After 57 years packaging Europe for the youth market, Contiki will for the first time offer itineraries for Southern and East Africa aimed at 18- to 35-year-olds. Contiki already offers itineraries that include Morocco and Egypt.
This move follows hot on the heels of fellow Travel Corporation (TTC) brand, Trafalgar, which introduced African tours in June.
The company has introduced four new packages that include destinations in South Africa, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Tanzania, and Kenya and range from seven to 13 days.
The 11-day Cape, Safari and Falls tour will see guests exploring Cape Town before travelling to Kruger National Park and then on to Victoria Falls. Finally, the tour will visit Chobe, Botswana.
Taste of Tanzania is a seven-day tour from Arusha to Tarangire, Serengeti to Karatu, including the Ngorongoro Crater, giving guests the opportunity to immerse themselves in safaris.
Kenyan Highlights is a seven-day tour travelling from Nairobi to the Masai Mara, Lake Elementaita, Amboseli and back to Nairobi.
The 13-day East Africa Safari combines the Taste of Tanzania and Kenyan Highlights tours, giving guests a complete East African safari package.
Prices range from €1 480 per person for the seven-day Kenya highlights tour to €3 507 per person for the 13-day East Africa safari tour. These prices include accommodation, transfers, entry fees for game reserves and the majority of the meals. Flights are excluded, apart from the Cape Town to Johannesburg and Johannesburg to Victoria Falls flights used in Southern Africa.
The tours cater for small groups (about 20 passengers per tour). Guests will travel in seven-seat pop-top safari vehicles across Eastern Africa and luxury minibuses in Southern Africa, rather than in large coaches. In Chobe, Botswana, guests will switch from minibuses to open safari vehicles.
Contiki has also introduced add-on trips, allowing guests the chance to extend their stay in Africa. These include a four-day gorilla trek in Uganda, a seven- or eight-day climb of Mount Kilimanjaro and a relaxing beach stay in Zanzibar.
Guests will be accommodated in hotels, safari lodges or permanent luxury safari tents, and can expect en-suites, patios, lounges and swimming pools. Trips are available for booking for departures starting May 12, 2019 and ending January 5, 2020.
