Someone recently asked us, “Why would we book with African Portfolio? What sets you apart?” It’s not always easy answering something so personal, because working here is personal. We really love what we do. But here’s a stab as to why we think we really are the best luxury safari operator out there!
- We are all Africans at African Portfolio and we all have family living in Africa. This gives us a unique insight into the destinations we sell, as both locals and visitors. We know how long it takes to get from the Victoria Falls to the Okavango Delta. We understand what it feels like to fly from New York to Kilimanjaro. We can recommend restaurants because we’ve eaten there, camps because we’ve stayed there, hikes to take because we’ve walked there, and places to see because we’ve been there.
- We care deeply about Africa, so when you book your safari with us we give you practical travel guidelines that underscore the importance of low-impact travel. We will encourage you to be mindful that you are a guest in Africa, not just a photo-snapping visitor. We respect Africa, its animals and people and we expect you will too. Social interaction with local communities is a key component in many of the safaris we sell.
- The local guides we choose to work with are the best in the business. They’re not only seasoned environmentalists but also cultural ambassadors. This means you’ll be learning as much about the Maasai in Tanzania as you will about the migrating wildebeest. You can ask questions about the latest elections and easily switch to the average lifespan of a dung beetle.
- We genuinely take pride in our customer service. We know that planning a trip to Africa requires a lot of investment and we aim to make sure our clients receive very high returns. We understand that choosing camps and lodges can be confusing, we’ve stayed at all of them, we can help. We explain everything that needs to be taken care of, from visas to insurance and inoculations. We prepare and provide individually tailored travel documents with information pertaining only to specific clients’ particular trips. This means our clients are consistently the “best prepared” when they arrive in Africa.
- At African Portfolio, we customize our clients itineraries with the skill that a combined experience of over 50 years in the Africa travel business brings. If you fancy an adventure, we can share our personal stories of walking safaris, elephant-back safaris and camel safaris with you. Enjoy gourmet food and wine? No problem, we have lots of insider tips on restaurants and wineries and know the best foodie lodges in the business.
We are all dreamers, adventurers and romantics, let us share our Africa with you!
Buffalo Weavers are are gregarious, highly social birds, but the least accomplished nest makers. Look for their large messy communal nests with side entrances facing different directions high in a tree – typically in a fork of branches. It is a large, rather untidy structure of twigs and coarse grasses. They are often found alongside buffaloes, feeding on the insects they stir up, hence the name.
Elephant Shrews are so named for their particularly elongated snouts. (Another way to distinguish shrews from mice, by the way, is by looking at their front feet: shrews have 5 clawed toes on each, and mice have only 4. Yes – it’s that easy!) However, the Elephant Shrew is not even a shrew at all, but rather a sengi - not closely related to any other group of living mammals. Many biologists currently include the elephant shrews in a new superorder, the Afrotheria, which encompasses several other distinctive African orders such as elephants, sea cows, and hyraxes and aardvark.
Leopard Tortoises are the fourth largest species of tortoise in the world, growing up to 2 feet long, and with typical adults weighing 40 – 50 pounds. Their name is derived from the black and yellow spots on their shells. In defense, they retract their feet and head into their shells. This often results in a hissing sound, probably due to the squeezing of air from the lungs as the limbs and head are retracted
Ant Lions (also known as “Doodlebugs”) resemble dragonflies, but are more fragile and very weak fliers. The larva dig pits in dry soil which is easy to shift. Starting with a circle on the ground, digging deeper and deeper, it spirals in toward the center. The dirt that is dug out is thrown out energetically with the head, creating a tiny funnel-shaped crater. They then prepare the sides of their pits with fine sand or soil particles, and bury themselves at the bottom so that only the head, with opened jaws, can be seen, and wait for their prey. Ants that fall into the funnel can’t climb out, and land in the jaws of the “lion”.
Rhino Beetles are among the largest on earth. They get their name from the huge spikes on their heads, used by males in combat rather than for defense against predators. Measured by proportional strength, they are the strongest animals on the planet, because they can lift up to 1,000 times their own weight. Yes, an elephant can carry a lot more weight than a Rhino Beetle, but only up about to 25% of its own.
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