Safaris for travellers with limited mobility

Most of a safari happens from a vehicle, which makes it one of the more accessible big trips there is, as long as the details are right. The details are the lodge path from car park to room, the shower, the height of the vehicle step and how long you are comfortable on a bumpy road.

We plan those before you book. Tell us what you need, whether that is a wheelchair, a walking aid, help with transfers or simply shorter drive days, and we build the route, lodges and vehicle around it. Because every Zawame safari is private, the pace is yours.

For every lodge on your route we ask the questions a brochure doesn't answer: is there a step at the room door, how far is the walk to the restaurant, is the shower roll-in or walk-in, are there grab rails, and can the bed height be changed. Where a lodge can't give a clear answer, we use one that can.

We also ask about you: whether you transfer independently, whether your wheelchair folds, whether you travel with a companion, and how long you are comfortable sitting in a vehicle. The answers shape the route more than anything else.

Some parks suit limited mobility better than others. Lake Nakuru is close to Nairobi on good roads and the rhinos are often near the track. Amboseli is flat and open. The Masai Mara is a longer drive, so we break it with a night on the way or suggest flying in on a short scheduled flight.

We avoid stacking long drive days back to back, and we build in a rest afternoon at the lodge on longer trips. Game drives are unlimited on every Zawame safari, which also means they can be as short as you like.