A private specialist guide brings expertise to the area you are travelling in, adding depth to your interactions with the wildlife and to your historical and cultural experiences. The full value of an expedition is better realised with the input of a private guide interpreting your journey and linking the diverse sightings and experiences to create a bigger picture.

The daily logistics and planning whilst on expedition will also be managed entirely by your private guide allowing you to completely immerse yourself in your surroundings – our privately guided guests regularly comment on the enjoyment of not having to plan any finer details, and therefore being allowed to focus on “the wild stuff”!

Our team pays very close attention to every detail and we plan for all eventualities, but travel in Africa and to these wild places remains challenging, with the possibility for “curveballs” at every step – in spite of all efforts to mitigate these.  This is where having a guide at your side to manage these situations is priceless.

Yes, they are both sensational destinations for families to travel to. By their nature both continents offer very involved experiences, which provide unrivalled bonding opportunities and quality time together as a family. Most destinations promote family and multi-generational travel however some safari lodges do have a minimum age requirement of 6 years old. Walking, trekking and canoeing trails normally stipulate a minimum age of 12.  See more on safari’s with children here.

• To access some of the greatest wilderness spaces on the planet and experience a safari or expedition of a lifetime – smell the wild sage, watch the great migration cross the Mara river, scan the peaks for an Andean Condor or follow a ball-rolling dung beetle down a game path.

• For a personalised and private travel experience. Every safari is designed to meet the expectations of and fulfil the specific interests and needs of our guests. We have never arranged two identical safaris.

• Our Expeditions are unique, custom-designed small group trips into remote wilderness areas.

• We use only the best guides, lodges, camps and ground operating teams with, very importantly, the best people. We pride ourselves on the relationships we’ve built with our partners and this allows us to deliver the exceptional experiences our guests are there for.

• We have travelled to every location and lodge we include in our itineraries and have personally lived the experiences we share with you.  We are bush-lovers and adventure seekers and approach the design of our guests’ travel from that perspective, first and foremost.

• We choose locations and lodges based on our clients’ specific needs only. We do not enter into incentive agreements with any operators and see this as a key differentiator between us and a large portion of the travel industry.

All camps and lodges have medical emergency kits and even the remotest of camps have communications to summons a doctor or, if necessary, medical evacuation. Many of our expeditions include an insurance which provides for an aircraft and doctor to be called to wherever you are in case of an emergency.

Strict weight restrictions apply on light aircraft flights due to their size.  The aircraft also have physical space restrictions so only soft / duffel-type bags are accepted (no hard rigid suitcases).  There will be specific weight and size limitations for baggage depending on which countries you will be visiting.  A good luggage weight limit to target would be 15kg’s per person for hold luggage.

Yes, most camps and lodges offer laundry facilities, however this can sometimes be limited due to water restrictions.  Walking and canoeing trails generally don’t provide a laundry service.  We will identify where laundry will be available on your itinerary before your departure.

Travel in Africa and South America is generally casual unless you have included a formal city hotel in the itinerary.  Natural colours are recommended, particularly on safari and essential on walking trails in the bush.

• Bush hat
• T-shirt and long sleeve cotton shirt
• Shorts
• Long trousers
• Underwear and socks
• Walking shoes (trainers are fine)
• Flip flops or light slip on shoes
• Sweater / jersey
• Jacket (fleece is good) – recommended for cold mornings
• Swimming costume
• Waterproof jacket if you are travelling in the rainy season
• Personal toiletries, tissues and wet wipes (and small amount of washing powder for underwear)
• Towel (optional as towels are provided)
• If you wear contact lenses we recommend taking a pair of spectacles in case of eye irritation from dust
• A good pair of sunglasses
• A small backpack for use on walks and game drives

Binoculars – a pair per person (VERY IMPORTANT), sunglasses, lip balm, suncream, camera and charger, spare batteries, spare memory card, malaria prophylactics, personal medical kit, spare contact lenses, contact lens solution and glasses, a flashlight or headlamp, insect repellent.

We recommend all our guests visit their local travel clinic for qualified medical advice on the precautions required for the areas they will be visiting. Travellers to Africa and South America often require general vaccinations and many countries also stipulate Yellow Fever inoculation cards to be carried with the traveler.  Depending on the regions visited, guests may also choose to take malaria medication. We will provide you with all the relevant information on malaria and  vaccinations, but insist our guests also seek medical advice on these.

We recommend you book your international flights from your home country however we are happy to book these for you if you prefer.  All your internal flights from the start to completion of your expedition will be arranged by AE.

Yes, we ask all our clients to take out comprehensive travel insurance in their countries, at the time of booking.

We will let you know exactly what Visas are required for the countries you will be visiting but you will also need to verify this information with your local embassies or consulates as visa requirements are constantly changing.  Passports need to be valid for at least six months after the end of your trip and have the required amount of blank pages.

We will send you full information documents on the countries you will be travelling to, in order to assist with travel planning.

Generally speaking there isn’t a bad time of year to be on safari. There are however distinct seasons and time periods which are preferable to others. Ideally it is best to travel to areas outside of the rainy or wet seasons. We will fill you in with the best times of year to be in the areas or country you wish to visit.

No, you pay market related prices for a highly personalised and specialist service. Our offering doesn’t include budget trips or large group tours.