If you are are visiting one of the lodge-based areas, Alta Floresta, Tambopata and Yasuni, then flying in for three to four nights is perfectly feasible, providing you with two or three full days to exoplore the forest on foot and by boat.

3-4 nights 

If you visit one of the areas which primarily offer boat-based adventures, namely Iquitos and Manuas, then five to seven nights is a typical duration, enabling you to cover some good distance on the rivers, accessing a range of different ecosystems.

5-7 nights

Longer trips of a week or more are unusual and start to become more serious expeditions, notably multiple lodge combations in Tambopata and longer boat expeditions on the Rio Negro out of Manuas, both of which can be tough but extraordinary.

8-14 nights

Tanzania

Set on the East Coast of Africa, Tanzania is a truly remarkable place, the richest and most diverse safari country, with far more than its fair share of Africa’s crown jewels, including Serengeti, Ngorongoro, Kilimanjaro and Zanzibar.

This is the place to head if you are looking for a truly diverse African experience, usually an overland journey, with equal parts of epic wildlife, majestic volcanic scenery, authentic tribespeople, farms, villages and towns.

It’s also top of the list if you want to combine safari and tropical beaches.

In all honesty, Tanzania alone is worth several trips.

Trips from USD 4500

Kenya

Also on the East Coast of Africa, Kenya is the second most visited safari country on the continent, a place of great diversity, with popular reserves including the Maasai Mara, Amboseli, Tsavo and Samburu, as well as some much more remote wilderness areas and an extensive tropical coastline.

Unfortunately, the better known reserves in Kenya can get very busy in core areas, so we need to tread carefully to deliver a quality safari.

If you are looking towards the upper end of the budget range, then trips can be remote and fabulous. But if you are looking for value, you may be better off looking at Tanzania or countries further south. 

Trips from USD 5000

Botswana

Moving to the south of the continent, Botswana is widely considered to offer the highest quality safari in Africa.

The experience is not as diverse as Tanzania, but the remoteness and purity of the bush experience is unsurpassed.

If you are looking for either an easy vacation or a deeply immersive wilderness experience, this is the place. We just need to be careful about the very high prices during the Jun-Oct dry season.

Botswana is great in combination with Victoria Falls, the Cape or the tropical beaches of Mozambique.

Trips from USD 6000

Our safari experts have incredible 
first-hand knowledge and an average
of 12 years experience building great 
trips.

Expertise and experience

Since 1999, we have created over a million sample  trips and helped over 120,000 guests fall in love with  safari Africa.

A proud history

Over the years we have polished our operation to be super-reliable. Arranging your trip should be almost as much fun  as going on safari. 

Seamless and fun

Your trip should cost no more than if 
you had booked all the components directly. You effectively get our services for free.

Delivering value

Every single trip that we build is unique. Your trip will be precisely tailored to meet the exact requirements of everyone in your group.

Supremely tailor-made

The first safari company on the internet, we helped to shape the modern safari and we continue to be the prime innovators in our field.

Original innovators

Tell us your whatever you know about your ideal trip. Whether you're drawn to specific wildlife, particular regions, or have preferences about the style of accommodation, the more we understand, the better we can help you to craft the perfect experience.

Share your ideas

South Africa

South Africa is by far the most popular location for safari. It is a vast and incredibly diverse country, with far more highlights than could ever be included in a single trip.

The primary trip shape is a combination of safari in Kruger, with time in Cape Town, the Whale Coast and the Cape Winelands.

There is a huge choice of safari accommodation, right across the price spectrum, including some of the best lower cost options in Africa, so this is often the place to head on a lower budget.

However, South Africa is a much more developed country than those further north and the safari experience can feel significantly less pure and wild.

Trips from USD 3500

Zimbabwe

Also in the southern part of Africa, Zimbabwe is best known for the Victoria Falls, but also offers some of the most earthy, authentic, heart-pumping safari on the continent.

If you are looking for a short safari of 3-5 nights, then Hwange has some great value options.

Otherwise, Zimbabwe is a relatively high-priced location, which appeals most to experienced Africa travellers, who appreciate the extremely high levels of safari guiding.

The walking safari here can be truly extraordinary, with deliberate approaches onto elephants and lions. 

Trips from USD 4500

Zambia

Set in southcentral Africa, Zambia is a delightful backwater, also best known for the Victoria Falls, but with a handful of superb safari reserves.

The camps here have a reputation for intimacy, authenticity and a pleasantly homespun feel, many with a marked leaning towards walking safari, which is always a good sign.

Zambia is a mid-to-high price safari environment, which tends to appeal most to experienced safari travellers in search of new frontiers and first timers who are specifically looking for somewhere unusual for their safari. 

Trips from USD 5000

The July to September season is generally the best time to visit most Amazon regions. Rainfall is lower, humidity reduced and forest access is excellent. Wildlife sightings improve along rivers and forest edges, and conditions are ideal in Tambopata, Iquitos and Yasuní. Manaus cruises continue, though water levels slowly recede.

Jul–Sep

The October to December period marks a warming transition toward the rains. Water levels in Manaus reach their lowest, limiting some river channels but improving beach and wildlife viewing. Elsewhere, conditions remain good early on, before showers increase later in the year. Visitor numbers drop, making this a quieter but variable period.

Oct–Dec

The January to March period is the main rainy season across the Amazon. Forests are lush and dramatic, with high water levels improving boat access, especially around Manaus and the Rio Negro. Wildlife is more dispersed and humidity is high, but birdlife and aquatic species are excellent, and visitor numbers are low.

Jan–Mar

The April to June period is a transition season as rainfall decreases. River levels remain high in central Amazon areas, keeping cruises viable, while trails begin reopening elsewhere. Conditions improve steadily in Tambopata, Yasuni and Alta Floresta, with good wildlife activity, fewer insects and comfortable travel before peak season begins.

Apr–Jun

Your dedicated safari specialist will work with you to build a selection of sample trips. We'll discuss seasonality, wildlife movements, logistics, lodge options, activity levels, whatever is necessary. And we will keep on refining until we are all confident that we have reached the perfect trip.

Crafting your trip

Everything is arranged. All you need to do is turn up. You probably won’t even need to show your paperwork, you will simply glide from one group of friendly and efficient local hosts to the next. And our support team remains on hand throughout, leaving you free to focus entirely on the extraordinary experiences ahead.

Travel with confidence

Many of us here at ATR have travelled extensively with our own kids, so we know for a fact that adventurous travel is great for families.

This is the kind of trip that guarantees to generate memories that you will share for the rest of your lives.

However, there are significant issues to consider in most safari areas, so we need to proceed with caution.

The main concern are the tropical areas, centred on the Amazon Rainforest, where health issues can be significant. We only tend to recommend these areas for kids of 12 years and older.

The other issue is security, with some parts of the main cities being potentially dangerous, but we can easily get around this by exercising sensible precautions, as you might do back home, or we can always provide a guide.

Family trips 

Travel can be an inherently romantic experience that can be endlessly tailored to suit you.

We have been helping guests to build awesome honeymoons for many years. We have intimate knowledge of some of the wildest and most romantic places in the world.

Perhaps the most important piece of advice is to be yourselves. Please don’t feel it is necessary to fit into the usual romantic tropes if they’re not for you. Just focus on having a great trip.

We very much understand the importance of these trips, we know that your honeymoon needs to really hit the heights and be a truly life-punctuating experience.

Honeymoon trips 

In adventure travel, luxury means different things to different people.

The most conventional meaning is that the accommodations are extremely comfortable, with elevated levels of hospitality. This is relatively easy to deliver, there are lots of luxury lodges.

However, simply inserting more luxurious lodges into your trip is no guarantee of a better wilderness experience. In fact, the opposite can be true.

For us, the hallmarks of a truly high quality safari are a suitably slow pace, wonderful remote locations, superb safari guiding, exclusive and intense wildlife interaction, precisely tailored experiences and considered attention to detail. We can do that.

Luxury trips 

Trips to South America are surprisingly pricey. You can expect to spend anywhere in the range USD 500 to 2000 per person per night. Twelve night trips can range from USD 5000 to 20000 per person.

We are more than happy to work across this range of prices. The only important thing is that we help you find the very best safari to suit your budget.

The main problem is a shortage of accommodation across the board. There are more good lodges in the Serengeti than in the whole of South America. Tourism here is much less developed and there is a severe shortage of decent options in most locations, especially at the lower and upper ends of the price spectrum.

If you have a higher budget, we will help you determine which camps do actually deliver elevated levels of service and experience. We will also highlight other subtle ways in which your trip can be raised to another level, including the use of private guides and vehicles, helicopter explorations of remote areas etc.

If you have a medium budget, the best ways to keep a lid on costs are to carefully choose lower-priced lodges. You can also reduce the number of core safari nights and deploy time in more cost-effective beach, town and rural locations. We will help you understand where to trim and where to splash, in order to achieve the best overall experience.

If you have a lower budget, we can focus on fundamentally less pricey safari countries, like Peru and Argentina.

Manaus Amazon

Set in the heart of the Amazon Basin in Brazil, Manaus is a major city and the main hub for riverboat explorations of the world’s largest rainforest. Highlights include lost cities, pink dolphins, endemic primates, superb bird-watching and authentic indigenous culture.

This is the place to head if you are an intrepid traveller and your trip is either very long or particularly focused on the Amazon.

From USD 500 pppn

Alta Floresta Amazon

Set in the far southeast of the Amazon Basin in Brazil, Alta Floresta comprises a patchwork of reserves, which provide some interesting wildlife experiences, notably including some beautiful large rivers, forests with huge trees, home to some unusual primate and bird species.

This is the area to head for if you want to combine the Amazon with safari in the Pantanal Wetlands of southwest Brazil.

From USD 800 pppn

Tambopata Amazon

Tambopata is the section of the Amazon Basin which lies in the southeast of Peru. It forms the heart of the largest uninhabited unhunted section of rainforest in the world and offers some relatively strong wildlife viewing.

This is the area to head for if you want a lodge-based jungle safari, to combine with areas like Machu Picchu, Cusco and Lago Titicaca.

From USD 450 pppn

Iquitos Amazon

Set in the remote northeast of Peru, Iquitos is the gateway to the Amazon River and the Pacaya Samiria Reserve, a vast and remote region with rich wildlife and indigenous tribespeople.

This is the place to head for if you want a relatively civilized and upmarket live-aboard cruise boat trip, to combine with areas like Machu Picchu, Cusco and Lago Titicaca.

From USD 800 pppn

Yasuni Amazon

Yasuni is the section of the Amazon Basin which lies in the east of Ecuador. It is a vast conservation area of rivers and rainforests, offering some wonderful wildlife and cultural experiences.

This is the place to head for if you want a lodge-based jungle safari, to combine with areas like the Bosque Nuboso and the islands of Galapagos.

From USD 750 pppn

Madidi Amazon

Madidi is the section of the Amazon Basin which lies in the northwest of Bolivia. It’s the world’s most biodiverse conservation area, ranging from glaciers to rainforest, home to a mind-boggling number of species.

This is the area to head for in the unlikely event that you are intending to take a long and unusually intrepid exploration of Bolivia, but the area is very short on decent options.

From USD 550 pppn