Africa

For East Africa — Kenya and Tanzania — the dry months of July to October are prime: wildlife concentrates around water and the great migration reaches its dramatic river crossings. For Southern Africa — South Africa, Botswana and Namibia — the cool, dry winter from May to September offers superb game viewing. Egypt, Morocco and the Nile are most comfortable from October to April, when desert days are warm rather than fierce.

Requirements vary by country. Many of the most-visited destinations are straightforward for Indian passport holders — Kenya and several others offer electronic visas or e-Travel authorisation, while Egypt, Morocco, Tanzania and others have e-visa or visa-on-arrival arrangements. Because a single trip can cross more than one country, we handle the visa roadmap for every traveller as part of the planning.

Africa is a vast continent, and the established safari and travel circuits we use are well-managed and welcoming. You travel with professional guides and trackers in national parks and private reserves, staying in lodges and tented camps, with game drives at dawn and dusk when wildlife is most active. We plan routes, transfers and camps end to end so you can simply be present.

Many safari regions are in malaria zones, so anti-malarial medication and good insect cover are recommended. Yellow fever matters in both directions. A number of countries on African itineraries sit on the WHO yellow fever endemic list, and proof of vaccination may be requested on entry to them — but India also requires a valid yellow fever vaccination certificate from any traveller arriving from a country on that list, which catches you on the way home. The rule applies to transit too, if you leave the airport transit area. The certificate must be issued by a vaccination centre authorised by India's Directorate General of Health Services, becomes valid only ten days after vaccination, and is then valid for life. Without a valid certificate on arrival in India you may be quarantined until it becomes valid, or for up to six days, whichever comes first — and a doctor's letter of exemption does not prevent that. Whether your particular route is caught depends on which countries you enter or transit, and the WHO list is amended from time to time. We advise consulting a travel clinic four to six weeks before departure, and we provide a country-specific health and packing brief with every itinerary.

Usually two or three at a relaxed pace, rather than racing across the continent. Classic pairings work beautifully — Kenya with Tanzania for the migration, a safari followed by the beaches of Zanzibar, or Cape Town with the Garden Route and Victoria Falls. We design around regions and rhythm so each leg has room to breathe.