TAILOR-MADE SAFARI AND DIVING HOLIDAYS
Indigo Safaris - Wildlife, Tribes, Treks and Dives
ABOUT US
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 in 2009, and run by ex-Field Guide, Adventure Traveller, and Underwater Photojournalist Christopher Bartlett, our team of safari specialists have over 140 years of combined Africa travel planning experience between them, and have lived and/or worked all over eastern and southern Africa.
Indigo Safaris has specialised in safari, diving, trekking, and tribal trips for two decades. Set up in 2009, and run by ex-Field Guide, Adventure Traveller, and Underwater Photojournalist Christopher Bartlett, our team of safari specialists have over 140 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 over 20 years’ experience and has led tours all over southern and eastern Africa. Combined, our safari team of eight has over 140 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. Our safari specialists are based in Africa, and go on educational visits around the continent on a regular basis.
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 people 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.
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. Christopher spends at least three months a year in Africa, inspecting lodges and camps, checking out reserves and dive sites. He also spends six weeks a year on Dominica, leading Sperm Whale in-water encounters, and six weeks a year leading tours to the Papua New Guinea highlands and Sepik regions. In recent years, he has started spending time in Mexico too, leading trips to swim with megafauna such as Orcas, a variety of whale and dolphin soecies, sea lions and fur seals, and for the Mexican Sardine Run.
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.
Matthew O'Brien joined us in 2019. Formerly a guide in Namibia and Botswana, and native to South Africa, his southern Africa safari knowledge is exemplary. Matthew loves to write and share his passion in his contact with clients. Matthew is now our Africa team leader.
In May 2022, Kerry Wyatt joined 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 now 18 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.
Matthew Milward, a Capetonian, joined us in early 2023, and now has seven years' experience as 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.
Michele Addison, erstwhile resident of Kwa-Zulu Natal, and now in the Eastern Cape, has over 20 years' experience in the tourism industry as a tour guide, dive operator and tour operator, and a passion for everything African, especially it's wildlife. Having grown up in Zambia and Botswana and worked in Uganda, Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana, South Africa, Tanzania and Namibia, her love for the bush and the people of Southern Africa is lifelong. Sharing her knowledge with others and creating the best possible safari experience is her passion.
Nelia Nyamhanza is a Zimbabwean safari expert who joined us in July 2024 with eight years of extensive experience creating luxury safari itineraries for Southern Africa. She has lived and worked in Zimbabwe and South Africa and is an avid traveller who has traveled to Zambia, South Africa, and Botswana. She enjoys creating lasting memories for all the clients she works with.
Shannon Maclean, based in the safari hub of Hoedspruit, South Africa, brings over 21 years of experience in the safari industry. She has worked with luxury lodges in South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, and Namibia, and has traveled extensively across Southern Africa. Shannon is dedicated to providing the highest quality service, finding joy in matching guests with their perfect destinations and creating unforgettable safari memories.
Samantha Kelsey, a business administration specialist from the Western Cape, joined us in summer 2024, bringing a love of numbers, data, order, and rigour, to help Ines keep our portofolio of trips, sample itineraries up to date, and supplier data up-to-date.
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. Christopher spends at least three months a year in Africa, inspecting lodges and camps, checking out reserves and dive sites. He also spends six weeks a year on Dominica, leading Sperm Whale in-water encounters, and six weeks a year leading tours to the Papua New Guinea highlands and Sepik regions. In recent years, he has started spending time in Mexico too, leading trips to swim with megafauna such as Orcas, a variety of whale and dolphin soecies, sea lions and fur seals, and for the Mexican Sardine Run.
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.
Matthew O'Brien joined us in 2019. Formerly a guide in Namibia and Botswana, and native to South Africa, his southern Africa safari knowledge is exemplary. Matthew loves to write and share his passion in his contact with clients. Matthew is now our Africa team leader.
In May 2022, Kerry Wyatt joined 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 now 18 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.
Matthew Milward, a Capetonian, joined us in early 2023, and now has seven years' experience as 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.
Michele Addison, erstwhile resident of Kwa-Zulu Natal, and now in the Eastern Cape, has over 20 years' experience in the tourism industry as a tour guide, dive operator and tour operator, and a passion for everything African, especially it's wildlife. Having grown up in Zambia and Botswana and worked in Uganda, Mozambique, Zambia, Botswana, South Africa, Tanzania and Namibia, her love for the bush and the people of Southern Africa is lifelong. Sharing her knowledge with others and creating the best possible safari experience is her passion.
Nelia Nyamhanza is a Zimbabwean safari expert who joined us in July 2024 with eight years of extensive experience creating luxury safari itineraries for Southern Africa. She has lived and worked in Zimbabwe and South Africa and is an avid traveller who has traveled to Zambia, South Africa, and Botswana. She enjoys creating lasting memories for all the clients she works with.
Shannon Maclean, based in the safari hub of Hoedspruit, South Africa, brings over 21 years of experience in the safari industry. She has worked with luxury lodges in South Africa, Mozambique, Zambia, and Namibia, and has traveled extensively across Southern Africa. Shannon is dedicated to providing the highest quality service, finding joy in matching guests with their perfect destinations and creating unforgettable safari memories.
Samantha Kelsey, a business administration specialist from the Western Cape, joined us in summer 2024, bringing a love of numbers, data, order, and rigour, to help Ines keep our portofolio of trips, sample itineraries up to date, and supplier data up-to-date.
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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. Dive with endemic species and whale shark aggregations off St Helena Island, see the diversirt of Moheli Marine Reserve, Comores, or see the migrations in Botswana, Tanzania, and Kenya.
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.
