An African safari.
An African safari is the adventure of a lifetime.
Hello. My name is Marianne Birrell and I plan and book safaris for family, friends and clients. If you hear the call of Africa, you are ready for an uncommon adventure, unlike any other. More inspiring, more rewarding, more joyful. And much more real. In short, it is the perfect antidote for the tired spirit. An African safari is the journey of a lifetime.
The journey of a lifetime.
We can’t say this enough, because it really is. Africa’s wild places offer a great many safari choices, and Africa is, well, it’s huge. My main area of safari knowledge and experience is the private game reserves in and around the Kruger National Park. (Please note: we organise photographic safaris only. No hunting safaris are offered.) John, Ute and I are here to help you pinpoint a safari to suit your style and budget. We are well qualified to do so, and have a tribe of happy safari clients who attest to our efforts.
“There’s nothing else like safari life.
Not even close.”
Let the journey of a lifetime begin.
We went looking for the best; great safari lodges and top game reserves. Here’s a taste, below. Our criteria? Abundant game viewing and not too much of the “roughing it and loving it”, since we prefer comfort, good food and modern conveniences. We found it all: good all-embracing value and some stellar game rangers, and we’re ready to share our findings with you.
An African safari: where, when, how?
An African safari is a big journey, and for many it is a once-off, lifetime adventure. And so, you have to do it right. As do we! Jump straight to the commonly-asked safari questions here or contact us. We are here to help. Or chat to us – we can set up a video or voice chat when you are ready.
Inside info ~ because we’re local.
We live here, so we know local conditions, like how to best get around, the seasons, the best deals, and all matters of safety.
Let’s talk safari.
We don’t believe in the “one size fits all” philosophy. Therefore, let’s talk safari. Look at our safari tours here, and then contact us via safari talk. It’s quick and easy. If we can’t help you directly, we are sure to know who can.
The personal touch.
My safari business is small and personal, with service at the forefront. My associates are John Grant and Ute Sonnenberg, and we work with a wide network of safari professionals in all the regions. Our prices are normally all-inclusive, per day; per person sharing; for in-reserve accommodation, lodge transfers, all meals, 2 daily guided game drives, and taxes. Add-on sectors such as Cape Town or Johannesburg will be priced on a B&B basis, per day, per room. Meet the team.
We make it happen.
We’ll discuss what you like up front, plus timing, and send you ideas on where, when, and how. We’ll guide you on prices. We will never charge you more than the lodges’ listed online rate. After you finally approve your safari plan, we will request a deposit for your lodge room/s to be held.
Added value.
We communicate quickly and efficiently, and you deal directly with us. We promise that no-one will put you on hold. Please note that we have no vested interest in any safari lodges or corporation. This means we only recommend lodges WE rate highly (reviews online are not always bona fide). YOU are our client and we are your back-up if you have any issues with your accommodation. See some of our safaris …
Our clients said it.
” All 14 days were above expectations, hotels, transfers, lodging, all safaris both on water, by car, walks with rangers, service at all camps, just all perfect. We did six places in 3 countries all smooth. Good job Marianne!”
“I normally do everything myself, but knowing that inside knowledge in Africa is very helpful, this time I went with an agent to set up a few safaris in South Africa. Marianne Birrell set everything up for me better than I could have done it myself after weeks of research.”
“Thank you for a beautifully planned trip, Marianne.”
Karen Blixen’s Africa.
A love for Africa is eloquently presented by the author in her classic book “Out of Africa”. It is fitting to share a few quotes from her book on this page.
“You know you are truly alive when you’re living among lions.”
“If I know a song of Africa, of the giraffe and the African new moon lying on her back, of the plows in the fields and the sweaty faces of the coffee pickers, does Africa know a song of me? Will the air over the plain quiver with a color that I have had on, or the children invent a game in which my name is, or the full moon throw a shadow over the gravel of the drive that was like me, or will the eagles of the Ngong Hills look out for me?”
“No domestic animal can be as still as a wild animal. The civilized people have lost the aptitude of stillness, and must take lessons in silence from the wild before they are accepted by it.”
“Here I am, where I ought to be.”
“When you have caught the rhythm of Africa, you find out that it is the same in all her music.”
“The views were immensely wide. Everything that you saw made for greatness and freedom, and unequealled nobility.”
“Still, we often talked on the farm of the Safaris that we had been on. Camping places fix themselves in your mind as if you had spent long periods of your life in them. You will remember a curve of your wagon track in the grass of the plain, like the features of a friend.”
“If there were one more thing I could do, it would be to go on safari again.”
“Up in this air you breathed easily, drawing in a vital assurance and lightness of heart. In the highlands you woke up in the morning and thought: Here I am, where I ought to be.”
„It was Africa distilled up through six thousand feet like the strong and refined essence of a continent… The views were immensely wide — everything that you saw made for greatness and freedom, and unequalled nobility.“
„There is something about safari life that makes you forget all your sorrows and feel as if you had drunk half a bottle of champagne — bubbling over with heartfelt gratitude for being alive.“