Organized Tours

Packages for the Independent Traveler

Package tours are simply a way to buy the airfare, accommodations, and other elements of your trip (such as car rentals, airport transfers, and sometimes even activities) at the same time and often at discounted prices.

One good source of package deals is the airlines themselves. Most major airlines offer air/land packages, including South African Airways (www.flysaa.co.za), Delta Vacations (tel. 800/221-6666; www.deltavacations.com), Continental Airlines Vacations (tel. 800/301-3800; www.covacations.com), and United Vacations (tel. 888/854-3899; www.unitedvacations.com). Several big online travel agencies -- Expedia, Travelocity, Orbitz, Site59, and Lastminute.com -- also do a brisk business in packages. Getaway, the largest circulation magazine in Africa, has an online travel agency that is another excellent source, particularly for budget travelers (www.getaway.co.za).

Most of the U.S.- and U.K.-based operators listed below and elsewhere in the book represent several reputable African-based companies.

Companies specializing in top-end safaris and sightseeing trips throughout southern Africa are Abercrombie & Kent (www.akdmc.com), Ker & Downey (www.kerdowney.com), and Orient-Express Safaris (www.orient-express-safaris.co.za).

If you're looking for a smaller, more personal agency that specializes in top-end tours to southern Africa, contact Judy Udwin at Mushinda, P.O. Box 421665, Atlanta, GA 30342 (tel. 404/843-0046; mushinda@mindspring.com). Judy visits all her lodges personally and will tailor an itinerary around your needs and tastes. South African-born Julian Harrison (tel. 800/545-1910; www.premiertours.com; info@premiertours.com) is another U.S.-based operator worth contacting -- he is consistently named one of Condé Nast Traveler's Top Travel Agents in the U.S. and offers safaris that range from the do-it-yourself, eco-conscious, participation type to high-end luxury, and combines these with general sightseeing trips to suit the individual. Premier also acts as an air consolidator and offers some of the lowest airfares to Africa. But be sure to double-check your accommodations bookings before you depart, and insist that there are no ad hoc changes once you have arrived.

For safari-specific trips, particularly to Botswana, Zambia, and Namibia, you can side-step the agents and deal directly with Wilderness Safaris (tel. 27/11-807-1800; www.wilderness-safaris.com), the largest safari outfit in southern Africa, which specializes in putting together excellent itineraries that cover visits to a variety of their camps, located in the best wilderness areas throughout southern Africa. They are recommended for the quality of their guides (and staff in general) and -- with a maximum of eight guests on any safari -- the quality of the experience.

Travel packages are also listed in the travel section of your local Sunday newspaper. Or check ads in the national travel magazines such as Arthur Frommer's Budget Travel Magazine, Travel & Leisure, National Geographic Traveler, and Condé Nast Traveler.

Escorted General-Interest Tours

Escorted tours are structured group tours, with a group leader. The price usually includes everything from airfare to hotels, meals, tours, admission costs, and local transportation.

Despite the fact that escorted tours require big deposits and predetermine hotels, restaurants, and itineraries, many people derive security and peace of mind from the structure they offer. Escorted tours -- whether they're navigated by bus, motor coach, train, or boat -- let travelers sit back and enjoy the trip without having to drive or worry about details. They take you to the maximum number of sights in the minimum amount of time with the least amount of hassle. They're particularly convenient for people with limited mobility and they can be a great way to make new friends.

On the downside, you'll have little opportunity for serendipitous interactions with locals, and you won't stay in the best places. The tours can be jam-packed with activities, leaving little room for individual sightseeing, whim, or adventure -- plus they often focus on the heavily touristed sites, so you miss out on many a lesser-known gem. Which is why you're on this website, right?

Special-Interest Trips

Bird-Watching -- With so many habitats, southern Africa is one of the most rewarding bird-watching destinations in the world. Birders looking for escorted tours of the bush throughout the country, with the focus primarily but not exclusively on bird-watching, contact Peter Lawson (tel. 27/13/741-2458; www.lawsons.co.za). Not only is he excellent company, but he also loves what he does and puts together itineraries to suit your particular interests or needs.

Wine Tours -- Stephen Flesch, former chairman of the Wine Tasters Guild of S.A. and an ardent wine lover, personally knows many of the winemakers and proprietors of the top wine estates, and his knowledge of South African wines spans 4 decades. He will take into account your particular interests or wine preferences, and tailor an itinerary that covers both historical estates and rustic farms off the beaten track. He will then take you to one of the Winelands' top award-winning restaurants (he is, after all, secretary of Cape Town's Slow Food Convivium). Rates are R1,200/$167/£86 per day per person for two, R500/$69/£36 extra for each additional person (half-day starts at R950/$132/£68). You can contact him at tel. 021/705-4317 or 083-229-3581, or sflesch@iafrica.com.

Cultural Tours -- Another good Cape Town tour worth booking in advance is a Cape Town Jazz Safari, offered by Andulela Tours (tel. 021-790-2592; www.andulela.com). The highly personal tour kicks off with a visit to the District Six Café for a drink, then heads off to the home of a well-known local muso like Mac McKenzie, the king of "Goema" (a fusion of jazz, samba, and traditional drumming), ending at a restaurant in Landsdowne. Andulela also offers a Cape Malay or African Cooking Safari, in which a guide gives you some background information on the cuisine, then takes you into a home in the local community, where you prepare a three-course meal with your hostess. This is not haute cuisine by any means, but the interaction with real Cape locals (rather than the Eurocentric community that runs much of the tourism industry in the city) will be a lasting memory.

Origins of Man -- Palaeo-Tours (tel. 011/726-8788; www.palaeotours.com) offers fascinating trips to some of the key sites in what has become known as the Cradle of Humankind, declared a World Heritage Site in 1999 for the significant paleoanthropological discoveries made in the area since 1966. Guides are paleoanthropology scientists or Ph.D. students who will explain the history of evolution while taking you to working excavation sites. The area is some 20 minutes from Johannesburg city, and tours, comprising two site visits, usually last 5 hours; all Palaeo-Tours are by arrangement only, so book before you leave home.

Adventure Activities -- From dropping 216m (708 ft.) into a ravine in the highest bungee or bridge jump in the world (at Bloukrans) to walking with lions and surfing the Zambezi as it churns through Vic Falls' Batoka gorge, southern Africa is a mecca for adrenaline junkies and outdoors enthusiasts. For a complete list of operators specializing in adventure pursuits, purchase the Getaway Adventure Guide (or take a look at www.getawaytoafrica.com); in the Vic Falls area, check out Safari Par Excellence (www.safpar.net).