Indigo Safaris - giving wings and fins to your dreams

Tailor-made trips designed to make your precious spare time the holiday of a lifetime is what Indigo Safaris is all about.  Drawing on the experiences of photo-journalist, dive master,  safari guide, traveller, and translator Christopher Bartlett, Indigo Safaris specialises in diving, safari, and trekking trips in southern and eastern Africa, Papua New Guinea,  the Bahamas, and the Galapagos, and exotic liveaboards around the world.

Having lived in, worked in, and travelled around southern and eastern Africa, Oceania, and South America Christopher has considerable first-hand knowledge of the destinations he sends clients to. Travelling independently and working on assignments, he has stayed in a wide variety of accommodation and can create holidays to suit any requirements. The lodges, hotels, dive centres, safari, trek, and vehicle hire companies have been tried, tested, and approved.

The other half of the team is made up by his partner Imi Simpson-Mowday, holder of an MA with distinction in the arts of Africa, Oceania, and the Americas. She is also a freelance dive journalist and occasional underwater model and has travelled widely.

Whether you are a first-time visitor or an old hand, Christopher will help you get the most out of your time on site and your budget.  Travelling autonomously or guided in his pleasant and easy company, you will return home with a head full of images and unforgettable memories.

Discover the fantastic fauna of the Big Five of the savannah,  endangered wild dogs, more than 500 hundred bird species, as well as hippos, giraffes, zebras, and antelopes on foot or in a vehicle.

Dive into the Indian Ocean with giant mantas and whale sharks in Mozambique, on the mind-boggling coral covered walls of Pemba island, Zanzibar, or come face to face with tiger sharks, blacktips, and ragged-tooth sharks in South Africa.

Cross the Kalahari or Namib deserts, travel through the amazing landscapes of Koakoland and meet the Himba, Khoi, and San peoples, or be gently poled in a dugout through the Okovango Delta.

Admire the spectacle that is the wildebeest and zebra migration in the Serengeti, or the huge troops of elephants in Chobe, Tarangire, or Ruaha National Parks.

Dive with hammerhead, Galapagos, and white-tip reef sharks, sea lions, rays, marine iguanas and tons of turtles, and walk amongst giant turtles, indegenous plants and birds and wierd and wonderful reptiles that inspired Darwin in the Galapagos.

Be prepared to be simply stunned by the vast array of cultures, corals, and fish in Papua New Guinea, home to the best diving on the planet, outrigger safaris to remote coastal villages, and incomparable cultural festivals. A truly amazing destination.

Finally, for the most intimate shark encounters you will ever get, try a liveaboard to the Bahamas for an unforgettable experience, diving with tiger, lemon, caribbean reef, nurse, and possibly hammerhead sharks, and snorkelling and free diving with dolphins.

If you choose to travel with Christopher (a keen animal and marine conservationist as well as a well-published photo-journalist),  you’ll be sure to pick up a tip or two to improve your photography, and get an insight into the local way of life. He speaks fluent English and French, gets by in Spanish, has a smattering of Swahili, and can swear competently in Dutch and Afrikaans. In terms of safety, Christopher used to lead dives on Aliwal Shoal, South Africa, with its strong currents and temperamental winds and is an advanced first responder. He also passed the Field Guides’ Association of South Africa’s entrance exam with 134.5 out of 135.

Not sure where to go? Drop him a line and they’ll help turn your dive and safari dreams into reality.