It is still not to late to go on safari in South Africa during the World Cup
You can be on a small group safari in the Kruger National Park in South Africa with your own safari guide and chef AND never miss a game as you can watch all the World Cup soccer (football) action on our private satellite TV!

This South African safari and tour operator specialises in small group and private wildlife experiences in the the world famous Kruger National Park and what is more they are one of the few specialist Kruger operators that will not be increasing their normal rates during the world cup period and because there are a few places left, you can now get up to a 40% discount.

All safaris are full board (includes all accommodation, meals, professional guiding in open-sided game viewing vehicles and all conservation and entrance fees in the Kruger National Park. They do not use tents your accommodation will comprise of en-suite serviced lodges with air-conditioning.

Safari activities include 2 game drives per day and an optional bush walk with an armed ranger.

Satellite television (all matches shown) will be made available so you wont miss a game while you are out in the bush.

Available Cheap Safari Deals

Please Note: The available dates are listed below, but The safari operator has informed us that they only have limited spaces left on their safari itineraries in the Kruger National Park during the soccer world cup in June and July 2010 and they are going fast:

6 Day Safari (5-nights)
Dates: Anytime between 28 June and 9 July 2010 – 40% discount on their standard rate
More Information & Make An Enquiry

4 Day Safari (3-nights)
Dates: Anytime between 28 June and 9 July 2010 – 40% discount.
More Information & Make An Enquiry

3 Day Safari (2-nights)
Dates: Anytime between 21st June and 23 June 2010 – 40% discount.
More Information & Make An Enquiry

Dates Not Available?

If the exact dates that you are looking for are not available, take a look at all the World Cup Safaris on offer.

Safaris Include:

• Private en-suite accommodation
• All meals and refreshments with meals (refreshments: SA wine, beer and bottled water)
• All entrance and conservation fees
• All guiding courtesy your own safari guide
• All game viewing activities in our private open safari vehicle
• All itineraries are conducted inside the Kruger National Park
• Road transportation from Johannesburg or Nelspruit return.

The specialist safari tour operators, which most people use to go on a safari holiday in Africa, are just that, specialist. Because of this they simply cannot compete in terms of price with the large package holiday companies. The specialist safari holiday travel agent will make your life a little easier, and you will have the peace of mind that everything has been organised and booked for the whole trip, but is because of this that their prices are often higher especially with safaris to Kenya than if you are prepared to try my method:

How to go on a cheap safari to Kenya
Many of the big package holiday companies like Thomas Cook and Lastminute.com offer package holidays to the beach in Mombasa in Kenya. I found one a few days ago:

14 nights in Kenya for under £500
Yip, 14 nights at a 3 star Laguna Sea Lodge Hotel on the beach in Kilifi, including flights and transfers for only £449 in January, in February, the prices rise to around £500 or just above and then up again in March, so hurry! The Laguna Sea Lodge Hotel is located 64km north of Mombasa along the main beach resort strip in Kenya that includes Diani beach, Bamburi beach (where I stayed a few years ago), Nyali beach and Malindi. Check out this one and others: African Holidays on www.lastminute.com

But I don’t want to go on a beach holiday in Kenya, I want a safari holiday:
Agh haa, but that is the beauty of this, from your hotel in Kenya, or before you leave, you can organise to either hire a car or a driver to take you to some of the best national parks in Kenya and stay at a safari lodge for a few nights, where you can either go on a self drive safari in Kenya or have the lodge to take you on a guided safari. Sure you will be paying for your accomodation on the beach in Mombasa as well as the safari lodge, but I bet that this still works out cheaper than if you were to try and book a safari holiday to Kenya from the start.

This way you will get the best of both worlds, a relaxing holiday on the beach, with some snorkeling and perhaps some scuba diving, and then an African safari as well.

What are the best National parks to Visit from Mombasa?
Tsavo and Amboseli National Park are the two nearest to Mombasa, but if you still want to, you could still drive up to the Masai Mara. Take a look at my Google map of Kenya to get an idea.

So there you have it, the last time I visited Kenya, I did something similar, except I took the train down from Nairobi to Mombasa, and used a hotel on the beach as a relaxing base to my Kenyan Safari and it was one of the best holidays I have ever had and one that i plan to do again.

Sunset on The Gambia River

Lets face it, travelling to Africa, especially if you are looking to go on Safari is never ever going to be as cheap as popping over to Spain, but there are a few deals out there and depending on what you are looking for and how far down the African continent you are willing to fly you can grab yourself a pretty cheap safari holiday and at this time of the year enjoy a winter sun holiday as well.

The further you travel down Africa, the more wildlife you tend to find, the only problem is the more the cost of the flights, so i have found a couple of destinations, that are cheapish where you can enjoy the beach as well as some of Africa’s wildlife.

The Gambia

As a Safari Holiday Destination, don’t expect to see the Big Five in The Gambia, but that is not to say you cannot see some fantastic African wildlife. Most people who travel to the Gambia, sadly only go to spend their whole time on the beaches. Whilst the beaches in the main resort district of Kombo west of Banjul are great, I do feel that there is much more than sand sea and sun to The Gambia.

You can take advantage of the all inclusive cheap holiday packages to The Gambia and then go and do some sightseeing once you get there.

www.lastminute.com offer some excellent package deals to The Gambia, I have just noticed a 2 star seven night stay including flights for only £289 or if you are looking for a little more comfort, a seven night stay at a 4 star hotel located on the beach near Banjul, including flights for only £379.

You could also try this link to Thomas Cook Gambia Holidays as I have just checked and they have a bunch of all inclusive holidays to The Gambia starting from £303 this January.

I did this a few years ago and I would highly recommend a Gambia river boat safari, that can either be taken as a day long excursion or turned into a week long adventure, where we saw a fantastic culture and variety of both bird and animal life, including hippos, chimpanzees at the Chimpanzee Rehabilitation Association project, baboons, western red colobus and vervet (callithrix) monkeys and believe it or not dolphins in the Gambia river estuary!

Gambia positives

• Cheap flights and holiday packages available
• Stunning birds makes an excellent birding holiday destination
• Fantastic winter sun holiday destination – sunny and war during our long cold winter
• Great beaches
• Friendly people, if not sometimes a little too friendly

Gambia Negatives

• Not a safari destination if you want to see animals like elephants and lions
• This is real Africa, don’t expect all the creature comforts of the West, that is not to say that it has to be uncomfortable, just lower your sights a little. For some this is a negative – some a positive!

Kenya - Mombasa

My second tip as an excellent place to escape and find some winter sun without breaking the bank is Mombasa in Kenya. Kenya is famous for it’s African wildlife safaris and has one of the greatest wildlife specticles on earth in the Great Wildebeest Migration on the Masai Mara.

You have to travel a little further down the African continent, right up to the equator and so the flights to Kenya tend to be a little more expensive than travelling to The Gambia, but unlike the Gambia, you will find all of the Big 5 animals and much more here.

Similar to The Gambia my tip is to take advantage of the cheap beach holiday packages in Mombasa and then go on an excursion to one of the many fantastic national parks that Kenya has to offer including the  Amboseli National Park and Tsavo National Parks which are not too far from where you will be staying in or around Mombasa on you “beach holiday in Kenya.” If you wish you can quite easily also organise a trip to the Masai Mara, which is a little further away.

Again I found some pretty good holiday deals on www.lastminute.com where you can stay for a full 14 nights at a 3 star hotel on the beach in Kilifi for only £449, including flights, I think this is an excellent deal.

Again another great place to have a look for an all inclusive holiday is Thomas Cook Holidays to Kenya

On a 14 night stay in Kenya, you can quite easily combine a beach and Safari holiday together, I have done exactly this and I would say that not only are the beaches fantastic around Mombasa, there is also plenty else to keep you entertained.

Scuba Diving in Mombasa
I took my PADI scuba diving licence during my stay in Mombasa in Kenya. I would say that it has to be one of the cheapest places in the world to do it and they have some excellent reefs and plenty of fish for both scuba diving and snorkelling.

Kenya Posetives

• World famous wildlife destination
• Beautiful beaches around Mombasa
• Mombasa is an excellent Scuba Diving location
• Beach hotels are great value for money

Kenya Negatives

• Further away than the Gambia and so a little more expensive

So there you have it: My tip on two excellent, but different African winter sun holiday destinations that wont break the bank.

If you are wanting to go on a Safari, but need to somehow beat the crunch, I managed to find one of the best Safari Deals to South Africa:

South Africa Splendour
Your six day stay in South Africa will be split up between 2 nights at either the Shamwari Game Reserve, Jock Safari Lodge or Sanbona and then 3 nights stay at a stunning hotel in Cape Town, where you will/can go on Safari Game Drives, Game Viewing, Birdwatching, Golf, Horse Riding, Sailing, Wildlife Viewing and Wine Tasting and all this from only £408 per person (the quoted price is R6,100 S.A. Rand /person)

For this Safari Deal & other Tours & Safaris in Africa follow he link.
Note: To find this Safari Deal, you can Enter Package ID Number: 1477 into the ID Search box mid way down on the right hand menu

The Safari Holiday in More Detail
This 5 night South Africa Splendour package will include 2 nights at any of the Mantis Collection Private Game Reserves (see choices below) and 3 nights at your choice of either the Lake Pleasant Living Hotel in Knysna, Bushman Sands Hotel in the Eastern Cape, any 1 of the 5 Last Word Retreats (The Constantia, The Long Beach, The Franschhoek, The Bishops Court, The St. James) in and around Cape Town or The Table Bay Hotel at the V&A Waterfront in Cape Town.

Which Safari to Choose?
For your 2 night Safari you get to choose between 3 Safari Lodges, depending on which you pick will decide on the whole package cost.

Sanbona Wildlife Reserve
Sanbona is Located at the foot of the Warmwaterberg mountains, in the heart of the Little Karoo, between Montagu and Barrydale on the famous Route 62. Sanbona Wildlife Reserve consists of 54 000 hectares of undulating mountains and plains where you will discover indigenous fauna and flora, rock formations and San rock art.

Your accommodation on the reserve will be at Tilney Manor, which has six luxuriously appointed private rooms, each offering a private lounge with fireplace, veranda, freestanding bath, wonderful private outdoor showers, air-con, satellite television and mini bars or Khanni Lodge, an idyllic Klein Karoo summer house tucked away in a secluded valley with wrap-around verandas, a rim-flow swimming pool, an airy dining room and adjoining lounge with fireplace, outdoor patio and bbq facilities.

If you choose the Sanbona Wildlife Reserve safari your total stay for the 5 night package will be R6 100 per person sharing (about £408)

Jock Safari Lodge
The Jock Safari Lodge is located in the heart of the famous Kruger National Park at the confluence of the Mitomeni and Biyamiti rivers, the camp offers stunning views with the pool literally on the confluence. The name of this unique luxury lodge is set by Sir Percy Fitzpatrick’s animal classic “Jock Of The Bushveld,” a story written at the time of South Africa’s first gold rush but the only gold you will be after is Africa’s Big Five, with this area regarded as one of the best in the Kruger national parks for “big five” sightings.

On top of the fantastic wildlife, any expectations you have of comfort and quality will be exceeded at the Jock Safari Lodge. They have 12 Luxury air conditioned suites, overlooking a river which offer guests the unique opportunity to experience the gracious style of old world elegance surrounded by unspoilt wilderness. The bathrooms and outdoor showers share the same river view and there are often sightings of animals, including elephants, rhino, zebra, lions and giraffe can be seen from the comfort & privacy of your own room! On top of this your private terrace has its own plunge pool and a wooden walkway to a lapa overlooking the riverbed.

If you stay at the Jock Safari Lodge your total 5 night package will cost R6 500 (SA Rand) per person sharing

Shamwari Game Reserve
Shamwari is located in the Eastern Cape of South Africa. The Game Reserve consists of 20 000 hectares (49000 acres) of fantastic the malaria free wilderness. The reserve has received numerous international awards, including the World’s Leading Conservation Company and Game Reserve for five consecutive years.

During your safari, you will stay at one of 4 lodges:
Long Lee Manor lodge is a restored gracious Edwardian mansion has the feel of a country manor, located in the African bush where you will experience the style of living of a past era, with uncompromising service. Long Lee Manor accommodates 38 guests in elegant en-suite bedrooms, all with air-conditioning and underfloor heating.

Bayethe Lodge consists of luxury air-conditioned twin-bedded tented suites, with en-suite bathroom, outdoor shower, private plunge pool and deck. From here you will enjoy early morning and evening game viewing drives in open land rovers, guided nature walks, bird watching and historic tours are all part of this magnificent experience.

Riverdene Lodge has nine fully air-conditioned twin rooms with a small lounge area. The public areas consist of two elegantly furnished casual lounges and a glorious sunroom, a rim flow swimming pool with sun deck and poolside bar.

Bushmans River Lodge is located along the Bushmans River with spectacular views and comes with a fully inclusive service, complete with your own game ranger and chef! Bushmans River Lodge has 4 suites and can accommodate 8 guests or 4 sharing.

If you stay at Shamwari your total cost for the package will be R 6 500 (SA Rand) per person sharing – 5 nights

The Prices quoted at the Game Lodges (Sanbona Wildlife Reserve, Jock Safari Lodge, and Shamwari Game Reserve) are on a fully inclusive basis, (meals, accommodation, game drives, walks, local drinks) and include VAT and Tourism Levy. The Hotels (Lake Pleasant Living, Bushman Sands, and The Table Bay Hotel) are on Bed & Breakfast basis. The Last Word Retreats include Bed, Breakfast and local beverages

Follow the link for this Safari Deal & other Tours & Safaris in Africa
Note: To find this Safari Deal, you can Enter Package ID Number: 1477 into the ID Search box mid way down on the right hand menu

This is truly an INCREDIBLE OFFER and is not to be missed!