African safaris are a top bucket-list item for many luxury travelers. But with interest in Africa on the rise, many resorts and tour operators are increasingly offering packages that include more opportunities to experience local culture and the continent's diverse landscapes.
South Africa, for instance, has long been a favorite destination, marketing its mix of safaris, big cities like Johannesburg and Cape Town, its famed wine country and beaches.
Other lesser known and lesser developed destinations are following suit, with multi-activity packages.
Fairmont Hotels & Resorts has a new campaign that positions Kenya as a three-stop destination: It showcases its iconic city property in Nairobi along with its two different safari camps. Fairmont's director of group sales and marketing, Guillame Durand, said the campaign promotes the "unique characteristics, location, history and heritage of each hotel."
Durand was at the recent ITLM Americas meeting to promote the experience, which he said begins at the Fairmont Nairobi, a city landmark close to wildlife conservancies and champion golf courses.
Fairmont Mount Kenya, the former home of actor William Holden, offers a taste of traditional African hunting lodges. In addition to game drives, hiking and horseback riding, the property also has a nine-hole golf course that bisects the equator. Fairmont Mara Safari is in the northwest of the Masai Mari, offering a luxury safari and glamping experience on the Mara River. During migration season, the area is one the best places to see herds of wildebeest crossing the National Reserve.
The Fairmont Mount Kenya offers game drives, hiking, horseback riding and a nine-hole golf course.
“With easy transportation between properties via small aircraft or road," he said, "guests have the opportunity to discover the best of the city, beautiful natural landscapes and the adventure of safari.”
To the south, in Mozambique, White Pearl Resorts launched its first bush and beach experience.
A luxury 21-suite resort located on the pristine Lagoon Coast in southern Mozambique, White Pearl now offers game drives into the adjacent Maputo Special Reserve, one of the most scenic conservation areas in Africa. The addition enables guests to choose between ocean and land safaris as well as kayaking, surfing and horseback riding.
As part of ongoing efforts to develop the area for tourism, more than 8,000 animals have been translocated to the Maputo reserve since 2010, a multiyear endeavor supported by the governments of Mozambique, Swaziland and South Africa, White Pearl said.
And with the recent availability of 30-day tourist visas on entry and improved infrastructure, the Maputo reserve and its contiguous coastline, Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve, White Pearl said it expected the area to become a major tourist destination in Southeast Africa.