If you’re reading this, you might be thinking about booking a safari sometime soon. If not, maybe you’re just interested in what we have to say for ourselves. Either way, read on to find out what makes Timbuktu different from traditional travel agents and how we make the process of booking a safari (hopefully) a little bit easier…
1. We book safaris online
It’s easy to see how booking websites have changed the travel industry. Firstly, it was the airline sector, then came the online companies offering discounted city hotels, beach apartments and countryside B&Bs, swiftly followed by those well-known apartment sharing websites. But, somewhere along the way, the world of African safari travel was left behind; and that’s exactly why we set up Timbuktu, an online, interactive booking platform, dedicated to safaris and travel across Africa.
2. We make you the travel expert
Up until now, the only way to travel to Africa has been with the help of a travel agent. Not anymore. Our online platform empowers you, the traveller, to create your own safari. Our selection of trips and lodges is impartial and unbiased, and our pricing is transparent. We allow you to explore traditional (and not so traditional) itineraries and routes, and compare camps and lodges to create a journey that suits your needs and your budget.
3. We show you (almost!) every lodge, camp and hotel
Some of the greatest lodges in Africa aren’t the ones splashed across the pages of the marketing brochures, or the most talked about – and they definitely aren’t the most expensive. At Timbuktu, we’ve got over 1000 safari lodges and camps, city hotels and beach pads across the continent, giving you the chance the make an informed decision about where you want to stay. Filter them by experience, style or price, and find somewhere that ticks all your boxes.
4. We give you an immediate price estimate
You’ve seen the photos, read the blog articles, and even made your list of must-see African hotspots – and now you want to know how much it’s all going to cost. At Timbuktu, we have instant pricing, which means that the price will automatically update as you chop and change the lodges on your trip, or adjust the number of nights. Definitely no nasty surprises here!
5. We’re here to help
We get it. Safaris are a big deal and sometimes you might need a helping hand to get things just right. Once you’ve created your trip, our Africa travel experts will refine it, make some tweaks here and there (if required), and begin the booking process with our partners on the ground. They won’t let you do anything (too) crazy, and they’ll help you choose the smoothest route to all the places you want to go. And they might even be able to suggest some ideas that you’d never even thought of…
6. We save you some pennies
You might be wondering how we can do all of this, and offer lower prices than you might see elsewhere. The simple answer is that we take a lower commission. We’re an online platform, so our overheads are lower – and we pass that cost-saving directly over to you.
7. We make the planning process fun
We believe that planning your safari should be easy, exhilarating, and just as much fun as the trip itself – and we’ve got the tools for you to do it. Our technology is unprecedented: simply pick a lodge, add it to your itinerary, and send it off to our experts for review. It really is as simple as that.
8. We are a team of travel experts that walk the talk
We know what we’re talking about from our years of travel across Africa. There’s Katie who spent five years working in Zambia and Georgie who camped her way across Southern Africa. Then there’s Kat – originally from Zimbabwe – who spent her childhood travelling to places we can only dream of, and Archie who canoed through the DRC and motor-biked his way from Scotland to Cape Town. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg…
9. We give you the inside scoop
We’ve got month by month weather charts and guides on how to combine different areas, countries and regions. We’ve got travel tips that no-one else will tell you, and the blog is jam packed with articles covering everything from the best walking safaris in Africa to Cape Town’s top restaurants. Why listen to anyone else when the information is at your fingertips?
10. There’s no pressure to book
The beauty of designing a trip online is that you can do it in your own time. You can mix and match the lodges, play around with different routes, and make as many changes as you want. You’re not on the phone to someone (unless you want to be), and there’s no pressure to book – just have fun, and let us know when you’re ready for one of our experts to help you add the finishing touches.
So, what are you waiting for? Start designing your safari today. Kickstart your planning with our handpicked trips and routes, mix and match as many lodges as you like, or get inspired with our epic experiences – the possibilities are endless!
