Author Archive for Calvin Cottar
Calvin Cottar is Director and Owner at Cottar’s 1920s Safaris, an award-winning luxury 1920s safari camp and private bush villa located in the famous ‘seventh’ natural wonder of the world, the Maasai Mara in Kenya. Offering a bespoke safari experience, it’s owned and managed by the oldest established and continuing safari family in Africa. In 1919, together with his sons, Mike, Bud and Ted, Charles established ‘Cottar’s Safari Service’, one of the very first registered safari companies offering superior big game hunting and film safaris outfitting throughout Africa, India and Indochina. Cottar's is proudly associated with The Long Run, Classic Safari Africa and Pack for a Purpose, and together with the Olderkesi Maasai Community, run the Cottars Wildlife Conservation Trust.
7 packing tips for your first African safari
By Calvin Cottar on Mar 16, 2022 in Accessories, Africa, Clothing, Gadgets, Kenya, Luggage, Regions, Travel Equipment
If you’re considering taking the plunge and going on your first African safari, then get ready for an unforgettable ride, one that for many is the mark of having truly lived! While each place on this diverse continent can be so different to the next, the wilderness of Africa in general is filled with raw 
When is the best time to visit Kenya on safari
By Calvin Cottar on Feb 27, 2022 in Adventure Travel, Africa, Kenya, Leisure Travel, Regions, Speciality Travel
Kenya is a country, well-known – and well-loved for many too – for its exceptional biodiversity and natural beauty, game viewing (including the Big 5), and friendly people, with top hospitality standards. It is for these reasons, along with others, that it is listed time and again by industry leaders like Conde Nast, CNN and 
6 wild reasons to go on a luxury African safari
By Calvin Cottar on Jan 17, 2022 in Adventure Travel, Africa, Kenya, Regions, Speciality Travel, Tanzania
A luxury African safari is a holiday of a lifetime and sits right at the top of many, many people’s bucket-lists. If you haven’t been on a safari or it’s not on your wanderlust wish-list, these 10 reasons might make you change your mind… and reorder your list! Feast your eyes on the beauty and 
What lessons can travel in Africa teach you?
Travel is transformative. By leaving your home town, country and even continent to explore a place for the first time, you open yourself up to completely new experiences. How could you not be impacted in some way when encountering different cultures, lifestyles, landscapes, and wild creatures. It is the kind of change that often happens
What to love about luxury African safaris
Sometimes it seems as though there are as many types of travellers as there are safari destinations in Africa! Some intrepid safari-enthusiasts enjoy roughing it in the wilderness with just the bare essentials, staying in rustic bush camps or fly tents, and going on self-drives rather than a guided game drive. Others prefer an escape
Top tips for your family safari holiday in Africa
A family safari holiday in Africa creates so many opportunities for children to benefit from unique educational, cultural, and developmental experiences. And, if you want your children to build a strong love and appreciation for wildlife and nature, then immersing them in the bush is one of the best ways to achieve this. As parents,
Where and when to witness the Great Wildebeest Migration
Undoubtedly one of Africa’s most spectacular wildlife experiences, the Great Wildebeest Migration in East Africa sees over 1.3 million wildebeest, zebra and antelope driven by instinct to follow the rains across the plains of the Serengeti in Tanzania and the Maasai Mara in Kenya. This Greater Mara-Serengeti Ecosystem has been classified among the “Seven Wonders
What can you expect from purpose-driven travel in Kenya?
Purpose-driven travel is about engaging in experiences that contribute to sustainability and empowerment. In other words, travelling with purpose means travelling better. And, without even knowing it, the positive impact you are able to make by engaging in environmental initiatives and authentic cultural connections, will in turn make your experience so much more immersive and
Magical Kenya safari moments
By Calvin Cottar on Jul 29, 2021 in Adventure Travel, Africa, Kenya, Leisure Travel, Regions, Speciality Travel
You can never truly say ‘goodbye’ to Kenya because even when you are miles and miles away, the memories made there are good tinder that are always just a spark away from a new safari adventure! If you’ve been on a safari in Kenya, you will know that ‘farewell and see you soon’ is a 
Escaping to a luxury safari home in Kenya
By Calvin Cottar on Jun 23, 2021 in Accommodation, Adventure Travel, Africa, Kenya, Regions, Speciality Travel, Vacation Rentals
If you were to leave civilisation behind, round up 10 of the best people in your life, and all retreat to the wilderness, where would you go? Most of us have thought something like this at some or several points in our life, and for many, a wonderfully wild spot in Africa is the answer 
Luxury safari and beach holidays in Kenya - the best of both worlds
By Calvin Cottar on May 19, 2021 in Adventure Travel, Africa, Kenya, Leisure Travel, Regions, Speciality Travel
We can say – with the certainty that comes from years of living here – that when travelling to Africa the famous proverb ‘you can’t have your cake and eat it’ can be firmly put to one side. Because, at least in the case of East Africa, you most definitely can indulge in the best 
Why a Kenyan safari is the most romantic couple’s getaway
By Calvin Cottar on Apr 19, 2021 in Adventure Travel, Africa, Honeymoons, Kenya, Leisure Travel, Regions, Speciality Travel
Expectations are high when choosing a romantic couple’s getaway for you and your loved one. Only an exceptional experience will cut it, and rightly so! Be it a honeymoon, birthday or simply the chance to get away from it all, an escape to the privacy and tranquility of the bush is one of the best 
Spotlight on Africa’s Big 5
The elephant, lion, leopard, Cape buffalo and rhino came to be known collectively as the ‘Big 5’ in the 1800s when big game hunters found these animals to be the most dangerous and difficult in Africa to successfully – and safely – bring down. Now, many decades later and after significant conservation work, going on
Kenya safari: A love affair with the wild
Love, romance and adventure are all part of a timeless story best experienced through the hidden delights of the luxury Kenya safari. While it might have changed in many ways over the last 100 years, the magic of safari is still very much alive and intimately connected to the essence of the original safari. Falling
