Wilderness Safaris and White Desert have come together to design an extraordinary series of joint itineraries highlighting the best of Africa and Antarctica. Through this partnership, the companies’ shared guests will enjoy the most awe-inspiring experiences, hand crafted to highlight the best of what Wilderness Safaris and White Desert have to offer. The first two itineraries are set to take place in November and December 2021.
“We are proud to partner with a like-minded conservation tourism company with whom we share enormous passion for luxury hospitality in remote destinations, and the protection of the landscapes and wildlife in which we operate”, said Amanda Wilson, Wilderness Safaris Vice President of Partnerships.
Wilderness Safaris is a pioneer in conservation tourism, and has built a collective of remote destinations in Africa, each unique and untamed, affording those seeking to discover the wilderness a truly immersive and exclusive experience. In a corner of the world that is characterised by pristine vistas, dramatic mountain ranges and unique wildlife encounters, White Desert has taken the hardship out of exploration and transformed the isolated beauty of Antarctica into an exclusive backdrop for adventure, offering luxury accommodations and a host of experiences, including ice climbing, abseiling, rock climbing, and rope walking, as well as the rare highlight of visiting the South Pole.
Protecting Antarctica’s future is fundamental to White Desert’s mission; in addition to supporting scientists performing ground-breaking research on the Antarctic ice shelf, White Desert’s operations leave no waste on the continent, and their camps are built with the lightest environmental footprint, similar to those of Wilderness Safaris, where all elements of their camps can be disassembled, leaving no trace.
The first itinerary, Legendary Landscapes: Antarctica and Botswana, is a 15-day journey that will take place from 22 November to 6 December, exploring the highlights of Cape Town, Antarctica and Botswana. After two nights at the exclusive Cape Grace Hotel, a maximum of 12 guests will depart on a private jet to White Desert’s brand-new Wolf’s Fang Camp.
During their four-night stay, guests will take a 2.5-hour flight to Atka Bay, where they will experience one of nature’s most spectacular and least-viewed wildlife events: the birth of emperor penguin chicks. Guests have exclusive access to Atka Bay to witness baby chicks walk off their parents’ feet for the first time! Additionally, they can participate in a host of activities including trekking through ice waves, exploring crystal caves, and exploring ice tunnels, accompanied by highly qualified White Desert guides.
Guests will then return to Cape Town on the same private jet for two nights to regroup and relax while being looked after by a Wilderness Safaris Private Journeys guide. The Botswana leg of their adventure will kick off in the Okavango Delta – one of the most wildlife-dense and extraordinary regions in Africa.
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Accommodation will include three nights at Wilderness Safaris’ contemporary Vumbura Plains Camp, before flying to the extraordinary Linyanti Wildlife Reserve for three nights at the newly rebuilt DumaTau. From expertly guided game drives and mokoro (dug-out canoe) trips in the Delta, to interpretive nature walks and drives in the Linyanti, guests will have the opportunity to experience a range of exhilarating wildlife encounters, while being hosted by a Wilderness Safaris specialist private photographic guide throughout their journey in Botswana.
The 19-day second journey, Wild Desert Adventure: Antarctica and Namibia, offers two of the most remarkably remote luxury travel experiences in the world, taking you from the southernmost point of the Earth to the far-flung deserts of Namibia. Set to take place from 27 December to 14 January, the itinerary follows a similar format, albeit with a longer, six-night stay at Wolf’s Fang Camp to allow for an overnight excursion by plane to the South Pole, which is visited by fewer than 800 people each year.
In addition to standing on the bottom of the world, guests will enjoy the same penguin experience and activities per the above itinerary. Guests will then return to Cape Town for a short, two-night stay at the exclusive One & Only before flying to Namibia to experience the highlights of the Namib Desert, and dramatic landscapes of the world-renowned Sossusvlei Dunes while staying at Wilderness Safaris’ newly rebuilt Little Kulala. Guests will then fly to Namibia’s remote north-west to experience a life-changing journey at Hoanib Skeleton Coast Camp, photographing the unique desert-adapted wildlife of the Hoanib Valley, finally ending at the surreally beautiful Serra Cafema to visit the unique and culturally rich Himba people.
“We believe that the best way to inspire people to care about these incredible wild spaces is through personal experience. To partner with a like-minded pioneering operator and create itineraries full of beautiful contrasts will hopefully motivate guests to support protecting these places for future generations”, said Mindy Roberts, White Desert Chief Marketing Officer.
“Through this first-of-its-kind partnership, we are looking forward to bringing guests from across the world to some of the Earth’s most beautiful and remote, well-preserved reaches to offer them arguably the most unique and intimate nature and wildlife experiences luxury tourism has to offer. In turn, we hope our guests become stewards of conservation tourism in Africa and Antarctica”, Amanda concluded.
To book, please contact white-desert@wilderness-safaris.com or for more information visit www.wilderness-safaris.com/white-desert.
