Luxury Wildlife Safaris – Exploring the Wild in Comfort

Luxury wildlife safaris are one of the ultimate holiday choices for relaxation and unforgettable experiences. Once upon a time a safari was a rough and ready affair of basic lodging and we put up with the discomfort for the rewards of spending time out in the majestic wild landscapes, viewing wild animals in their natural state and reconnecting with the elemental side of ourselves. Today the savvy traveller who looks for both style and comfort can choose from a wide selection of exclusive safari destinations, which provide both authentic encounters with the wild unspoiled landscape and the luxury and pampering that the luxury traveller expects.

Safari is a Swahili word meaning journey. Every safari experience is a journey, both in the physical sense and in the emotional and spiritual one. Traveling through landscapes as diverse as the vast African plains and the humid Indian jungle in search of wildlife takes us a long way from our stressed out daily lives, freeing up our minds and emotions to unwind, in itself the ultimate luxury! When you combine that with the relaxed evenings spent in luxury lodges or stunning old world tented camps, dining on gourmet food and even being treated to a massage or spa treatment, a safari can be the perfect escape and rejuvenation for both body and soul.

In Africa it is the Big Five that every visitor wants to see. Originally coined to identify the big game hunter’s five most challenging trophies, nowadays the Big Five are the mantra of the conservation stance that the safari now embraces. Elephant, lion, buffalo, rhino, leopard are not at present endangered species, but in times of dwindling habitats it is the huge expanses of game reserves in Southern Africa that ensure their survival. The luxury wildlife safari plays an important part in funding conservation efforts and sustaining the game reserves visited, so by enjoying the holiday of a lifetime you will also be contributing to the survival of the fascinating animals that are so thrilling to watch.

The Big Five are to be found in many of the reserves in South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and Botswana, but a safari is not just about those five big animals: the agility of the springbok, leaping through grassland, the dignity of a soft-eyed giraffe grazing on the tree-tops, a mass of sugar pink flamingos skirting a pristine blue lake, all of these sights and many others will enchant and create unforgettable memories.

For an unusual safari experience a visit to a luxury lodge in the Namibian desert under the infinite southern skies makes a stunning retreat. Or perhaps an elephant back safari in the Indian jungles in search of tigers, where you might come across ancient temples hidden in the lush greenery.

A luxury lodge may provide the most in the way of luxury, but a tented camp in the Kruger National Park can also provide sophisticated style and modern opulence, even boasting a sparkling swimming pool.

So for the luxury traveller there are a multitude of safari options to choose from, each with a slightly different flavor but all of them an experience to remember for a lifetime.