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Welcome to Tailormade South Africa. Your luxury South Africa safaris expert. We are an independent owner run company specialising in luxury safaris and trips to this unique and wonderful country.
At Tailormade South Africa safaris, we take immense pride and genuine interest in getting to know our clients personalities before making any trip suggestions. We have intimate knowledge and superb long-term relationships with our partners, private guides and exclusive connections across South Africa.
Clyde and Rob are two of the most knowledgeable and passionate experts on South Africa with over 40 years combined experience. You will be working exclusively with the owners of Tailormade South Africa from start to finish - pre, during and post travel.
South Africa is a destination that is often sold in the same old way, where people just choose places they've 'heard of', however often they are not really sure why they are going there and what is there. We like to do things differently. We are the industry leaders in luxury South Africa safaris and have intimate knowledge of the lesser known areas and experiences in the country.
Please do speak to us about the hidden gems on the Western Cape coast and it's wildlife areas, the beautiful and diverse KwaZulu-Natal, some of our favourite off the beaten track safari areas, our favourite vineyards and restaurants, and even unique, exciting and personalised guided day trips in and around Cape Town.
There are so many options it can often be overwhelming, whether you're travelling to South Africa as a first-time safari goer or a seasoned safari enthusiast. If you're looking at honeymoon safaris, family safaris or luxury safaris the best thing to do to avoid being overwhelmed is to call us now for an initial obligation-free chat to get to know you.
Our clients are our best ambassadors, and to see what they have to say please visit the customer reviews section of our website. We would love to chat with you about your safari and travel dreams. Don't be shy, email us or call us on +44 7809 726266 (Clyde) or +44 7791 360170 (Rob).
When you hear the word ‘safari’, we have no doubt that lots of visions will come to mind. The wide-open savannahs of Kenya and Tanzania perhaps. Lions, leopards, giraffes and zebras – definitely. Well, what makes South Africa different?
First of all, South Africa as a country has so much to offer, not just the amazing nature reserves. Cape Town has for the seventh year in a row been voted the ‘Best City in the World’ by The Telegraph Travel Awards. Combine this with a visit to the prestigious wine region and a safari in one of the many private game reserves the country has to offer and you’ll have one of the most amazing two week trips of your life.
South Africa has some gorgeous and well-loved National Parks supported by the government, including the Kruger which is one of the most famous in the world. That said, they are easily accessible and can be overwhelmingly busy which is why we have hand-picked some of the more exclusive parks and private reserves which can offer our clients a more ‘private’ way to experience the rich game that South Africa has to offer. The places we work with have a limit to the number of visitors allowed at any given game sighting, minimising the impact on the creatures that call these reserves their home. The owners of these reserves are tasked with managing the game, ensuring their populations are always at their best balance and have anti-poaching at their core.
The question we would ask you back is, ‘what for’? We design all of our trips to match your wants and needs and there is so much choice in South Africa, you’ve come to the right place to find out which the best is for you! Do you want malaria-free? We’ve got you covered. Fancy ticking off the Big Five? No problem! ‘Best place to go walking…’ – easy peasy. Want to sleep out under the African sky? Sorted!
As a first timer, or even as a true safari aficionado, South Africa is such a rich destination for safari and one we think you simply can’t do in one go (unless you’re willing to spend a few months there and we would gladly help!). We’ve organised honeymoons in the Sabi Sands, followed by their family trip a few years later in the Eastern Cape or in the stunning Madikwe where they haven’t had to think about malaria.
South Africa is an amazing all-round destination, and who better to help you pin-point the best way to enjoy it than specialists who live and breathe the destination? Of course everyone wants something different though – and as the country itself is so vast and has so many different ecosystems, it can be useful to understand the seasons to make sure you get what is best for you. As the country is in the southern hemisphere, it enjoys the opposite seasons to those of us who live in the north. We would therefore love to share our month-by-month guide with you to give you some help, but do remember: we are only at the end of a phone call if you want us to break it down for you!
In truth, a jolly good safari cannot be done on a low budget. Well, it can be – but you’d be sharing an overlander truck with a lot of fun chaps and certainly wouldn’t have the privacy that we like to cater for! Don’t get us wrong – we’ve done that. We have all of us lived and breathed Africa, to the point where half of our team actually live there!
One of the things we believe in is the opportunity to experience the South African bush at its best. That means less crowds, and more intimate game experiences. The lodges and reserves that we support each have a passion for conservation, sustainability and a dedication to the people they employ and work with, and that is the kind of experience we want you to have on your trip of a lifetime. The lodges are small, personal and give you the opportunity to get to know your hosts and learn about the environment that you have arrived into. This doesn’t come without a cost, but that said, we aren’t in the business of spending money for the sake of it!
It all depends on when you’re going, but you don’t want to forget your camera, that’s for sure. Everywhere you go will have electricity so you don’t have to worry about running out of batteries, just make sure you have enough storage as we’re sure you’ll be taking more photos than you expect! The plugs are different to home though and are unusual to the rest of the world with three large round points, so well worth having an adaptor handy. You can pick one up easily from the airport so don’t worry if you forget one before you leave.
Now that’s a good question! South Africa is arguably the best country in Africa to travel to in order to avoid malarial areas, particularly if you want to go on safari. We are huge supporters of the Sanbona Private Game Reserve which is not too far away from Cape Town and totally malaria free. We also love the Eastern Cape, where there are some really fantastic high-end private game reserves worth visiting which are very conservation focused – many offering a big five experience.
Choose from eightDiverse Areas
South Africa is often referred to as a world in one country and it certainly deserves this title. There are very few places on earth which offer such a diversity of landscapes, cultures, wildlife and activities. Whether it is safaris or cities, beaches or winelands, surfing or water skiing that you are looking for, you can find it all here.
Cape Town
Resting at the confluence of the Indian and Atlantic oceans, sandwiched between the slopes of the iconic Table Mountain and the glistening sapphire waters of Table Bay, the exceptionally scenic city of Cape Town is in a class of its own.
Eastern Cape
Home to the Addo Elephant Reserve, an expanse of around 180,000 hectares with around 450 Elephants, the greatest density of elephant per hectare in Africa.
The Garden Route
Running roughly from the town of George to Port Elizabeth, the Garden Route is one of the most scenic driving routes in the world with mountains, forests and sleepy, pretty towns to explore.
Johannesburg
Joburg is home to many attractions, from museums and quality restaurants to amusement parks. A visit to vibrant Soweto and the moving apartheid museum are definitely must-see items when visiting the city.
Kruger National Park
One of the great wildlife destinations, the Kruger region is home to a staggering wealth of wildlife in over 2 million hectares, dedicated to conservation.
KwaZulu Natal
Unspoiled Indian Ocean beaches, vast mountain ranges, coral reefs, golf courses, craft shops, spice markets, big five game, whale watching and the history of the battlefields, KwaZulu Natal has it all.
Western Cape Wildlife
This area close to Cape Town and the Winelands is home to a wide variety of wildlife experiences. From the best Big Five safari experiences at Sanbona Game Reserve to spectacular whale watching at Hermanus. The Western Cape offers it all.
The Winelands
Resting at the foot of the Boland Mountains, the Cape Winelands is renowned for producing some of the world’s finest wines. The breathtakingly beautiful landscape boasts incredible mountain scenery and numerous luxury wine farms laden with vineyards stretching across lush fertile valleys.
Your Journey Starts HereFirst-time Safari Goer?
Whether you're travelling to Africa as a first-time safari goer or a seasoned safari enthusiast we are able to advise you. Our safari consultants have ample experience in designing tailormade itineraries for all types of travellers!
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