COVID AND AFRICA’S WILDLIFE
Without safari tourism, our wildlife cannot be protected. Let’s take the Serengeti. Without safaris, the game reserve will be turned into one large cattle farm. Why? Beause its local people need to make a living. Roads will be built, and poaching will sky-rocket. Before you know it, most protected wilderness areas will follow suit. Safari tourism pays for conservation. It provides jobs and food on the table for people in the rural areas. Safari visitors are “eyes and ears on the ground” to protect the iconic Big 5 from being poached. After 18 months of no business, the safari industry is on the verge of collapse. Wild animals will disappear. The gene pool will shrink, likely to the point of no return. The planet will lose its most precious resource: biodiversity. Your children and grandchildren will be the losers.
Compared with this loss, the minor negative effects of tourism on the wilderness are entitrely negligible.
The lifeblood of Africa’s game reserves is tourism. Ute Sonnenberg
Finding the perfect safari just got easier.
Hello. My name is Marianne Birrell and I’m a safari planner and facilitator. My safari service started in 2001 and I call it my wild-space odyssey. I love creating unforgettable safaris for visitors to Africa, because that way, I get to share this continent and its fabulous natural treasures with you. Together, we can create the perfect safari for you, simply and easily. (Hunting safaris are not offered; photographic safaris only.)
It always starts with a conversation.
The journey is first and foremost about you, and we help you minimise hours of research by eliminating unsuitable choices. Let us know about your likes and dislikes, your travel style, your wish list and your comfort level when you’re far from home. Here’s how.
Safari Talk!
We invite you to let us know a little bit about your preferences. Then let us do what we do best, and send you our safari ideas specifically for you. It’s that simple, and no obligation is required from you.
(To us, your details are sacrosanct. We will not share them with anyone else. Ever.)
Our service ethic.
My business is small and personal. I work closely with two great associates, John Grant and Ute Sonnenberg, within a wider network of safari specialists in all regions. We are responsible and knowledgeable, offering selected safari lodges and stand-out game reserves based on our many lodge research visits. Our price will be fair. We use sensible connections with meet-and-greet services at each stop, because every hour and every step on safari is important.
Planning your dream African safari.
We’ll share with you our safari tips on where, when, and how, as well as best value advice. Then we’ll help you get safari ready: secure your chosen lodge/s, arrange your transfers and best internal flights, and tell you what to pack. More background …
Our added value.
We have no vested interest in any one safari lodge or group. Our preferred lodges are not based on the level of commission paid, they are simply those that consistently impress us the most. Browse some of our safari plans …
Most asked safari questions.
It’s not for nothing that synonyms for ‘safari’ include expedition, trek and odyssey. It’s a big journey, and there is much to know. We share with you the questions most often asked by our clients at the early stages of our conversations and planning. See them here …
Lodges we love.
The perfect safari calls for great lodgings and great game rangers. Here are that we love. They shine brighter than the rest, having character, charm, cuisine … you know, all those old-fashioned Relais qualities, and they also have that extra dash of magic.
Pondoro. 
Elephant Plains. 
Phinda Mountain Lodge.
They trusted us.
“From day 1, good recommendations to make our trip to our expectations. 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!”
“Thank you for a beautifully planned trip, 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.”
“Kruger park with Rhino safaris located in the parc was an excellant choice with an excellant guide for a walking safari, Victoria Falls visit and Batonka new lodges were again a perfect choice for us. Chobe river was also a different kind of safari that we enjoyed very much. Finally our stay in the Okavango Delta with elephant so close from the tent and treking in the bush was a perfect choice.”
Step #1 to the perfect safari.
Talk Safari with us. It’s the efficient way to help you find the perfect safari. We can’t wait to share our intel with you! We’ve been there, done the research, found the good value. More here …
There’s more.
My front page is almost complete, and I have a treat for you, some pure safari inspiration.Your African safari will be the best journey you ever make, in our opinion. To press home the point, and for your delight, you are invited to take a few moments here and enjoy uber-wildlife photographer Shirli Carswell’s creations. Then bookmark both our sites so you can lose yourself in blissful safari dreams and ask us your safari questions.
