No, we haven't turned into party planners, but several clients have come to us recently and asked if we could organise trips in Africa to celebrate special birthdays or anniversaries.
It has made us realise just how many opportunities there are for this sort of thing.
It need not be wildly expensive and can be done with groups of friends, family or simply any combination of people you care to put together.
When you do consider what you might expect to pay for a large dinner or dance for a celebration, then a seven night private safari with your closest friends and family doesn't sound like quite such a ludicrous idea.
To give you an example, one of the trips we've worked on recently was a joint 30th and 40th birthday party, which started by taking over part of the Ngorongro Crater Lodge in Tanzania.
They then had a private charter plane to Fundu Lagoon in Zanzibar, where the group took over the whole property.
We are also planning a surprise 40th for another client's wife.
This trip is just for the two of them, but it is a trip she has always wanted to do.
It starts with a safari in Botswana, before moving to Victoria Falls for an elephant-back ride birthday breakfast and then a birthday night spent fly-camping on an island in the middle of the Zambezi River.
We are also planning a 70th birthday party which is a real brain teaser as the group includes the four children, and their thirteen grandchildren who range in age from seven to twenty four years.
These are just a few of the trips we have worked s far and here are a few further suggestion, some planned and others we would like to arrange.
If you have any ideas let us know.
We love a challenge.
Elephant Dung Birthday Cake This was a private five night safari in Botswana guided by Map Ives (one of the 'gods' of the safari industry) to celebrate a birthday.
The group flew into Maun where they were met by Map and then they were flown to a classic tented safari camp, Pom Pom, in the Okavango Delta.
Days two and three were split between walking and doing mokoro (dug out canoe) trips and the nights were spent fly camping in the bush.
Their last two nights were spent at Kaparota Camp in another part of the Delta.
We are sure that the birthday boy won't mind us explaining that he was offered a birthday cake which he had some difficulty cutting.
As he struggled with it the camp staff fell about with laughter and finally let on that it was really dry elephant dung with chocolate sauce spread over the top.
The real cake came later.
Classic safari and riding in Botswana We have been asked by a couple to put together a celebratory anniversary trip for themselves and a group of friends.
The final size of group is s yet unconfirmed, but it is likely to be for twelve people.
The itinerary starts with land and water based safari activities in Northern Botswana and it then moves to a classic safari camp in the Okavango Delta.
The final leg of the trip is a fantastic four night horse riding safari at Macatoo Camp deep within the Okavango Delta.
Both riders and non-riders will be well entertained here.
The riders will go off into the bush on horseback and those not so keen on four legged exploration will go on game drives.
The group will have exclusive use of this camp during their stay.
Upper and Lower Zambezi, Zambia A trip we really do want to put together, and one that we know would really wow friends and relatives, is to combine a few nights in the Upper Zambezi with safari activities in the Lower Zambezi National Park.
You would fly to Livingstone in Zambia and transfer by road to Tongabezi on the banks of the Zambezi.
Among the activities here are boat trips, birding, fishing and visits to the Victoria Falls and the town of Livingstone.
One night would then be spent at Sindabezi, a private island on the Zambezi, where guests fly camp under the stars in the middle of the river.
The most perfect place for a private party.
Guests could then fly to the Lower Zambezi National Park, staying somewhere like Sausage Tree Camp with its six Bedouin style tents.
As a single group can take over the camp, activities would be tailored to your liking from game drives and wilderness walks to canoeing and fishing.
It is then only a short hop to Lusaka and a direct flight home to London.
Private Houses There are some wonderful private houses scattered all over Africa from Kenya to the Cape.
For those who want to be near the beach, there are some stunning properties on Lamu off the Kenya Coast, and other small hideaways on Zanzibar.
More traditional perhaps, but equally good are beachfront properties in Cape Town.
Boats Crewed boats are available in both Mauritius and Seychelles.
For the more adventurous, why not take a traditional dhow on Lamu, or a private charter on the Malagasy (Madagascar) coast.
And the others ...
We could go on for pages on this theme, but the final two suggestions we will mention are both the fantastic Schoeman fly-in safari in Namibia and doing a private mobile safaris which would be available throughout Africa.
The Schoeman family has been running fly-in safaris on Namibia's Skeleton Coast for over twenty five years.
This classic trip takes a small group in a private plane, flying to some of the most remote areas in the world.
The trip is for four days and three nights, with each night spent at a different camp.
The quality of your Schoeman host and guide, and the stunning scenery make this the finest trip in Namibia and one of the best in the whole of Africa.
Classic Mobile Tented Safari If you love Africa and the truly wild regions, then your ideal safari is probably a small private camp away from the well trodden tourist routes.
The trip would be designed around your interests, the season of travel and the length of time you have available.
Camping is fully serviced including a guide and chef and each camp, you might move on two or more occasions, would be set up in a remote exclusive area within a wildlife reserve.
Accommodation is in traditional, spacious East African tents, with stretcher beds and comfortable bed rolls.
Imagine a birthday lunch under the shady bough of an acacia tree or a celebratory dinner under a star-filled African sky.
In summary the birthday opportunities are endless.
Whether you are planning to take just your partner away, you are catering for adults and children with a wide range of ages or you want something really sophisticated for a small group.
Whichever you prefer it's a really memorable way of celebrating a big event ..
..
..
we certainly think so.
http://www.
aardvarksafaris.
com/articles-general-birthdays.
htm
It has made us realise just how many opportunities there are for this sort of thing.
It need not be wildly expensive and can be done with groups of friends, family or simply any combination of people you care to put together.
When you do consider what you might expect to pay for a large dinner or dance for a celebration, then a seven night private safari with your closest friends and family doesn't sound like quite such a ludicrous idea.
To give you an example, one of the trips we've worked on recently was a joint 30th and 40th birthday party, which started by taking over part of the Ngorongro Crater Lodge in Tanzania.
They then had a private charter plane to Fundu Lagoon in Zanzibar, where the group took over the whole property.
We are also planning a surprise 40th for another client's wife.
This trip is just for the two of them, but it is a trip she has always wanted to do.
It starts with a safari in Botswana, before moving to Victoria Falls for an elephant-back ride birthday breakfast and then a birthday night spent fly-camping on an island in the middle of the Zambezi River.
We are also planning a 70th birthday party which is a real brain teaser as the group includes the four children, and their thirteen grandchildren who range in age from seven to twenty four years.
These are just a few of the trips we have worked s far and here are a few further suggestion, some planned and others we would like to arrange.
If you have any ideas let us know.
We love a challenge.
Elephant Dung Birthday Cake This was a private five night safari in Botswana guided by Map Ives (one of the 'gods' of the safari industry) to celebrate a birthday.
The group flew into Maun where they were met by Map and then they were flown to a classic tented safari camp, Pom Pom, in the Okavango Delta.
Days two and three were split between walking and doing mokoro (dug out canoe) trips and the nights were spent fly camping in the bush.
Their last two nights were spent at Kaparota Camp in another part of the Delta.
We are sure that the birthday boy won't mind us explaining that he was offered a birthday cake which he had some difficulty cutting.
As he struggled with it the camp staff fell about with laughter and finally let on that it was really dry elephant dung with chocolate sauce spread over the top.
The real cake came later.
Classic safari and riding in Botswana We have been asked by a couple to put together a celebratory anniversary trip for themselves and a group of friends.
The final size of group is s yet unconfirmed, but it is likely to be for twelve people.
The itinerary starts with land and water based safari activities in Northern Botswana and it then moves to a classic safari camp in the Okavango Delta.
The final leg of the trip is a fantastic four night horse riding safari at Macatoo Camp deep within the Okavango Delta.
Both riders and non-riders will be well entertained here.
The riders will go off into the bush on horseback and those not so keen on four legged exploration will go on game drives.
The group will have exclusive use of this camp during their stay.
Upper and Lower Zambezi, Zambia A trip we really do want to put together, and one that we know would really wow friends and relatives, is to combine a few nights in the Upper Zambezi with safari activities in the Lower Zambezi National Park.
You would fly to Livingstone in Zambia and transfer by road to Tongabezi on the banks of the Zambezi.
Among the activities here are boat trips, birding, fishing and visits to the Victoria Falls and the town of Livingstone.
One night would then be spent at Sindabezi, a private island on the Zambezi, where guests fly camp under the stars in the middle of the river.
The most perfect place for a private party.
Guests could then fly to the Lower Zambezi National Park, staying somewhere like Sausage Tree Camp with its six Bedouin style tents.
As a single group can take over the camp, activities would be tailored to your liking from game drives and wilderness walks to canoeing and fishing.
It is then only a short hop to Lusaka and a direct flight home to London.
Private Houses There are some wonderful private houses scattered all over Africa from Kenya to the Cape.
For those who want to be near the beach, there are some stunning properties on Lamu off the Kenya Coast, and other small hideaways on Zanzibar.
More traditional perhaps, but equally good are beachfront properties in Cape Town.
Boats Crewed boats are available in both Mauritius and Seychelles.
For the more adventurous, why not take a traditional dhow on Lamu, or a private charter on the Malagasy (Madagascar) coast.
And the others ...
We could go on for pages on this theme, but the final two suggestions we will mention are both the fantastic Schoeman fly-in safari in Namibia and doing a private mobile safaris which would be available throughout Africa.
The Schoeman family has been running fly-in safaris on Namibia's Skeleton Coast for over twenty five years.
This classic trip takes a small group in a private plane, flying to some of the most remote areas in the world.
The trip is for four days and three nights, with each night spent at a different camp.
The quality of your Schoeman host and guide, and the stunning scenery make this the finest trip in Namibia and one of the best in the whole of Africa.
Classic Mobile Tented Safari If you love Africa and the truly wild regions, then your ideal safari is probably a small private camp away from the well trodden tourist routes.
The trip would be designed around your interests, the season of travel and the length of time you have available.
Camping is fully serviced including a guide and chef and each camp, you might move on two or more occasions, would be set up in a remote exclusive area within a wildlife reserve.
Accommodation is in traditional, spacious East African tents, with stretcher beds and comfortable bed rolls.
Imagine a birthday lunch under the shady bough of an acacia tree or a celebratory dinner under a star-filled African sky.
In summary the birthday opportunities are endless.
Whether you are planning to take just your partner away, you are catering for adults and children with a wide range of ages or you want something really sophisticated for a small group.
Whichever you prefer it's a really memorable way of celebrating a big event ..
..
..
we certainly think so.
http://www.
aardvarksafaris.
com/articles-general-birthdays.
htm