Solo Travel

Although sharing a safari experience with friends and family can be rewarding, sometimes the best travelling partner is yourself. There are many advantages to being a lone traveller, with greater flexibility when it comes to travel arrangements allowing you to see the world on your own terms. 

Travel can often be a formative experience, and travelling by yourself even more so. 

When considering where to travel alone, consider safaris which operate on a small group basis. You’ll be meeting like-minded people who share the same passion for travel and the natural world as you do, and all you need to look for is a single space to fill.

Take, for example, our small ship expeditions to the Arctic and Antarctic. These are some of the best trips to take alone due to the greater intimacy compared with larger vessels – both with the local wildlife and your fellow passengers. A smaller size means more manoeuvrability, allowing these ships to safely navigate the narrow fjords and inlets that would be inaccessible to larger ships, taking you closer to the wildlife in the water and onshore. We match solo travellers on these trips with same-sex cabin mates, but if one cannot be found, we’ll upgrade you to a twin room for yourself at no extra charge.

When deciding where to travel solo, keep in mind that many safaris charge “single supplements” – an extra charge for travellers booking a room to themselves, rather than sharing with another person. As most rooms are designed to be shared by two people - both of whom pay a fee - the single supplement is a way for proprietors to recoup the money that they would lose from having one person rent a two-person room.

Hardened solo adventurers need not be daunted by the spectre of the single supplement, however. 

There are many safaris to embark upon that don’t charge extra for accommodating those travelling on their own; in fact, some of the best places to travel solo are some of our most popular destinations. We offer a broad selection of safaris that allow you to follow your own path, wherever it may lead you. If you’re not sure where to visit next, take a look through the list below for a few ideas.

Antarctica

Pair up with a cabin buddy or book a room to yourself on one of our expeditions to Antarctica. With trips lasting anywhere from seven days to a whole month, you'll soon make fast friends on board your ship as you explore one of the world's most unforgiving yet spellbinding wildernesses. Our ship charters range in size from the 7-cabin Hanse Explorer to the imposing M/S Expedition, which has space for up to 134 passengers. Regardless of how many passengers you'll be sharing a ship with, your journey to the Great White Continent will be one you won't soon forget.

Botswana

Botswana is best seen during the dry season, but by avoiding peak times and travelling to the Duba Plains and Selinda Reserve during the shoulder months (April to mid-June and November to mid-December) you can avoid the usual single supplements. Here you'll be able to tour the waterways of the Okavango Delta in search of lions, hippos, buffalo and other big game before heading to the vast landscape of the Linyanti, home to one of the highest densities of elephants in all of Africa. And for further savings, you can also take advantage of a free inter-camp helicopter flight on selected departures!

republic of congo

Our 9-day safari to Odzala-Kokoua National Park in the Republic of Congo not only allows you to track western lowland gorillas through forest, swamp and grassland, but you can also save over £2,000 as a solo traveller. By departing on the first Thursday of every month, you can fly in to your first camp on board their supply plane and avoid the standard flight surcharge that must be paid on trips departing on other dates. This is a fantastic way to discover the wonders within one of Africa's oldest national parks; try climbing into a pirogue and taking a trip down the Lekoli River for sightings of bongos and forest buffalo.

Greenland

Those embarking on our pioneering expedition to the east coast of Greenland will be doing so on board the M/S Freya, a small, ice-strengthened ship with eight twin cabins. Under the tutelage of expert guide Andrew James, you'll be able to hone your photography skills here on the polar frontier, with mountains, icebergs, whales and muskox passing before your lens. If booking by yourself, you’ll be placed with a fellow passenger of the same sex who will share your passion for Arctic exploration, but if this isn’t possible due to the number of passengers, you’ll be able to stay in a cabin by yourself at no extra cost.

Svalbard

As with our expeditions to Greenland and Antarctica, Svalbard safaris offer the solo traveller the chance to bond with like-minded seafarers as you experience the magic and majesty of the world's polar regions. Venturing through snow, ice and sea, you'll be accompanied by expert guides in the search for iconic Arctic wildlife like seals, whales, walrus, reindeer, Arctic fox, and of course the polar bear. Book a place on board one of our small ship expeditions - like those led by BBC presenter Kate Humble or National Geographic photographers Andy Mann and Keith Ladzinski - to ensure you spend your time here as part of a close-knit group of fellow adventurers.

Tanzania

Tanzania offers an embarrassment of riches for wildlife-lovers to choose from, and this exciting safari to western Tanzania takes in two destinations that offer quite different experiences. Beginning in the remote wilderness of Katavi - home to large herds of buffalo, zebra, wildebeest, elephants and giraffes - you'll embark on three days of game drives before flying to Mahale Mountains National Park on the shores of Lake Tanganyika, where you can head deep into the jungle to track troops of habituated chimpanzees. Throughout 2018, solo travellers can enjoy all this without being charged the standard single supplement.