Overview

History
African Portfolio specializes in the personalized planning of wildlife safaris and special interest tours to Africa. They offer programs to 15 different countries in Africa including: Botswana, Egypt, Kenya, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zanzibar, Zimbabwe. They provide both scheduled, small group tours as well as customized itineraries to meet clients’ specific interests and budget. African Portfolio was established in 1992 as the result of a ‘life changing’ journey to Africa, by founder and owner Diane Ebzery. After a ten-year career in management consulting, Diane dropped out of corporate life to establish a company dedicated to providing unique, customized and affordable adventures to Africa. Some 15 years later, the company has a reputation as one of the most professional operators in the industry. Since 1990, owner Diane Ebzery and her colleagues have traveled frequently to the national parks, game reserves, cities and towns throughout east, central and southern Africa as well as the Indian Ocean Islands. All the travel consultants at African Portfolio have professional degrees, any years of experience and additional travel qualifications.

African Portfolio was awarded the Tanzania Tourism board Tour Operator of the Year honor for 2003. You will also find African Portfolio as a recommended tour operator in Fodors, the Lonely Planet, and Cadogans travel guides. They are active members of APTA (Association for the Promotion of Tourism to Africa), ASTA, (American Society of Travel Agents) and the Better Business Bureau (BBB).

African Portfolio knows that their clients have other choices for assistance in planning a trip to Africa, however, they hope you will want to want to work with them. They strongly believe that they distinguish themselves by the knowledge and professionalism of their staff, their many years of experience, their focus and commitment to eco-tourism, their destination expertise, their consultative style and their dedication to quality. They staff shares a common passion for travel - as a means to explore other cultures, to preserve the environment, to challenge themselves -- which motivates them to want to share such unique experiences with prospective clients. They guarantee you'll come to trust and rely on their years of experience and expertise as they work with you to plan your special trip to this magical continent.

African Portfolio's Approach
African Portfolio works with safari camps and lodges that provide their clients with the highest level of wilderness experience possible. By definition these camps and lodges incorporate a sustainable conservation model for the surrounding reserve and the community.

At African Portfolio, they provide their clients with practical travel guidelines that also underscore the importance of low-impact travel. They stress that the countries you are visiting are not merely ‘photo opportunities’ but living cultures of both people and animals. They advise clients to be mindful of their status as guests while visiting these countries. As a matter of course, and a matter of principle, they encourage clients to gain an understanding of the people who live in Africa as well as the wildlife, for it is through mutual interaction, that genuine caring and learning is fostered. Their clients’ extraordinary feedback continually reinforces this policy, and many clients stay in touch with guides that they met in Africa while on one of African Portfolio's tours.

Clients frequently become personally involved by making financial contributions to schools or other community projects operated by the camps at which they are staying. African Portfolio reminds them that by traveling to these countries, clients are supporting the tourism industry which is the mainstay of much of the economy and directly impacts many small communities; in some cases, opportunities exist for guests to become involved in community projects.

African Portfolio keeps abreast of their in-country operators by personally visiting them on an annual basis. Safari camps are constantly evolving and staying current on the camp experience allows them to provide clients with up-to-the-minute firsthand knowledge of these camps. It also allows them to recommend the best combination of camps for each client, which they feel is one of African Portfolio's trademark strengths.

The safari guides they work with are extremely well-trained and knowledgeable, and the conservation and social perspectives they share with clients are as valuable as the wildlife experience. Without exception, their clients return from Africa with their expectations surpassed; in most cases, people find that their experience was far more educational than they had expected, and that the depth of their learning proved far more significant than any other trip. This is the kind of experience that returning clients know is waiting for them. African Portfolio's commitment is not just to the wildlife of Africa, but also to her people.

Their Specialty
"What might our next travel adventure be…" you muse over a glass of wine with friends. The possibilities and dreams are almost as much fun as the real thing. Travelers are born dreamers, adventurers, romantics, their eyes and ears always tuned to the horizon and what may be waiting for them just on the other side. The cookie-cutter package tour has almost become obsolete, especially for the sophisticated traveler, who now seeks out truly unique experiences that combine the beauty and intrinsic fascination of the destination with an experience that is customized to their own interests. African Portfolio has a particular expertise in assisting travelers with "off the beaten path" and purpose oriented trips. As follows is a description of just a few of these areas of special interest.

Honeymoon Safaris
For a truly unique honeymoon, an African safari is the quintessential romantic adventure to remember... sage-scented breezes; the vast star-studded African night blanketing your luxurious canvas tent; the excitement of tracking elephant, lion and leopard; your vintage claw-footed tub overlooking the Zambezi River with a bottle of chilled champagne to accompany a smoldering sunset... African Portfolio has designed unforgettable honeymoons for hundreds of newlyweds - it is African Portfolio's pleasure to assist you in planning a memorable experience for the first part of your journey in life together.

Family Safaris
It is safe, fun and rewarding to travel with children in Africa. Africa is a treasure chest of adventure and learning for the whole family. African Portfolio has carefully selected destinations, hotels and safari lodges that offer the entire family a journey of discovery that will be remembered for a lifetime. Many of the selected safari lodges on family tours offer specially structured and unique childrens' programs, which include a wide range of safari experiences with exciting interactive conservation learning opportunities. These are guaranteed to delight youngsters of all ages as well as teach them to appreciate and preserve the planet. Parents can rest assured that their children will always be safe and well looked after, both on and off the game drives. They will enjoy a program specially designed to give travel-weary parents a well-deserved break, keep the children happy and provide the entire family with a safari experience they'll never forget.

Food and Wine Safaris
Inviting vineyards carpeting fertile valleys, historic Cape Dutch manor houses, two oceans, Twelve Apostles, a burgeoning culinary celebration rooted in Cape Malay cuisine and the progressive, imaginative kitchens of South Africa's leading chefs. African Portfolio's distinctive tours can take you on an artfully (and tastefully!) designed journey to the southernmost tip of Africa. To go to South Africa and have a remarkable wine-tasting and dining experience without really trying is easy: but their aim is to create a safari for food and wine lovers that can only be experienced by having experts with the right connections elevate the journey to an entirely different level. A wine and gourmet safari that promises not only a focus on the classic gastronomic offerings of South Africa, but dovetails innovative wine-tasting and dining experiences that are the product of a creative collaborative effort between African Portfolio, boutique vineyards, and the most discerning palates in the country! Not to be missed is, of course, the stunningly wild safari adventure that follows, where you stay at leading camps and lodges that have made eating in the wilderness perhaps one of the most sophisticated pleasures possible – combining the beauty of the bushveld, the excitement of unparalleled game viewing, luxurious accommodations and memorable meals together...

Bush and Beach
Rejuvenation, replenishment, a return to nature and oneself — come to Africa for a beach and bush safari designed to soothe the spirit and inspire the senses. Mother Africa, the tawny continent, lies stretched before you in all its wildness, splendor and hope. Its future is shrouded in mystery; its past is written in legend. Come with African Portfolio and feel the rhythm of the land, share in the beauty of its soul. One of the most popular trips is to combine the wilderness and wild with the sun and sea. You journey to some of Africa's most enchanting safari regions including the Masai Mara or the Serengeti or Kruger National Park followed by days of soaking up the African sun in exotic destinations such as Mauritius, Mozambique, Seychelles or Zanzibar. Your holiday promises to be a most unforgettable experience of breathtaking scenery, diverse wildlife, unspoiled bush, sparkling seas, cultural explorations and adventures to remember!

   Travel & Industry Awards

• 2003 Tanzania Tourism Board Tour Operator of the Year Honor

   Affiliations

• American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA)
• Better Business Bureau
• Association for the Promotion of Tourism to African (APTA)
• Africa Travel Association (ATA)
• Fodors
• The Lonely Planet
• Cadogans

   Payments Accepted

   Reservation Policy

   Cancellation Policy

• More than 75 days prior to departure - Full Deposit.
• 60 – 75 days - 25% of tour price.
• 45 – 60 days - 50% of tour price.
• Less than 45 days - 100% of tour price.