Ultimate Safaris has N$ 8.5 million impact on conservation and communities in 2023
Ultimate Safaris, through their Conservation Travel Foundation (CTF), in 2023, donated a total of 8.5 million Namibia Dollars to various projects across Namibia.
This, according to the company’s latest audited financial statements, includes around N$ 1.8 million for the provision of solar power within the Tsiseb Communal Conservancy, N$ 1 million for the construction of predator-proof kraals (which is in addition to the roughly N$ 1.3 million spent by the CTF on predator- proof kraals in 2021), and over N$ 3.5 million which was donated to aid the efforts of conservation organisations such as the Desert Lion Conservation Trust, AfriCat, TOSCO Lion Rangers, and Communal Conservancy Rhino Rangers.
Save the Rhino Trust’s coordinated Rhino Rangers programme also benefitted directly through the Ultimate Safaris led Pack for Conservation initiative, which, in partnership with Namibian camping and outdoor supplier, Cymot, allows anyone from visitors to the country, to interested individuals both within and outside of Namibia, to buy dedicated Rhino Ranger gear online via a secure platform and have it delivered directly to the Rangers on the ground.
Founded in 2006 by Tristan Cowley, later also a co-founder of Ultimate Safaris, the aim of the Conservation Travel Foundation has always been to partner with Conservation Travel to bring about tangible, positive impacts on ecosystem conservation and on the socio-economic development of rural communities in Namibia. Cowley, now Ultimate Safaris’ Managing Director explains that “as a safari operator we wanted to enrich the lives of communities and enhance the areas we visit, as well as the guests that travel with us. The Conservation Travel Foundation has allowed us to achieve that in the most transparent way”.
From humble beginnings where only a few hundred Namibia Dollars a year was raised, the CTF has, over the past three years alone, been able to deliver over 24 million Namibia Dollars’ worth of support. The Foundation has also developed long-term relationships with conservation partners such as those already mentioned, as well as the likes of the Giraffe Conservation Foundation, the Rare and Endangered Species Trust, the Lion Recovery Fund, the Pangolin Conservation and Research Foundation and the Namibia Chamber of Environment, as well as Namibian and international funding partners like Paratus, B2Gold, Swarovski Optik, Moraway Adventures, Wilderness Travel, Geographic Expeditions, Mountain Travel Sobek, and the Adventure Travel Trade Association.
Statements like those of the Vice-Principal of the Grootberg Primary School, Tommy Haxabeb, who said: “With the support of Ultimate Safaris, through the Conservation Travel Fondation, we have been able to enrich the lives of the children at the school”, Dr. Flip Stander of the Desert Lion Project, who explained that the effort and support provided by the CTF “will aid substantially in the conservation of Desert Lions”, or the Save the Rhino Trust’s Jeff Muntefering, who, thanking the CTF for their support in their time of need, explained that the support received from the Foundation would “contribute greatly to the success
of the Rhino Ranger programme”, are evidence enough of the crucial impact the CTF has had, and will continue to have.
In a bid to ensure that all the money raised by the CTF goes to the projects that they support, Ultimate Safaris provides pro bono administrative and logistical support to the Foundation.
Life Enriching Journeys
Our Safaris
We are committed to providing world-class experiences for sophisticated and discerning travellers, offering great attention to detail in order to maintain the highest standards when planning and organizing safaris while still delivering excellent value for money. Our aim is to provide safaris that are educational, explorative, fun, insightful, and ultimately life enriching, with benefit for the places and people that we visit as well as for the guests we take there.
Private Guided
Each of these safaris are led by one or more of our highly respected naturalist guides who can also act as drivers of the private safari vehicles when travelling overland, thus allowing guests to sit back, relax and soak up their safari journeys.
Fly-In
Flying by either scheduled air transfers or private charter flights enables guests to see more places in a shorter time. The variations in the vast landscapes are emphasized from the air, and it is a particular privilege to see some of the areas you cannot easily reach by vehicle.
Self-Drive
Our enthusiasm for guided safaris and the extremely high quality of our guiding tribe mean that we would always recommend travelling with one of our guides. However, we are also willing and able to arrange self-drive safaris for partners when they feel this would be more appropriate for their guests.
VIP
We are fortunate to have been trusted with the safari arrangements for a number of well-known and influential visitors, including world leaders and royalty as well as other high nett-worth individuals and celebrities.
Photographic
Our specialized safari vehicles are perfectly equipped for these safaris, being kitted out with custom made stackable bean bags for use at each window (and when using the pop top roof) as well as invertors and sockets for charging electronic equipment and batteries.
Birding
With 660 bird species of which 14 are near-endemic and one endemic, Namibia is a birder’s paradise.
Film Support
Our experience and resources enable us to offer complete solutions for film crews wanting to work in Namibia.
Family
Family travel is one of the world’s fastest growing sectors and we can arrange for families to stay in camps where staff are accustomed to children and also happy to involve the children in duties where possible - they can often be found helping to prepare snacks in the kitchen with the chefs or out on walks with the local guides.
Cycling / Hiking / Active
These safaris also offer a unique way of experiencing some of the more spectacular areas in Namibia with a very light footprint, getting close to the amazing geology, desert, and wildlife while on a mountain bike or on foot.
Small Group
These are safaris created for specific international tour operators or travel agents who sell these safaris exclusively to their own clients in the name of their respective organizations.
Conservation Safaris
These are safaris created specifically in support of specific conservation organisations or projects, with proceeds going directly to these causes.
