Ker & Downey Africa: An Astonishing Adventure Awaits

David Livingstone explored the heart of Africa and David Attenborough brought its majestic wildlife to our tv screens. Together, they have stirred the discerning traveller to find their own inner pioneer. For generations, Ker & Downey Africa has made such encounters possible by enriching their guests’ lives with traditional animal safaris and incredible adventures like floating over Botswana’s UNESCO Okavango Delta in hot air balloons, flying to the exotic island of Mauritius or even exploring the wilds of Antarctica. Chief Executive Officer, Lee Kelsall, believes that ‘pushing the boundaries of African travel’ in this way means every exploration ‘ticks somebody’s bucket list’.
wildlife in Kenya safari Ker & Downey Africa

Adventure, Challenge and Legacy

Once, a luxury trip to Africa meant month-long safaris in the bush but, as Kelsall emphasises, Africa is so much more than just safaris. Their three pillars – adventure, challenge, legacy – ensure that Ker & Downey Africa’s LuxVenture trips do just that. For many, a traditional animal safari is adventurous enough, but Ker & Downey Africa take it further, organising foot safaris into the bush to get as close as safely possible to Africa’s ‘big five’ – lions, leopards, rhinos, elephants, and buffalos. The company’s travel designers work with clients’ passions to create unique trips that offer everything the elegant traveller desires – from a photographic safari through Namibia, to culinary workshops in Morocco, or simply relaxing at wellness retreats in Mauritius.

From law to luxury travel

Since Ker & Downey Africa was founded in the mid-1990s, its mission has been to create life-changing luxury experiences that reveal the true delights of the continent. No-one typifies this more than Kelsall, a Cambridge graduate who took a sabbatical from a successful law career to live with the Maasai Mara tribe in Kenya in 2010. This ignited his love for African travel, and he decided to build a career out of it, becoming CEO of Ker & Downey Africa in 2013. The transition, he reveals, was easy, since law and luxury travel are both based on ‘trust and integrity’.
Lee Kelsall

The Great Migration

A sight to behold is the Great African Migration beginning in northern Tanzania, when 1.5 million wildebeest journey 1,800-miles across the vast Serengeti plains to the champagne hills of Kenya’s Masai Mara. One of the earth’s greatest shows also attracts zebras, gazelles and hunters like lions and hyenas. Ker & Downey Africa can take you right to the heart of the action with their Northern Tanzania circuit LuxVenture trip. Alternatively, their Luxury Seychelles & Kenya Safari is a chance go beyond the Serengeti to Kenya. Staying at Sir Richard Branson’s Mahali Mzuri Maasai safari camp, travellers have front-row seats to the great gnu procession passing by their tents. Then they jet off to the private island of Félicité in the Seychelles for tropical pampering at Six Senses Zil Pasyon.

Beyond the safari

Ker & Downey Africa trips span a range of experiences and geographic locations. For example, the culinary LuxVenture trip offers travellers the chance to immerse themselves in the spicy air of Morocco with cooking classes, exploring Marrakesh, sailing the coast of Essaouira and visiting Casablanca. Or go beyond the continent and follow in the footsteps of Prince Harry, Buzz Aldrin and Bear Grylls on the South Africa to Antarctica Expedition. Stay in state-of-the-art igloo pods, discover ice caves and cross frozen lakes. Return to Cape Town and stay the finest hotels, explore Bo Kaap and climb Table Mountain, before going on safari at the Kruger National Park. Here adventurers can track lions, elephants, hippopotamus, leopards, rhinos, cheetahs and buffalo.
great migration safari in tanzania

"High-flyers jet to the wild Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda for rainforest treks searching for silverback gorillas, then visit lush wet terrains of Botswana’s Okavango Delta."

Adventurous travel to the real heart of Africa

Kelsall advises travellers to visit for a month, rather than two weeks, and fully take in Africa’s sheer diversity. The 18-day private jet safari in Rwanda, Botswana & Mozambique combines several bucket-list items and an incredible contrasting view of the continent. Highflyers can jet to the wild Volcanoes National Park in Rwanda for rainforest treks searching for silverback gorillas and meeting local communities. In Botswana’s Okavango Delta, guests can glide across fairytale lagoons in guided mokoro canoes and encounter elephants roaming just beyond their opulent tents in Abu Camp. And in Mozambique, the country’s first eco-friendly resort, Azura retreat on Benguerra island awaits. Guests stay in an infinity beach villa, cocooned from the outside world, while being served endless seafood by private butlers.
cheetah on a termite mount in the masai mara

Slow Travel and Connection

With so many experiences on offer, Kelsall believes the true wonder of Africa is revealed at a slow pace. Guests can do that on the Rovos Rail and Slow River LuxVenture train safari, following the tracks of David Livingstone to Victoria Falls. Time-travel back to an era of steam trains and classical music as the convoy pulls away from the station and winds its way towards the Zimbabwean border. Passengers can admire ‘the smoke that thunders’ out of the window. Upon arrival, the tempo increases with exhilarating helicopter flights and white-water rafting down the Zambezi River.
aerial shot of victoria falls Ker & Downey Africa

Responsible Travel inspired by families

Ker & Downey Africa has also curated bespoke trips for families, who can bond while enjoying an exclusive vacation on the luxury family safari in South Africa. In Cape Town, visit the penguin colony in Simonstown, explore Table Mountain, and Boulders Beach and kayak with dolphins off the coast of Sea Point, before heading to the rolling vineyards of Franschhoek to sample laid-back farm life in an extravagant villa with on-site childminders. Family travel is a big focus for Ker & Downey Africa, so much so that its sister company, Jumbari Family Safaris, focuses solely on responsible family travel.

"Time-travel back to an era of steam trains and classical music as the convoy pulls away from the station and winds its way towards the Zimbabwean border."

Legacy travel

Just by going on a Ker & Downey Africa adventure, elite travellers support entire communities and leave their own legacy. These tailored trips have discreet fees built in and by booking an Elephant Conservation Safari or Rhino Conservation Safari in South Africa, a donation gets re-invested back into the projects. The newest opportunity to leave a positive legacy is by signing up to Ker & Downey Africa’s 12-day Conservation Safari in collaboration with the Tracker Academy in South Africa. Here guests can help preserve endangered species and enjoy game drives, guided bush walks and horseback safaris.
Londozi elephant next to safari car Environmentally, Kelsall explains, the key to balancing sustainable and ethical practices is to guide guests to locations that have ‘resisted the damaging effects of commercial tourism’. Ker & Downey Africa select safari lodges that consider their environmental impact, from the plastic-free practices at Angama Mara in Kenya, to the use of solar energy at Xigeria Lodge in Botswana, and farm-to-fork dining experiences at Singita in the Serengeti. There are lodges constructed from organic materials at Tswalu Kalahari in South Africa, while the private game reserves – Londolozi, in Kruger National Park and Samara, in the Great Karoo, play an integral role in wildlife conservation.
bisate lodge Antarctica

Luxury lodging

Whether staying in five-star hotels, safari lodges with star beds, a Tanzanian tree house or Richard Branson’s luxury Mahali Mzuri Maasai mobile camp, guests can rest in extravagant elegance with Ker & Downey Africa. Accommodation ranges from colonial mansions, such as Ellerman House in South Africa, to the finest family lodges like the French La Clé des Montagnes in the Winelands. Then there is the contrast of unique Bisate Lodge – six exclusive conically shaped thatched forest villas built into the walls of extinct volcanoes in Rwanda – and the tropical One&Only Le Saint Geran in Mauritius.
the motse lodge fire pit africa Each Ker & Downey Africa trip promises adventure, challenges and the opportunity to engage. Overwhelmingly, Africa offers high-octane adventure and lavish experiences to last a lifetime.

Donna Richardson

Donna’s passion as a travel writer comes from having lived in the Maldives and the United Arab Emirates. She has a curiosity about people and places and a desire to convey the essence of a destination using words. Fascinated by travel and culture, there are still many places left on her list.