TAILOR-MADE SAFARI AND DIVING HOLIDAYS
Indigo Safaris - Wildlife, Tribes, Treks and Dives
SAFARI AND Diving expertise
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Creating tailor-made trips designed to make your precious spare time the holiday of a lifetime has been Indigo Safaris' passion since 2009.
Indigo Safaris has specialised in safari, diving, trekking, and tribal trips for two decades. Set up and run by ex-Field Guide, Adventure Traveller, and Underwater Photojournalist Christopher Bartlett, our team of safari specialists have over 100 years of combined Africa travel planning experience between them, and have lived and/or worked all over eastern and southern Africa. Why book with indigo safaris?We provide impartial, expert, advice
Our Managing Director is a qualified guide and tour leader with 20 years’ experience and has led tours all over southern and eastern Africa. Combined, our small sales team of six has over 100 years Africa expertise up their sleeves, and we keep learning, spending up to six months a year on the road, checking up on current suppliers and potential new ones. We have visited the vast majority of the properties we send our clients to have been to every reserve and national park we promote. we provide it for free
You buy your trip, at the most, at the same rate as if you put it together directly with the lodges, camps, transfer companies and national park or conservancy fees. There is no consultancy fee, no booking fee. We make our profit by buying at a tour operator rate. we save you money
With special offers, with only one company to pay limiting your transaction costs and fees, with bank accounts in five currencies, and with bank-beating exchange rates. We are an international company, with bank accounts in the USA, the UK, Belgium, France, and Australia, and accept card payments. We've got your back
Our network of contacts and suppliers is well-nurtured, and we keep a close eye on the quality and value-for-money of services provided. On the rare accessions that an issue arises, no matter how small, we know who to call. In the event of a serious problem we can be contacted anytime from early morning to late evening, though an elephant emptying your splash pool at 1AM is best referred to the lodge staff, as are mysterious nocturnal noises outside your tent. we are travellers ourselves
Our MD, aptly named Christopher (though nowhere near saintly), is a travelholic. From wild camping off-road trips and jungle trips in dugout canoes to luxury lodge fly-in safaris and remote ocean dive expeditions, the wanderlust is strong. We understand what drives the travel bug in us and fully understand both the intricacies of travel in Africa and our clients’ various and differing requirements. we love the places we promote
We are incredibly passionate about all of the places we work with, especially our core areas of Africa and Papua New Guinea; their wildlife, their people and cultures, their histories, and their current challenges. We are a socially and environmentally conscious company. We are involved in wildlife conversation, marine conservation, human development, educational, and humanitarian projects across the continent, giving back around 30% of our net profits to a range of organisations and sponsorship programs. You can find out more about how we give back here. Or read about our carbon offsetting here your money is safe
Our main operating costs are digital advertising and then salaries. We are debt-free, and have no loans, mortgages, or monthly rent to cover. Client payments, when passing from your account to our suppliers and service providers is placed in an account separate from the one used to cover our operating costs. We back our suppliers, and should one of them fold with money for your future trip in their account, we will replace that service or accommodation with an equivalent one and cover it ourselves. we have many happy clients
You don't need to take our word about how good we are, check out what our clients say about us here. Both the Feefo and Safari Bookings reviews are vetted for authenticity. |
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Our first-hand knowledge, our service providers, and our suppliers
Having lived in, worked in, and travelled around southern and eastern Africa, Oceania, Indonesia, and South America Christopher has considerable first-hand knowledge of the destinations we send clients to. Travelling independently and working on assignments, he has stayed in a wide variety of accommodation and creates trips to suit most requirements. The lodges, hotels, dive centres, safari, trek, and vehicle hire companies we use have been tried, tested, and approved. All our providers are members of their respective country's tourism organisations.
Having lived in, worked in, and travelled around southern and eastern Africa, Oceania, Indonesia, and South America Christopher has considerable first-hand knowledge of the destinations we send clients to. Travelling independently and working on assignments, he has stayed in a wide variety of accommodation and creates trips to suit most requirements. The lodges, hotels, dive centres, safari, trek, and vehicle hire companies we use have been tried, tested, and approved. All our providers are members of their respective country's tourism organisations.
Our story and your team
Indigo Safaris are experts in bespoke and package travel in Africa. Founder Christopher Bartlett fell in love with Africa on a trip to Namibia in 1997 and after numerous visits to southern Africa moved to KwaZulu Natal in 2005 and became a safari field guide and underwater guide. When he combined these two new passions with his photography and writing skills and started doing assignments in east Africa for diving magazines, he had a great opportunity to continue building his destination knowledge.
In 2009 he had to return to the UK for family reasons, and ended up combining his knowledge and love of Africa and organisational skills to help other people discover Africa. Indigo Safaris was born. In 2015, Christopher met Ines Moosmann on an educational in Uganda, and recognised the consummate professional in her, and asked her to become his Senior Safari Consultant. Ines has worked in the travel and safari business for sixteen years and is an amazing source of knowledge on lodges and camps. She has an in-depth knowledge of Africa, and experience in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, The Philippines, The Maldives, India and Australia too. German as her mother tongue, and she is a qualified yoga teacher to boot. In February 2018, she took on the role of Sales & Product Manager and in early 2021 became a company Director, still responsible for Sales and Product.
In May 2022, Kerry became the latest addition to our team and is based in Cape Town, South Africa. With five years’ experience guiding in South Africa and Namibia, and then further afield to Kenya, and then 16 years creating itineraries across the southern and eastern parts of the continent, Kerry’s product knowledge is extensive, to say the least. Allied to her attention to detail, her passion for designing guests' itineraries that exceed clients’ expectations and keep them coming back to Africa is a great benefit to us and our customers. She has travelled extensively throughout Southern and Eastern Africa and loves nothing more than to introduce the incredible experience of the African bush to the world! When she's not at work, you'll find her in the mountains, hiking or trail running, or planning her next travel adventure.
In October 2022, our team grew again, when Lindie, from the Eastern Cape, South Africa, joined us, adding her 25 years' travel planning experience and knowledge to our pot. Lindie is really clued up on southern Africa, with extensive, in-depth information on South African reserves, lodges, and logistics. She has a huge passion for the continent and its people and loves showing off its natural and unique beauty and considers it a privilege to make people's travel dreams come true. When not working, you will find her travelling, spending time with family or volunteering at an animal rescue centre.
Matthew Milward, a Capetonian, joined us in early 2023, with six years' experience asa a safari specialist. Prior to this he travelled the globe, working on cruise ships, and then travelled his home continent extensively. Matthew is an enthusiastic and diligent trip creator.
Judy Burrows joined us in May 2023 with 20 years' experience in the industry. Having travelled Southern Africa extensively, she loves to share her experience and love for the region. Judy is client-centric and always aims to provide her guests with the best services and offer them life-changing holidays. Her favourite safari location is Botswana, she loves the untouched beauty and landscape, in her words, "I imagine this is what heaven looks like."
In 2013 Christopher met Scelo on a walking safari in Zululand, and a friendship was forged. It's become a "brother from another mother" kind of thing. Scelo now looks after our KwaZulu-Natal logistics. Scelo is one of the top guides in his native KwaZulu-Natal and is one of the best guides Christopher has ever walked with.
In northern Tanzania, Ben has looked after the logistics of our driven safaris since 2015, putting two decades of experience to great use, making sure our clients' trips run as smoothly as possible on the bumpy, rutted tracks that cover the vast plains of the Serengeti and the highlands of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, from Tarangire to Lake Natron and the Kenyan border. He also looks after our bespoke Kenya driven safaris.
In Namibia, Tulimo is our driver-guide for our private guided safari clients. A charming young man of many talents, Tulimo is also a great bush cook and braaimaster.
Indigo Safaris are experts in bespoke and package travel in Africa. Founder Christopher Bartlett fell in love with Africa on a trip to Namibia in 1997 and after numerous visits to southern Africa moved to KwaZulu Natal in 2005 and became a safari field guide and underwater guide. When he combined these two new passions with his photography and writing skills and started doing assignments in east Africa for diving magazines, he had a great opportunity to continue building his destination knowledge.
In 2009 he had to return to the UK for family reasons, and ended up combining his knowledge and love of Africa and organisational skills to help other people discover Africa. Indigo Safaris was born. In 2015, Christopher met Ines Moosmann on an educational in Uganda, and recognised the consummate professional in her, and asked her to become his Senior Safari Consultant. Ines has worked in the travel and safari business for sixteen years and is an amazing source of knowledge on lodges and camps. She has an in-depth knowledge of Africa, and experience in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, The Philippines, The Maldives, India and Australia too. German as her mother tongue, and she is a qualified yoga teacher to boot. In February 2018, she took on the role of Sales & Product Manager and in early 2021 became a company Director, still responsible for Sales and Product.
In May 2022, Kerry became the latest addition to our team and is based in Cape Town, South Africa. With five years’ experience guiding in South Africa and Namibia, and then further afield to Kenya, and then 16 years creating itineraries across the southern and eastern parts of the continent, Kerry’s product knowledge is extensive, to say the least. Allied to her attention to detail, her passion for designing guests' itineraries that exceed clients’ expectations and keep them coming back to Africa is a great benefit to us and our customers. She has travelled extensively throughout Southern and Eastern Africa and loves nothing more than to introduce the incredible experience of the African bush to the world! When she's not at work, you'll find her in the mountains, hiking or trail running, or planning her next travel adventure.
In October 2022, our team grew again, when Lindie, from the Eastern Cape, South Africa, joined us, adding her 25 years' travel planning experience and knowledge to our pot. Lindie is really clued up on southern Africa, with extensive, in-depth information on South African reserves, lodges, and logistics. She has a huge passion for the continent and its people and loves showing off its natural and unique beauty and considers it a privilege to make people's travel dreams come true. When not working, you will find her travelling, spending time with family or volunteering at an animal rescue centre.
Matthew Milward, a Capetonian, joined us in early 2023, with six years' experience asa a safari specialist. Prior to this he travelled the globe, working on cruise ships, and then travelled his home continent extensively. Matthew is an enthusiastic and diligent trip creator.
Judy Burrows joined us in May 2023 with 20 years' experience in the industry. Having travelled Southern Africa extensively, she loves to share her experience and love for the region. Judy is client-centric and always aims to provide her guests with the best services and offer them life-changing holidays. Her favourite safari location is Botswana, she loves the untouched beauty and landscape, in her words, "I imagine this is what heaven looks like."
In 2013 Christopher met Scelo on a walking safari in Zululand, and a friendship was forged. It's become a "brother from another mother" kind of thing. Scelo now looks after our KwaZulu-Natal logistics. Scelo is one of the top guides in his native KwaZulu-Natal and is one of the best guides Christopher has ever walked with.
In northern Tanzania, Ben has looked after the logistics of our driven safaris since 2015, putting two decades of experience to great use, making sure our clients' trips run as smoothly as possible on the bumpy, rutted tracks that cover the vast plains of the Serengeti and the highlands of the Ngorongoro Conservation Area, from Tarangire to Lake Natron and the Kenyan border. He also looks after our bespoke Kenya driven safaris.
In Namibia, Tulimo is our driver-guide for our private guided safari clients. A charming young man of many talents, Tulimo is also a great bush cook and braaimaster.
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Places to go
Discover the fantastic fauna of the savannah, the Big Five, endangered wild dogs, more than 500 hundred bird species, as well as hippos, giraffes, zebras, and antelopes on foot or in a vehicle in eastern and southern Africa.
Dive into the Indian Ocean with giant mantas and whale sharks in Mozambique, on the coral covered walls of Pemba island, Zanzibar, come face to face with tiger sharks, blacktips, and ragged-tooth sharks in South Africa or swim and dive with huge schools of sardines and their predators during the annual Sardine Run or trek around the Drakensberg.
Admire the spectacle that is the wildebeest migration across the Serengeti, or the huge herds of elephants in Tarangire, Selous or Ruaha National Parks. Scale Mt. Meru or Kilimanjaro, the highest peak in Africa.
Cross the Kalahari or Namib deserts, meet the Himba and San peoples, or venture far into the Okavango Delta by boat, encountering elephants, hippos, and crocs, and camping on remote islands before driving through Moremi, Chobe and Savuti, or the Central Kalahari.Immerse yourself in the most bio-diverse reefs in the world in in West Papua, whilst giant and reef mantas swim overhead, visit remote tribes in the Baliem Valley, see the whale shark aggregations in Cendarwasih Bay,or get a unique mix of sharks, rays and dragons in Komodo.
Dive with whale sharks, hammerhead, Galapagos, and white-tip reef sharks, sea lions, mantas and other rays, marine iguanas and tons of turtles, and walk amongst giant turtles, indigenous plants and birds and weird and wonderful reptiles that inspired Darwin in the Galapagos.
In Papua New Guinea, be prepared to be simply stunned by the vast array and abundance of cultures, corals, and fish, WWII plane wrecks, outrigger safaris to remote coastal villages, incomparable cultural festivals, and Sepik River expeditions to the last frontier of cultural tourism. Walk the revered Kokoda Trail in the footsteps of Aussie Diggers, or conquer Mt Wilhelm’s 4509-metre summit.
For the most intimate shark encounters you will ever get, try the Bahamas for an unforgettable experience, diving with tiger, lemon, Caribbean reef, great hammerhead, and nurse sharks. Or just take in some leisurely diving from one of the beautiful beach resorts on the "out islands".
Swim with Humpback whales or dive Grand Turk Wall or French Cay and West Sand Spit in the Turks and Caicos, enjoy the freedom of shore diving on Bonaire's fishy and colourful reefs or dive Klein Bonaire from day boats, or mix it up in Dominica with some stunning hikes and colourful dives in great viz.
Get mellow with mantas in the Maldives, or wallow with a whale shark. Dive the reefs and caverns of Mexico and visit Mayan temples on the east coast, or see the big fish in the Sea of Cortez and the amazing giant mantas out at the Revillagigedos Archipelago.
Get your macro geek on in the Philippines, a critter heaven, but with excellent whale shark opportunities too. Or just relax and discover the beautiful scenery of of some of the 7,000 plus islands in this tropical paradise.
Bounce around Bali on a multi-resort itinerary featuring mantas, mola-molas, a superb wreck, and more macro than you imagined, and have a gander at the temples.
Combine culture and scuba on Cuba, or dive into Dominica with us and encounter Sperm whales in the water, or trek through the lushest rainforests of the Caribbean, or marvel at the magic of Madagascar with a sumptuous spread of endemic wildlife and landscapes.
Philanthropy
At the more remote destinations we work with, we have become involved with helping out communities in one form or another, beyond helping create stable employment for locals. Giving back is a huge part of what we do and what we are about. Our view is that tourism isn't just about having a good time in someone else's country, it's about learning, fostering understanding, concern, and compassion. The natural world has never been as threatened as it is now and it is everyone's responsibility to do something about preserving it.
We choose suppliers and service providers that act responsibly, with the best interests of the local people and wildlife at heart, who we think will do the best job of providing our clients with a insight into not only the beauty they witness on holiday, but the threats and dangers facing it.
We put our money where our mouth is. Around 30% of our net profit is given back to causes, charities, and organisations. We also fund raise and provide grey matter for certain projects.
At the more remote destinations we work with, we have become involved with helping out communities in one form or another, beyond helping create stable employment for locals. Giving back is a huge part of what we do and what we are about. Our view is that tourism isn't just about having a good time in someone else's country, it's about learning, fostering understanding, concern, and compassion. The natural world has never been as threatened as it is now and it is everyone's responsibility to do something about preserving it.
We choose suppliers and service providers that act responsibly, with the best interests of the local people and wildlife at heart, who we think will do the best job of providing our clients with a insight into not only the beauty they witness on holiday, but the threats and dangers facing it.
We put our money where our mouth is. Around 30% of our net profit is given back to causes, charities, and organisations. We also fund raise and provide grey matter for certain projects.
