Wildlife. Captivating, prodigious, eternal wildlife. It draws you to Africa. But there’s one safari beast that may vex you more than any other.

We are, of course, talking about packing.

Let’s face it, nobody likes to pack, and packing for a safari seems particularly daunting. We understand. We’ve been there. And we here at Micato have tamed the packing beast.

We’ve experimented tirelessly with how to pack (Hint: rolling your clothes actually saves more space than folding) and we even equip all our guests with a safari bag for their smartly-rolled belongings. And of course, the Pinto family and the rest of the Micato team have extensively field-tested what to pack, resulting in the constantly evolving packing lists that we send to our guests.

Much of what we recommend in the way of clothing and supplies likely wouldn’t surprise you. But over the years we’ve learned that some items that may not seem obvious are ones we simply wouldn’t want to do without. Here are five of our top-secret essentials.

1. Convertible pants.

We know what you’re thinking. No way would you agree to be seen in public in trousers with zip-off legs. But convertible pants really are just the thing for a day on safari. Days in the bush often start on the chilly side, and you’ll be in full pants mode. But by noon you’ll zip down to shorts and will want to stay that way, during your game drive and through the late afternoon. As the sun sets and your thoughts turn to what cocktail you should first during your sundowner, you’ll be zipping those legs back on again. Let’s be honest, no one’s going to mistake your convertibles for Prada, but you’ll find that several outfitters sell some perfectly practical and stylish pairs of these handy pants.

2. Neck cord for your sunglasses.

As with the convertible pants, you may not like the idea of being seen with a neck cord dangling from your glasses. But remember, while Micato safari vehicles have above-average suspension, the roads throughout the game parks can be bumpy at times, in which case, securing your favorite specs to your face is prudent. Just imagine you’re a lifeguard—then it’ll seem cool.

3. Moleskin.

While gearing up for safari many of our guests tend to treat themselves to a new pair of walking shoes—or hiking boots, if they’re bound for one of our Rwanda gorilla treks. And of course with new shoes come the possibility of blisters. Even if you’re bringing along your favourite broken-in footwear, the bush may bring a bit of extra moisture that can find its way into your shoes. Soft moleskin—sold as patches or tape, and often self-adhesive—can be cut to size and applied to sensitive skin to keep developing blisters in check. Applying moleskin strategically to parts of your feet prone to chafing will also prevent blisters altogether.

4. Bathing suit.

The hippo on the Micato home page and her swimming brethren can’t have all the fun. Pack a swimsuit, because as you’ll see from thumbing through our brochure, we go out of our way to arrange for our guests to stay at hotels, lodges and camps with spectacular bathing opportunities. Whether you’re lounging in the rock pool of a nearby mountain stream or taking a dip in your private plunge pool, you’ll be glad you’re prepared for a soak—and it’ll be all that much more pleasurable without aching feet. Aren’t you glad you brought along the moleskin?

5. Polaroid camera.

Our guests bring all manner of photographic equipment with them, from old-school to digital, but the one device that often isn’t top of mind is a Polaroid. When visiting the Micato-AmericaShare Harambee Community Centre (a highly recommended stop on all of our safaris), you’ll most likely find yourself swarmed by local children eager to meet a new friend. These children will delight in receiving these instant photos as keepsakes—photos of them enjoying the moment, as well as ones of you with your dashing zip-off pants and sunglasses neck cord.

Image: Cea./Flickr

Close your eyes and conjure the image. An ultra-soft seat with a headrest. Roomy interior. Above-average suspension. All combining for a very comfortable ride across the African plains.

Now imagine something else. Not all safari vehicles have wheels, at least not in Micato’s Africa.

A favourite vehicle among our guests is a hot air balloon, particularly when it’s floating over the sweeping savannahs of the Maasai Mara. We’re happy to offer the balloon ride as an extension or as an inclusion in our Micato Grand Safari.

Two of our sweetest safari rides have hooves. Every chance we get we create opportunities for our guests to safari by horseback, such as the guided rides through the Grootbos Nature Reserve on our South African Sweeping Sojourn. And our bespoke safari guests heading for the far reaches of Kenya naturally want a more customized ride, and that often involves a camel who with coaxing will convey you across the acacia-dotted Nandanguru Plains.

All of our safari vehicles get proper care and feeding of one kind or another, but the ones we fuss over the most are our dear guests, especially those who prefer to safari on foot. Yes, we’re stretching our definition here, but if you’re hiking, that makes you the vehicle, doesn’t it? And when it comes to hiking, nothing quite matches the simple yet spectacular thrill of tracking gorillas in Rwanda.


• Pop-up roof safari vehicle

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• Track Rwandan gorillas on a hiking safari

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• Safari by camel

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• Safari by balloon. Image: Andrew Schoeman

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• Open-air safari vehicle

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We hope visions of these traditional and “alternative” vehicles fortify your dreams and that upon waking you’ll think of us, as we’re fairly certain we can make your dreams of safari come true.

This breathtaking wilderness of the Serengeti plains dates back centuries, but the fact that it was only established as a reserve in 1961 is little known. It’s a fact we’re happy to celebrate. The Mara may be the heart of most of Micato’s East Africa safaris, but it’s also our home.

The hauntingly stunning Mara is storied for its sweeping savannahs and the hundreds of thousands of creatures tramping along its ancient migratory routes. If within a single morning on safari you’re angling to see the entire “Big Five” – for the record, African buffalo, elephants, rhinos, leopards, and lions – you’ve come to the right place.

Every superlative used to describe the Mara’s beauty is accurate. But for Micato, its innermost beauty resides with its people, the Maasai, which is why we arrange for our safari guests in Kenya to meet at least two Maasai Elders.

Language barriers prevent most travellers from actually talking with Maasai Elders, but while in Nairobi, our guests will have the chance to chat with forward-thinking English-speaking elder Simon Lenini Ole Kassi. Later, when we take you to a Maasai village, you’ll meet a less worldly elder and his family. The contrast won’t be lost on you.

Step inside the village mud huts and you’ll notice that they’re simple and unadorned. The same can’t be said of the Maasai, bedecked with brightly coloured beads and robes as well as face paint, a nod to the fact that the Maasai are warriors and were once considered fierce ones. But their warmth and hospitality will move you like no other experience on safari.

Visiting with the Maasai is just one way to harmonize with the beauty of the Mara. Your moment will come. It may happen when you’re spying crocodiles serenely basking in the sun or while you’re just as serenely floating over the Mara in a hot-air balloon. Or it’ll be after your game drive while you’re sipping a cocktail high upon the Mara Escarpment at sunset. Or, perhaps you’ll have one of those precious morning moments, devoid of human voices, when you step outside your tent and hear hippos bobbing and snorting in the river below.

Whenever and however many times it happens, we guarantee that you’ll fall in love with the Mara as we have, and as all Micato travellers have before you.

Happy Birthday, Maasai Mara. We wish you many happy returns.

If you’re not familiar with the Micato One for One Commitment, the concept is simple. For every safari sold, Micato pays the fees required to send an African child to school—a child who would otherwise stay home due to extreme poverty.

How It All Began
During the summer of 2009, Dennis and Joy Pinto spent several days in a government primary school in the Mukuru slum. Deeply inspired by the dedication of the teachers and children despite the disadvantaged condition of the school, they committed to build two libraries for the people of Mukuru, including one in the school. But they knew that they needed to do more.

A few months later while attending a conference in New York, they heard Blake Mycoskie of TOMS Shoes present his company’s One for One programme that gives a new pair of shoes to a child in need for every pair purchased. As Blake spoke, inspiration fused with need and ability. By lunchtime, Joy and Dennis were mapping out the details and Micato’s One for One education commitment was born!

The Future is Bright
There are already hundreds of children benefitting from this groundbreaking Commitment. And we look forward to sending tens of thousands of guests on safari in the future, equaling tens of thousands of children attending school! Every child deserves an education. We’re overjoyed to be contributing to this inalienable right.

Want to learn more about The Micato One for One Commitment? You can read all about it–as well as our award-winning safaris– in our new brochure. Request one here and we’ll send it out right away.

This is the story of Golden, and his dream.

It was an actual dream—and the kind that stays with you long after you awake.  In it, an angel showed him a garbage dump filled with colourful flowers.

To him, there was a clear message:  go to the dump and find these flowers. But Golden was a practical man… living in a shack in the Khayelitsha slum of Cape Town, he wanted only to provide a better life for his wife and five daughters.  He didn’t really have the luxury of pursuing dreams.

But he went to the dump anyway.  There was nothing there.

He had the dream again, and he revisited the dump again.  Still, there were no flowers. After having the dream for a third time—and beginning to question his own sanity—he went one final time.

Nothing.  Frustrated, he kicked a discarded soda can on the ground.  And with the hollow clatter of tin across the dirt, an idea came like a thunderbolt.

He could turn trash into treasures!  He could transform symbols of blight into manifestations of beauty.  Golden, an unassuming man living in the slums of Cape Town, could make these cans into “flowers.”  And so he did.

Today, almost 20 years after he had his dream, Golden’s colourful and intricate tin flowers are a local (and international) phenomenon.  Golden remains as humble as ever, painstakingly creating the flowers in his neighborhood studio and working with his children to paint them (a budding family business!).

Golden invites Micato travellers visiting Cape Town to his studio to watch him work.  It’s a marveleous opportunity to meet an inspirational man… and an experience travellers mark as a highlight of their journey with Micato.

The news is out: Prince William loves Kate Middleton and apparently he loves Kenya too….

The Prince is engaged to his longtime girlfriend, Kate Middleton. The announcement has sent the world abuzz, as has the location where the princely proposal was made… Kenya, of course!

And in the process, William and Kate have also exposed one of our favourite secret hideaways:  Lewa Downs.

The proposal took place on the grounds of Lewa, an idyllic ranch owned by Will and Emma Craig that has been a Micato favourite for years.  William spent time at Lewa on his “gap year” before heading to college, and he has been visiting the ranch ever since.

We have a longstanding relationship with the Craigs and Micato’s Bespoke guests are a regular fixture at Lewa.  It is an exclusive lodge, described as “a private home, a private ranch, a private paradise,” so it’s no surprise to us that Prince William chose this location.

Even the site of the actual proposal—Rutundu—is an old Micato favourite.  A remote and rustic enclave on the slopes of Mount Kenya, our Bespoke Adventures guests visit the very spot that the royal couple got engaged.

Learn more about Micato’s Active and Adventurous safaris here, or give us a call at 1-800-MICATO-1.

The choir sings the evocative national anthem of South Africa “Nkosi Sikeleli Africa.”

Supporting the education of disadvantaged children in Africa is a core philanthropic principle of Micato Safaris and our nonprofit arm, AmericaShare. And we’ll admit that we’re softies when it comes to hearing children’s voices united in song.

So as you might imagine, we are big fans of a group that combines education and music: The African Children’s Choir. We absolutely adore the organization and their choirs—so much so that we have invited them to perform for guests and friends several times. Most recently, they were featured performers at our presentation for Virtuoso Travel advisors this summer. You can see their deeply moving performances in the videos below.

This is truly a wonderful organization. For over 25 years, The African Children’s Choir has been spreading hope and joy while raising awareness about the plight of Africa’s most vulnerable children. The choir consists of orphaned children age seven to thirteen and tours the U.S., Canada and Europe every year, performing fundraising concerts to support numerous schools throughout Africa. When they are not travelling, the children live together in a compound in North Carolina.

Children stay overseas for one year then return to Africa and a new group of children take their place. Performance fees finance the education of these children, giving them a precious opportunity at a better life.

The choir has become a global phenomenon, singing for such luminaries as the Queen of England and Nelson Mandela. Plus, their impact on the lives of African children has been phenomenal: with the help of donors and sponsors, the African Children’s Choir has helped to provide an education to more than 7,000 children.

We’re proud to work with this wonderful organization that improves the lives of African children through the power of song. Click the videos below to enjoy these talented children’s stirring performances.

A sweetly melodious version of “Mother Africa” featuring a poignant roll call of dreams.

In addition to supporting the Choir, we are making an impact in the lives of African children through many of our own initiatives, including the Micato-AmericaShare School Sponsorship Programme. Click here to learn how you can transform a child’s life with the precious gift of an education.

T+L magazine has named Micato the #1 tour company in the world, topping a list of 20 other prestigious tour and safari operators.

It’s our 7^th time in the #1 position—a record for any tour company and a humbling honour because the award comes from our esteemed travellers who ranked Micato so highly in the T+L survey.

So thank you past travellers!  With redoubled enthusiasm, we look forward to fulfilling this spectacular distinction every day with every new guest.

And for those of you who haven’t experienced Micato’s award-winning service yet, take a look at our Travel+Leisure World’s Best Safari—a stunning African experience that includes stays at T+L World’s Best lodges and camps.  It’s a real winner!

What’s that noise?

The die-hard fans in our Cape Town office have long embraced it: the sound of the vuvuzela, that ubiquitous horn filling South Africa’s stadiums with its signature drone. Said to be descended from the kudu horn—a device that was used to summon African villagers to gatherings—the original tin vuvuzela gained particular prominence at soccer games in the 1990s. Banned as a danger, it was replaced by a new plastic version that has been popular ever since.

And what does vuvuzela mean? No one has a clear answer – one popular theory is that it evolved from the Zulu word for “making noise.” Which it most certainly does: in fact, the blare from a vuvuzela has been measured at up to 130 decibels (louder than a chainsaw).

Of course, you can experience the thrills of South Africa without the need for earplugs.  May we suggest our South African Sweeping Sojourn? From canyons to coastlines, whales to wildebeests, urban sophistication to untamed wilderness, you’ll experience the best of this remarkable land on this unique and active safari.

For now, we hope you are enjoying the World Cup as much as we are.

Ever imagined yourself on an around-the-world trek?

The intrepid adventurer, hopping from one spectacular place to the next. Costa Rica’s lush jungles. Austria’s verdant hills. Borneo’s far-flung islands. Exploring the Arctic, discovering the Galapagos and roaming the wild wonders of East Africa.

What if you could do it all?  And all that was asked of you… was to blog about it.

It can happen.

No, really.

Announcing the Blog Your Way Around the World contest. Sponsored by Micato Safaris and several of our travel partners in Adventure Collection, this contest will send one lucky and talented blogger on the trip of a lifetime.

You can go whitewater rafting, bicycle touring, heli-hiking, polar bear viewing, bird watching, zip-lining, snorkeling and sea kayaking in some of the most spectacular places in the world.  Not to mention two five-star expedition cruises and, of course, an African safari that is beyond compare (if we don’t mind saying so ourselves).

Win a chance to embark on a continent-hopping adventure with some of the most respected travel companies in the world.

CLICK HERE for all the details.