explore the continent with us,” said Jaclyn Leibl-Cote chief executive officer at Collette. “We’ve been designing inclusive safari tours for three decades, allowing travellers to get closer to the wildlife, to nature, to culture, and to picturesque landscapes that they’ve only dreamed about exploring.”
Travellers will enjoy creative comforts in lodges, tented camps, and safari boats in close proximity to parks and game reserves. These hand-picked accommodations not only showcase wildlife but the natural environment as well.
“Wildlife game viewing is top of mind for most travellers when they book one of our Africa tours,” said Roger Clulow, a product designer for Collette’s tours to Africa. “But the people element for us is very important because without them we wouldn't be going to these areas. So the opportunity to meet with locals, to learn from them, to engage with them, to share with them is as important as the game viewing and wildlife because it gives us the opportunity to contribute to local communities, to partner with organizations within them and other remote areas that do a lot of good work in terms of supporting those people in terms of the environment and the wildlife.”
All of Collette’s safaris include Impact Moments – visits to social enterprises, nonprofits, and cultural or environmental conservations groups. These experiences create sustainable economic benefits for local communities.
For example, “African Safari: Kenya & Tanzania” visits the Shanga Workshop, an organization where people who are either physically or mentally disadvantaged can earn a living. Travellers eat lunch at Shanga’s restaurant and can purchase art, paintings, or jewelry created in the workshop, with the proceeds helping fund the non-profit. The visit not only provides travellers perspective, but directly impacts the organization in a postive way.
The Impact Moment on “The Plains of Africa” features a stop at Ocean Sole, an organization just outside of Nairobi that recycles discarded flip flops and sandals from beaches and turns them into colorful sculptures and art. This offers an opportunity for travellers to support a local non-profit that contributes to the community.
“So, again, in terms of supporting people, in supporting environment, supporting wildlife -- anything where an organization is working to support and improve conditions is something that we're really interested in,” Clulow added. “So we have impact moments across the world and in Africa where we are able to share and expose our travellers to some of the good work that these organizations are doing.”
Collette's passion for delivering a high level of customer satisfaction results in seamless and worry-free African journeys where travellers will be inspired and awed not just by the wildlife but by the culture of a destination.
