Your party, your requirements, your budget, After all its Your Safari
You are all individuals with a safari experience in mind. We work with you to create that unique experience. Let us inspire you to create your own adventure.
After a visit to Kruger National Park in 1998, Kathryn saw photographers crammed into totally unsuitable vehicles and were being driven around by indifferent guides. She decided that she could do a much better job herself. Consequently, Kathryn went to South Africa and trained to be a Safari Guide and on her return Your Safari was born.
For the last 20 years we have proudly been delivering tailor-made experiences for our guests. Whether you are a wildlife photographer, friends travelling together or a family with children our itineraries are designed specifically around your requirements, your budget and your party. This ensures that your safari is a truly memorable experience.
We know our destinations inside out. We have driven the roads and stayed in the lodges and campsites, so you know that when we organise your safari you are safe in the knowledge that it is right for you.
Booking with Your Safari is completely safe. Your Safari is ATOL Protected (ATOL Number 11449). All payments made to us are paid through Protected Trust Services. This is a trust account which ensures your monies are held in a secure account administered by independent trustees in compliance with the Package Travel Regulations July 2018 and gives total security for all your payments to us.
We are called "Your Safari" for a reason - we will make Your Safari Adventure exactly that - "Yours!" by building a holiday for you based on your requirements and your interests and not to any set itinerary.
We consult with you, free of charge, to develop your bespoke itinerary based around your party, your requirements and your budget.
ATOL is the UK’s financial protection scheme and protects you when you book a holiday with Your Safari. ATOL Number 11449.
Your bespoke itinerary is created by our Founder and Chief Guide; Kathryn Haylett. Kathryn has over 20 years safari experience, is a fully qualified guide and professional wildlife photographer.
Booking with Your Safari is completely safe. All payments made to us are paid through Protected Travel Services in compliance with the Package Travel Regulations.
We have personally driven the roads and visited all the recommended lodges so you can book your adventure with confidence.
If you find exactly the same safari with one of our competitors, we will beat their price by £100.
These are some of the kind remarks we have received from our safari guests.
It was time to experience Africa again and without any disappointment “Your Safari” put together another adventure trip. Kathryn and staff worked diligently to accommodate the needs for both my wife and myself. This time we experienced more of Namibia from Sand Dunes, Skelton Coast, and various Lodges while making our way to Etoshia. As a wildlife photographer I have always needed to return to the Etoshia Pan to re-experience those moments that I saw and photographed during my first visit. Once our Namibian travels were complete we then travelled (flew) to Botswana to again start a totally different type of Safari. Off the grid for 10 days and being and living within easy reach of Africa’s creatures. It was a pleasure to have Jon/Kathryn along as guests with us, although I’m sure Kathryn had a hard time getting over the natural impulse to continue as a guide. Kodo’s to both them and staff for putting all the finishing touches on again another tremendous trip. Once our trip was planned and booked we had no surprises once we departed Vancouver, B.C. and arrived for our one month African experience. Our whole itinerary was laid out precisely down to the smallest of details and everything went off without a hitch. I promised myself that I would not take as many photos as our previous trip, but the excuse that I am using is we took two safari’s this time, so I am justifying taking the many thousands that now allow us to relive this most amazing trip(s). Sights, sounds, smells will be with me whenever I review my photos, especially to have a male lion only feet away bellowing alongside a lioness. The sound totally reverberated through my body and soul. So yes if you are ever thinking about such a trip contact “Your Safari.co.uk” and experience a trip of a lifetime. I personally know that the staff will walk you through every question and needs. They have done it twice so far for me………..Wayne/Linda Duke….Vancouver Island, B.C. Canada
Dear Ian and Jacqui
I just wanted to say a huge thank you for the superbly well organised trip to Botswana. We had the most amazing time and have certainly caught the Africa bug. Our hosts in Botswana were brilliant and just so welcoming and enthusiastic.
Dreaming of another adventure (and to a weekend at home)!
All the best,
Nick
What an amazing experience we had in Namibia! There were so many occasions when there were just no words to describe what we were seeing and feeling !!
Accommodation – Onguma and Okonjima were incredible; thank you so much. We would love to have been able to spend more time at each of these! Such a shame that work and money get in the way! There was a large group staying at Onguma on our first night so we were treated to a little bit of staff entertainment (singing Onguma style) after dinner.
The animals – amazing! Such a wonderful experience seeing the elephants arrive in the afternoon at Okaukuejo and seeing them again at night-time, along with rhino, giraffe and zebra; so pleased we stayed in the park. Of course, it was fantastic seeing all the other animals too; couldn’t believe how close we were to the big cats!
A safari had really been Jon’s dream; I never imagined just how much I would enjoy it and I actually felt quite emotional on a few occasions – Sossusvlei; the sheer beauty of the landscape/mountain ranges; driving from the road up to Rostock Ritz; seeing those elephants arriving at the waterhole; seeing so many different animals altogether at another waterhole; beautiful sunsets etc etc.
None of this would have been accomplished without the excellent service provided by you & Kathryn. We have been extremely impressed right the way through from day one when we met at the show. You listened carefully to our needs and what we wanted to achieve, and have been so helpful and patient with all my queries and anxieties (I’m pleased to report we didn’t have a puncture!). The finer details such as packing list, helpful information, A-Z, marked-up map, lunch recommendations (we agree with them all!) were invaluable. We would certainly have no hesitation in recommending you to anyone else looking to go on safari.
Thank you so much to you and the team for helping us enjoy our holiday of a lifetime!
Kind regards
Eileen & Jon
We have had another fantastic tour organised by Your Safari.
Once again, Your Safari provided a great structure for our trip and then modified it to meet our needs, to make it “Our Safari”
The trip took in an extensive self-drive tour of the middle and north of Vancouver Island, including Tofino, Ucluelet, Cathedral Grove, Campbell River, Telegraph Cove and Port Hardy. The roads are of good quality and are quite empty in many parts making for a relaxing drive in our SUV, taking in the beautiful forests and coastline. And the accommodation arranged was very good, often with self-catering as an option which as great after a long day out wild-life watching, but also with the option of eating out as well. Water-side in Ucluelet was particularly good.
But of course what we had really come for was the wildlife and the wilderness. From day one we had great sightings of black bears fishing for salmon near Ucluelet, with great guidance from Wayne Duke a VI resident wildlife photographer. Wayne also showed us around the Tofino area and was hugely knowledgeable about the history as well as the natural history of the area.
Next major stop was Telegraph Cove, a fascinating place in its own right, where we met our local guide, Larry and spent two days out in the Johnstone Straight in his skiff. Outstanding encounters with many humpback whales, Steller’s sealions, harbour seals and some fabulous bald-eagle fishing sightings. But probably the highlight was getting close to a pod of 12 Orca, working the salmon around the islands and bays. Larry’s expert seamanship and knowledge of wildlife and knowing the needs of photographers meant that he was able to get into some great positions without interfering with the animals, just what we want from a top class safari.
Finally, the highlight of the trip, 3 nights at Great Bear Lodge far up the Smith Inlet on the main land and truly “off the grid” with no 4G or internet. This was truly a memorable experience, from flying there by sea-plane to the outstanding natural beauty to the high-light: fabulous sightings of grizzly bears, including mothers with cubs, fishing for salmon. Definitely one for all wild-life enthusiasts bucket lists!
Whether its Africa, India or British Columbia the Your Safari experience is simply first class. Thank you to Kathryn, Ian and all the team.
We have been customers of Your Safari before and enjoyed a fantastic experience in Namibia, so when the opportunity came to take a tour with them to India on the quest for wild tigers, we jumped at it. Again the experience was fantastic. In conjunction with local guides we had a fantastic two weeks, taking in the cultural melting pot of Delhi, the elegance of Jaipur – including the imposing Amer Palace and the breath-taking majesty of the Taj Mahal.
But of course the prime reason for the tour was the safari drives in the National Parks and this did not disappoint. We had excellent sightings of tigers in all three parks that we visited and took some great photographs. But there was so much more to see than tigers and we spent time in the forests observing the deer, the magnificent Gaur (largest bovines in the world), the fascinating behaviors of the Langur Monkeys and birds of all varieties, including eagles and vultures. As a special bonus, we also had sightings of the elusive Sloth Bear.
India is an incredible country and you have to embrace the organised chaos at times. But the people are fantastic and friendly and we felt very safe throughout. All in all, another wonderful experience from Your Safari. (and next stop for us a self drive tour of British Columbia, arranged of course by… Your Safari.
First of all, thank you so much for taking on board our requirements and bolting this trip together. Your detail investigating Okakambe and the golf course is greatly appreciated. We have had a truly memorable time. I can’t believe we started planning this trip over a year ago and now we have done it!
Cornerstone: David and Peter had a fun game of golf. A perfect start to the trip (and easy to find).
Okakambe: I know I mailed about this but Eddi, Kathrin, the horses and everyone who looked after me made a lasting impression.
Erongo: A perfect peaceful place for us to settle into the trip after my riding etc. The trails are a great way to explore.
Okaukuejo: Amazing! We did have some fantastic game sightings from here.
Namutoni: On the way here we had great sightings of a family of 13 elephants and much more. This end of the pan seemed greener and offered more opportunities for us.
Okonjima: This place is a haven and captivating. The enthusiasm of the guides and people are an inspiration. We watched a pangolin being tagged one night and saw three white rhino whilst hiding behind a bush on foot!
As newby Namibia drivers we were very impressed by our brand new Toyota Hilux (a cushion purchased in Swakopmund ensured I could see and do my share of the driving in comfort!). We did have a small problem when no one was around when we dropped the Hilux back on the 30th. Eventually it was established that their records indicated return on the 31st. We were dropped at the Trans Kalahari and the car hire guy kindly waited to make sure we were OK for our early transfer the next morning.
Trans Kalahari: Comfortable and ideal for our early start. Transfer spot on time.
Constance Lamuria Seychelles : David’s birthday treat! Very expensive but customer service second to none. The golf course is stunning.
Once again, huge thanks for making this experience possible. We were a little apprehensive about self driving but your detailed instructions and advice made it easily possible.
We hope to travel with you again sometime.
Very best wishes Veronica and David.
We wanted to thank you so much for an absolutely fabulous trip to Namibia. It seems very difficult to pick out a highlight because we were so impressed by just everywhere we stayed. You really took on board what we said about liking the birds, the wildlife, wanting somewhere quirky/ unusual to stay. Everywhere you selected was just perfect and we met some lovely people.
The vehicle was modern, well maintained and effortless to drive. We had every confidence in it and it came into its own when we slept in it, the night of the storm. (White Lady Lodge, Brandberg).
The sand dunes at Sossusvlei were awesome. FOOTNOTE: We climbed Big Daddy in the early morning, but the heat still melted the glue on my trainers and the soles fell off on the sand dune. Blind panic set in before I requisitioned Paul’s socks to reattach lost soles.
No harm done! I must be the only person who went down the canyon with flip flops ( which I bought at the entrance shop. Only two pairs left). How many times have I frowned at people walking in sandals on rugged terrain. But I wasn’t missing the canyon.
I know we got booked in to Flamingo Villas because you couldn’t get your usual booking in Swakopmund, but we just loved Walvis Bay, our room on the front and the flamingo’s was a magic location and the staff were outstanding. On our arrival they booked two tours for us and then came and found us on the prom, where we were antiquating ourselves with the flamingo’s, to inform us that trips were all arranged.
Would highly recommend Jeanne Meintjes Eco Marine Kayak Tours – collected us from hotel and took us to Pelican Point amongst all the seals, dolphins and flamingoes. Her enthusiasm was infectious. She provided all equipment, clothing and hot drinks and refreshments.
We wished we could have stayed longer at Sessfontain – the swimming pool was very welcome and we loved the setting in the fort. We had such a good visit to the Himba people with the lady who worked at the hotel – she spoke their language.
Etendeka Mountain Camp was out of this world and we had such good, knowledgeable guides and warm welcome from the newly arrived manager and his wife. Stories around the camp fire come to mind.
Etosha was everything we wanted it to be. Prolific wild life from the moment we entered the park. We saw so many lions, lionesses, cubs – two a penny. Watched a lioness eating a carcass, with her young nearby, then big male came along, told her who was boss, and took the food. Also saws female being stalked by male, then they performed right in front of our truck. Rhinos at night, by the pool.
Papa Falls Resort was outstanding – perfect chalet, with terrace, in amongst the trees. You didn’t have to go searching, the birds came to you. We did a lovely boat ride on the Kavango River with an expert guide – we saw so much wildlife as well as lots of sleepy hippos.
And as for Okanjima…….What a superb end to a superb adventure. I finally got to see a leopard – right out in the open. As well as doing two walking safaris and seeing three cheetahs. Afternoon tea and cakes weren’t bad either.
So THANK YOU again for a perfect holiday.
Hi We are back – all in one piece.
We had an absolutely wonderful time – so many many thanks for putting it all together.
Once more thank you for a fantastic experience
We just wanted to say thank you for such a great holiday. We had a tremendous time. I suspect you’ve already been told about Super Saturday,
but we had a great time every day; lots of variety and very busy viewing. The group got on well and I think we all enjoyed it. We had lots of fun with
Ian ensuring that he caught the front legs of lions in the correct Kathryn position. The guide – Sam – was excellent. He really loved Super Saturday
and will spend for ever telling his mates about it. He was on a huge roll!
We have had a fantastic trip, saw tons of wildlife and just wanted to say a big thank you for all your help. The baby in the zebra pic had been born on the road less than five minutes before we got there and Bob took this as it got up for the first time. One and a half hours later we saw it running with its mum to catch up to the herd. Magic!
There were about 30 of these elephants at the water hole just as we arrived at Okaucuejo – they even came back for another show the next night – a bit before the two rhinos were squaring up for a tussle.
We have so many great memories and are just getting 360, (of the 1500+ total we took), printed to make up an album.
We absolutely loved walking at both Etendeka and Okonjima. We never thought you could get so close to a cheetah without being eaten alive!!! Bob got some lovely pictures of very relaxed cats!
We are saving our pennies so we can go and do it all again.
After a year and a half of planning and building excitement we finally had our safari this November. It was everything and more than what we expected. From the initial contact with Kathryn, through all the planning, to the safari itself, everything went very smoothly, the accommodations were above and beyond , each one unique and interesting. We couldn’t wait for the end of the day to see where we would be next! We toured Namibia plus did an animal safari which will be one of the highlights of our lives. To see wild beasts in their natural environment is truly something to treasure and appreciate. Our guides John and Jules Birch were so helpful from the minute they picked us up until they deposited us at our flight home . John’s help and hints with photos enabled us to get some really great shots , his knowledge of the animals and their habits was invaluable in sightings. He and Jules were very caring and we had a lot of fun and laughs, we left as life time friends. I purchased a pair of small binoculars before we left and so happy I did. If you don’t mind getting dirty, love adventure and fun and want a small group of people on your trip this is the company for you. When we return to Africa we will definitely be using Your Safari again
We Just wanted to say thank you again for a wonderful holiday, it truly was a holiday of a lifetime for Steven and I we have some wonderful memories and photos, you guys were just great and it was also lovely meeting you all and sharing the experience with yourselves and Chrissie and James, it is a holiday we will never forget, and we still can not believe all that we saw, I am sure a lot of it was due to your experience Kathryn, and we certainly learnt a great deal.
I think you may still be in Namibia but I just wanted to say a very big thank you for the most amazing visit to Namibia. Everything went like clockwork thanks to your brilliant organising. We were lucky not to have any breakdowns or punctures. Everywhere we stayed was of the best and all were so friendly and hospitable.
Nick and I both had a fantastic holiday both with you and afterwards on our self drive adventure. Being without a camera on a specialist photographic safari might sound crazy but you, John and Trish, all made me feel happy and comfortable.
Everywhere you booked us was exceptional in terms of location, comfort and experience – thank you so much! We will return!
I just wanted to drop you a quick note to say thank you for all your work providing us with an amazing holiday. We both fell in love with Namibia and will for sure be returning! I really appreciated the detail in the info packs and quality of the car and accommodation. The itinerary was perfect in every way for us as it happened and was a trip we will never forget. I think everyone who has seen our photos now has Namibia on their list.
Thank you so much.
Read more from Kathryn Haylett - An African Bush Girl from Nottingham.
Making the most of your Etosha National Park Self-Drive Safari. People often ask us whether they will see as many animals, when they go on a self drive safari Etosha as they would on a guided tour. The answer is absolutely yes! You can get …
Gentle Giants. Elephants are intelligent gentle giants. With a real sense of family. We occasionally are lucky enough to have exhilarating close-up encounters, with these magnificent creatures. Namibia and Botswana Both Namibia and Botswana have good numbers of elephant in the wild. They can be …
World Lion Day Saturday 10th August was World Lion Day. Where top conservationists discuss all things lion, and indeed are Celebrating Lions. Lion Numbers This iconic African predator is in trouble. With lion numbers declining by 43% over the last 2 decades. There are now …
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