In addition to offering guided walks in the region of Frigiliana and Nerja, we can also offer you the opportunity to extend your walking experience dramatically by undertaking a walking safari in sub-Saharan Africa. You can of course also combine walking with the more conventional game viewing by vehicle, and in addition to these we can also offer you the opportunity to take a 6-7 day trek climbing the iconic Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, or the less-well known, but equally challenging, Mount Kenya. These are ‘walking climbs’ rather than ropes and crampons endeavours, but certainly not for the faint-hearted.
Although it is possible to take to your
feet in the African bush in a number of destinations, the true home of the
walking safari is Zambia, which also provides the very best guiding and game
viewing, and hence is very much our destination of choice. However a cheaper
alternative is Kenya, where our partner company – AfricaAway.com – has recently
pioneered the introduction of true walking safaris, creating a considerable
amount of excitement in Kenya’s beleaguered tourist industry.
AfricaAway’s concept of the classic walking
safari is one that takes place between a series of bush camps (your baggage
being portered around separately) situated in a more remote region to that used
for game drives, to maximise the solitude of this unique experience, but still
very much in ‘big game’ country. You can also go for the more full-on mobile
fly-tent camping - not as strong on the creature comforts but an amazing way to
explore the bush and "get back to nature".
Accompanied only by a guide and an armed
National Park scout, you will get the opportunity to study things - such as
insects, trees, droppings and spoor - that you normally never observe from a
vehicle, and to see the bush from the wildlife's eye view, rather than looking
down on everything from the back of a 4x4. Walking safaris are also a great
opportunity for photographers to get down to ground level for some impressive
pictures. In principle you don't get quite as close to big game as you would in
a vehicle - although in practice it can turn out to be just the opposite!
Indeed a walking safari provides the ultimate in raw excitement – sharing the
African bush on foot with lions, elephants and so on – although actually
combined with a high degree of safety (well, we haven’t lost anybody yet!). 
Walking safaris in Africa are not
particularly strenuous - you will be stopping frequently to observe the
fascinating details of the bush so the pace is not brisk by any means, but you
may be travelling over rough terrain. Walks tend to last for 3 to 4 hours with
a mid-walk break, setting off early in the morning and arriving at your next
lodge or campsite at around 10 or 11 in the morning to avoid walking during the
hot midday sun. Afternoon walks are also possible, again timed to avoid walking
at the hotter times of day. However much more intensive walking itineraries can
also be arranged, provided that a group size of around 6 like-minded people can
be put together.
Having travelled all the way to Africa,
though, it would make sense to combine your walking safari with conventional
game viewing by vehicle, so as to maximise your opportunity for seeing as much
of Africa’s big game as possible, not to mention such impressive sights as
Victoria Falls. Many visitors then choose to finish off their visit by spending
a few days relaxing on an idyllic Indian Ocean beach: we generally recommend
Zanzibar, just off the Tanzanian coast, for this, since it is essentially a
convenient stop-off on your way back home, and offers extraordinary value for
money. Having said this, it must be pointed out that an African safari is never
a particularly cheap option; however AfricaAway’s detailed local knowledge enables
them to offer a uniquely broad range of accommodation costs.
Just let us know if you are interested in
any of the above, since AfricaAway have generously offered a 10% discount on
all accommodation costs for clients of ours.