Custom Safaris

Our private, hand-crafted Custom Safaris are inspired by a good old British word, bespoke, which brings to mind custom craftsmanship, finicky attention to detail, and, above all, a fruitful collaboration between client and purveyor, with an eye toward creating a unique product . . . in this case, a safari whose memory will warm the coldest night.

Thorntree River Lodge

ustom-building safaris is something we do as well as—no, better than anyone in the world. (Why allow modesty to trump accuracy?) We are a family of Micato C companies and each office has its own staff on the continent, its own vehicles, its own uniquely intense, multigenerational engagement with Africa. (And, of course, its own Safari Directors, who accompany every Custom Safari from beginning to end.)

Micato’s Custom Safari experts are in hour-to-hour touch with the ins and outs, the ups and downs, and the soaring possibilities for private safaris. They have created epically enjoyable Custom Safaris—private and charter jet and helicopter safaris; exclusive stays in private villas and upcountry manor houses on private estates; and highly specialized safaris—for eager first-timers, connoisseurs, celebrities, college buddies, friends-since-kindergarten, big bubbly families, and avid parties of one.

So whether you’ve always dreamed of going on safari, or if you woke up the other day with the sudden urge to visit Africa, we will tune in to your wishes, your schedules, your budget, your interests and inclinations, and we will work with you to create a Custom Safari that will surpass your dreams and—as a safari so often does—ignite the urge to return one day to bask again in Africa’s golden joys.

The first step of your safari: Call your travel advisor or our Custom consultants at 800-Micato-1 (800-642-2861).

Like a lot of people, we’ve been dreaming of going on safari for a very long time. What we didn’t expect was how Micato could so completely translate our dream into even more wonderful reality.

—Oona and Eric Moes

Africa is one of the most family-friendly places on earth. Not only because of the stellar, multi-generational excitements of safari, but also because family is vitally important to the people of Africa, and visiting families enjoy great respect.

Devices are put on hold and youthful imaginations are sparked on safari. The world expands, brightens. Fabulous sights are seen, horizons stretched, educations enhanced, emptying nests are strengthened by memories that reverberate merrily unto the generations.

Our private Custom Safaris are individually designed around family activities—and for times when the generations want to temporarily go their own ways. (And our Classic and Private Classic Safaris—all of which feature children’s rates—are eminently family-friendly.)

Micato set the stage for what we thought would be spectacular, and you exceeded our expectations….As a family we’ve never felt more surrounded by excitement and adventure. We never had a worry about safety or health… family vacations always go that much better when there are no concerns there. We credit Micato for all of that!

—Karen Bell & family

ABOVE The Pinto family in Laikipia, Kenya

My son danced exuberantly with the Maasai, and decided to become a warrior himself. . . . The chef at Amboseli told me he hadn’t cooked with nuts for two days to keep my son safe. So incredibly moving. . . such warmth, such care. True kindness and unbelievable good humor.

—Ami Rothschild

Creating one-of-a-kind family safaris isn’t a nice little market niche for us. It’s a way of life. As witnessed in the family portrait above.

Dennis Pinto was born and raised in Africa, and has safaried with his parents Felix and Jane, Micato’s founders, since he was a child, growing up in the purple shadows of the Ngong Hills. Joy Pinto was already an old Africa hand when she and Dennis were married. And Sasha and Tristan were gamboling in Africa’s wildlands before they knew the difference between a warthog and a wildebeest.

For three generations of Pintos, safari is a vocation and an ever-expanding delight.

…which is why our Custom Safaris are designed around your interests and inspirations, your timeframe, your family’s individual needs and fancies, from youngest to oldest and every age in between. And it’s why our Classic and Private Classic Safaris are so carefully crafted for travellers with and without children. As we said, we’ve been perfecting this mix comfortably for more than half a century.

No other company has our 56 years of experience and persnickety, 1,440-minutes-a-day dedication to worry-banishing service and carefree fun.

n Have a private, crowd-free visit specially arranged by Micato at the Daphne Sheldrick elephant orphanage, where we sponsor a baby elephant in your family’s name.

n Amaze the family with a soaring helicopter ride over one of the planet’s eye-poppingest wonders, Victoria Falls.

n Learn to make fire and track big cats with with Maasai warriors.

n Commune with colonies of African penguins and Cape fur seals during privately arranged kayaking excursions.

n Ask your kids “Who is Nelson Mandela?” then show them. Follow in his footsteps at Robben Island, where he was imprisoned for nearly two decades.

n See Africa’s herds in an uncommon way… from the back of a friendly horse or camel.

n Get a selfie with that giraffe you’re feeding. n Watch shooting stars in Africa’s night sky from a custom-designed star bed.

n Jog through the Great Rift Valley alongside a barefooted Maasai warrior... the most memorable workout ever.

n Enjoy youth-themed game drives and ranger programmes at selected lodges. And on every safari, age-appropriate activities and encounters designed just for your family by your Micato Safari Director.

—Heidi Klum

—Priscilla Alexander, former president, Protravel

The bottom line on Custom Safaris is that there isn’t one. They can be as long or as short, as focused or as free-form, as populous or as private as you like. It’s up to you. Every Micato Custom Safari is uniquely hand-crafted.

Just a few examples: We’ve delightedly designed Custom wedding and anniversary safaris; archaeological dig safaris with the pioneering Leakey family, longtime friends of Micato and the Pintos; graduation celebration safaris; air safaris led by our old pilot-biologist-educatorexplorer friend Mark Ross; culinary and oenophilic expeditions to Cape Town and its Winelands; and, of course, scores and scores more.

Our sparkling website—Micato.com—is full of inspirations for Custom Safaris. And our small-group Classic Safaris—all of which can easily become a Private Classic—are handy, flexible templates for a Custom Safari. In fact this entire brochure is a grand grab bag of ideas for places to safari; constantly, rigorously vetted camps and lodges to luxuriate in; and activities to be astounded by.

Going on safari is a persistent dream for many—maybe most—travellers. We’ve always thought that the best time to realize an old travel dream is pretty much as soon as possible. So if you’re ready to seize the day, we’re poised to help you turn the dream into resplendent, bespoke reality.

Absolutely everything about our safari was amazing and perfect. Micato made us feel like part of the family and my mom is still talking about her wonderful African adventure and will continue to do so for the rest of her life.

—Janice Ruckmick

Each and every member of your staff should be congratulated often for the lengths they go to, to bring the spirit of Africa to everyone.

—Sharon Fake, Director of Operations, Travel Experts

“Airy dalliances with Africa’s incomparable landscapes,” is how we rhapsodize Flying Over Africa, west of here on page 37. It’s true about our prop plane bush flights, and many would say it’s even truer about helicopter jaunts to places eyeboggling to see from the air, like Victoria Falls or South Africa’s theatric Blyde Canyon, or Cape Town’s magnificent mix of nature and humanity, to hard-to-reach places like Kenya’s vast Northern Frontier region (with its otherworldly Lake Turkana) or the Laikipia Plateau’s Mount Lolgurugi (where we can enjoy picnic breakfasts on the heights). And many marvelous places and revelatory jaunts in between. When you talk safari with our experts, you’ll be filled in on helicopter excursions almost as unlimited as Africa’s vast skies. And as for jets: Arranging, facilitating, and creating private jet safaris has been a Micato speciality for more than a couple of decades. We know the ins and outs, the ups and downs, the permissions and strip lengths, FOBs and immigration requirements, and we’re masters at untangling and scissoring red tape.

ABOVE A flamboyance of flamingos, Northern Kenya.