TAP Expeditions: Providing Tourists with Bespoke Southern African Safaris

For many Superyacht owners and guests, a safari may not sound the most luxurious, but that’s because they’ve yet to discover TAP Expeditions. Founded in 2020 by former Chief Stew, Gemma Heyns, TAP tailors bespoke Southern African safaris for each and every client.

After previously being asked by charter guests and crew members to take them to Africa, Gemma began TAP Expeditions with an understanding of the luxury needs and requirements of not just Superyacht guests, but yacht crew too. Quickly, she became recognised as one of the best African travel companies amongst individuals in the Superyacht industry, as well as avid travellers. While Gemma and TAP Expeditions guide David Snow can’t control the weather or the natural wildlife, they can pair you with the most experienced and knowledgeable guides to ensure that you have an African experience like no other. From advising you on the top destinations and expeditions to arranging luxury transport to take you to your grand lodge – And so forward. They make sure that every TAP trip is:

• Tailored: Speaks to a modern-day desire to be seen and catered to as an individual. The goal is to understand each guest’s unique interests and exceed every expectation.
• Authentic: Coexist with one’s surroundings to be a part of nature – the wildlife, landscapes, and people. There are many lessons to be learnt from nature, and you should allow yourself to step away from life’s noise and find these lessons.
• Personal: Be accountable and ensure responsible travel, aiding our partnering charities and their work in our communities and conservation spaces.

“Empowerment is at the core of all we do.” – Gemma Heyns

What makes TAP Expedition stand out from other South African safari agencies?

TAP Expeditions was founded on the idea that together we can all go further. The fast-paced, high-consumption society we currently live in leaves little, or no room to combat both our physical and emotional impacts on each other and our natural spaces. With that in mind, we have enabled conscious travel. When guests travel with TAP Expeditions, they are helping create a positive impact in the locations they visit. This is why with every trip booked through TAP, a portion of funds are donated to our partnering charities:

• Invictus Canine Anti Poaching Unit
• The Endangered Wildlife Trust
• Save The Rhino
• Black Mamba Anti Poaching Unit
• African Leadership Academy
• Oasis Haven

Conservation efforts are essential to preserving wild spaces for generations to come. Similarly, community empowerment brings education and understanding to underprivileged communities. Because of this, they too can benefit from the development of tourism and further understand the need to protect nature.

Image credit – TAP Expeditions

“Should I book a safari through an agency or independently?”

5 key reasons why it’s crucial to book a luxury safari through an experienced travel agency:

1. You’ll receive expert advice on all areas, from locations, to finding out the best time of the year to visit.
2. Travel companies know the most important details that go into making sure a trip goes exactly as planned. I.e. dates, times, distances, flights, transfers, dietary needs, medical issues…and so on.
3.  Saving time is a massive benefit to booking a Southern African safari through a travel agency – especially for yacht crew!
4. Booking through an agency gives you real-time, on-the-ground support, should anything go wrong. Travel agents have partners, or themselves on the ground. Meaning they’re available to respond to any unforeseen problems or last-minute changes. They provide a support system exclusively looking after each client’s needs.
5. Travel companies have a database of connections and relationships with people/businesses in the area. In TAP Expeditions case, they have close connections with expert guides and luxury accommodations all over South Africa.

So, how much do Southern African Safaris cost?

When it comes to the cost of a South African safari, there truly is a budget for everyone. Whether you’re yacht crew looking to go on holiday during your time off, or you’re someone wanting to book a top-of-the-range luxury trip for a UHNWI, TAP Expeditions caters to everyone.

Here is a pricing example of 2 different South African Safari experiences:

• You could book a self-drive, overland safari for a price of under $100pp/pn.
• If you’re looking for a more luxurious safari, aka ‘the crème de la crème of all safari experiences’, with fly-in fly-out operations in the middle of the most remote National Parks, it can cost USD2000/night/person, all-inclusive. You can expect activities, meals, beverages, guides, hosts, and wildlife sightings that you cannot comprehend until you experience them yourself in the most surreal locations.

Image credit – TAP Expeditions

Top Tip:

“It’s often best for guests to mix it up and experience both spectrums of the safari experience (if they can) – it’s invigorating to have a taste of it all. ” – Gemma Heyns

What are the best destinations for Southern African Safaris?

For first-time safari-goers, Gemma recommends hitting these hot spots (they are established for good reason):

• Kruger National Park (South Africa)
• Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe)
• Okavango Delta (Botswana)

The beauty is that there is a cornucopia of experiences to link to these magical starting points. Or, if you’re really looking for an unforgettable first-time safari experience, why combine them all? Southern Africa travel is a “once in a lifetime” experience where once you’ve done it once, you’ll want to repeat it as often as possible.

For more Travel Tips and Tricks via TAP Expeditions, click here