Fly-in Safaris

Overview

East Africa's parks are far apart, and the roads between them are slow. A fly-in safari replaces the longest drives with scheduled local flights in light aircraft, landing at airstrips close to the parks. A journey that fills a day by road becomes a flight of about an hour or two, and you arrive with the afternoon still ahead of you.

Once you land, the safari is the same as any other: a guide and vehicle meet you at the airstrip and your game drives, boat trips and treks start from there.

Who it suits

• Travellers with a week or less who want to see more than one park.
• Anyone who finds long drives tiring, including families and older travellers.
• Guests combining gorilla trekking with a savannah park without giving up two days to the road.
• People who enjoy the view: these flights cross lakes, forest and escarpments at low altitude.

How it works

In Uganda, local flights leave from Entebbe and serve airstrips near the main parks, including Kihihi for Bwindi and Queen Elizabeth. Kenya, Tanzania and Zambia have their own networks linking the capital or gateway town with the reserves. We book the flights together with the rest of your trip, so the transfers at each end are already arranged and timed.

Not every leg needs a flight. Often the best plan is to fly one way and drive the other, so you still see the country at ground level, or to fly only the single longest stretch.

Good to know

• Luggage. Light aircraft carry less than airliners. Expect a weight limit of about 15 kg per person in soft bags; we confirm the exact allowance for your flights.
• Schedules. Flights run to a timetable and can make stops at other airstrips. Times are sometimes adjusted close to the day, so we keep the plan around them flexible.
• Cost. Flying costs more than driving. What you buy is time: usually one or two extra half-days in the parks on a week-long trip.
• Weather. Flights are occasionally delayed by cloud or rain. Your guide and our office handle any changes on the day.

Planning your fly-in safari

Tell us how many days you have and what you most want to see. We will show you the route by road and by air side by side, with the difference in price and in time, so you can decide which legs are worth flying.