LB Safaris is specialist tour operating company with many years experience and has purposely remained small. This ensures that we take time to offer each of our clients the very best that our country has to offer for their specific requirements. With a sales office in the Netherlands, we are conveniently situated in Europe and backed up by both the Pretoria and Windhoek offices in Southern Africa. Our staff in the European office are multi lingual and mostly born and raised South Africans with a passion for Southern Africa.

We speak several languages but use mainly English, Dutch and Afrikaans for communicating. Read more below about languages and where our name comes from at Q&A 12 -13. Would you like to meet the team? Click here or use the menu above.

To enable us to reach this goal we offer an extensive network of small scale, mid to upmarket accommodations often unique to LB Safaris, plus access to a large number of specialist operators. This ensures all who travel with us exceedingly good value for money, personal service and a 24/7 back up service in both Europe and Southern Africa. For those living outside Europe our strategically placed sales office in the Netherlands has access to some of the world’s best communication and IT networks making service and communication as good as or better than anywhere else with a time difference!

LB Safaris is not focussed on mass tourism but rather the traveller requiring personal attention!

We offer all travellers to Southern Africa (South Africa, Namibia, Botswana etc) the possibility to plan the route to their requirements and find suitable accommodation. Whether you are individual travellers or a small group, we can tailor make to your requirements or offer you a range of complete and well-proven packages. It is also possible to use any package as an example and adapt this to your specific requirements.

Transport offered is either self-drive (fly & drive) or be driven with a private guide to assist you personally. To complement all this we also have a vast range of possible day tours, short small scale group tours, safari’s and other specialist activities thus enabling us to meet the need of even the most demanding traveller or budget.

Interested in our tried and tested routes? click here

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Who is a typical LB Safaris client?

First time travellers to Southern Africa* interested in a unique holiday or road trip. Individual travellers for either self-drive or with private driver/guide. *(South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Swaziland & Lesotho)

We avoid mass tourism for as far as is possible and our preferred suppliers are usually small-scale personally run accommodations or operators. With our personal service, passion and contacts we allow you to truly discover the unlimited possibilities and friendliness of Southern Africa.

Special interests and activities. Interested in playing some golf or going for a hike? Maybe you are interested in art, white shark cage diving, ballooning and horse riding etc? We work closely with many different acknowledged operators whom we often personally know and we prefer working with companies that promote environmentally friendliness, involves where possible the local population and traders and enhances the general well being of all involved.

Travelled to Southern Africa before and discovered the well-trodden tourism paths or saw too much in to little time? We offer you a relaxed pace of travel ensuring you experience this wonderful part of the world and discover many of the beaten track places.

International travellers not interested in searching the internet for hours trying to piece together a suitable trip. Use our passion, knowledge and contacts to offer you a unique and affordable holiday suitable to your specific requirements. All you have to do is book your international flights and we take care of the rest.

Special requirements? Do you have special dietary requirements or other specific needs? LB Safaris has assisted many travellers with planning a perfect holiday.

Interested in our tried and tested routes? click here

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Peace of mind (are we bona fide?)

We are a bonded member of SATSA (Southern Africa Tourism Services Association) en NTB (Namibia Tourism Board) and use as a rule Theta registered guides. We endeavour to encourage sustainable tourism and the use of FTTSA (Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa) accommodation and operators where possible. All bookings and payments comply with the accepted Dutch norm (ANVR or similar) for travel agents and tour operators. We also offer a 24/7 back up service in case of emergency (both in Southern Africa and from our Europe sales office) and include a proper map book, route description in all self drive tours as a standard procedure. We also offer all our clients that have booked a stay longer than 12 days a free day tour.

We would like to think we are very different to all other operators but of course, this is never quite true! Even the advantage of us being South African and Namibian does not amount to much if we did not have a passion for what we do and our countries! The combination of passion, an extensive knowledge and large list of (often personally known contacts) gives us a unique character. Over the years, we have built up good working relationships with small-scaled accommodations and other specialist operators whom offer just a little more and different service than the average.

click here to download our general terms and conditions

We invite you to share our passion and knowledge whilst preparing for your intended trip to this beautiful region.

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Question and answers

Would you like to know more or do you still have questions?.
Below you will find a comprehensive list of questions and answers (Q&A). If you are particular, question not listed or not answered clearly enough, please do not hesitate to contact us by e-mail or telephone. Click here for contact details. The European sales office in the Netherlands is open during office hours CET on weekdays. (Central European Time)

Interested in our tried and tested routes? click here

Q&A list.

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Affordable bespoke travel!

Telephone enquiry?
We will gladly assist you or answer your questions and/or queries by telephone if possible
tel nr +31 (0)521 511 800
Our team awaits your call on weekdays between 09:00 en 17:00 (9am -5pm) Central European Time.
Are you in another time zone or only available on specific days like for instance weekends?
Make an appointment per e-mail and if possible, we will call you when it suits you best!
Obviously, this service and any quotes leading from it are free of charge.

Do not hesitate to ask for free personal travel advice or a tailor made price estimate and/or quote.

Interested in our tried and tested routes? click here

Request a cost estimate for a tailor made holiday?

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1) Do we offer you what you need?
For travellers who are interested in more than just a holiday or require more than just the standard mass tourism packages on offer LB safaris offers unique, affordable tailor made holidays. Our tours and travel routes are always inclusive of a complete accommodation package*, car rental and is principally meant for individual travellers and small groups** travelling together.
* Staying over with friends or relatives en-route is obviously no problem.
** For private driver/guide 2 to 7 persons and driver & guide from 8 or more persons.

Affordable bespoke travel!

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2) Our modus operandi (how do we answer your query?).
We treat every enquiry separately, personally and free of charge of course. Whether u phone us, send an e-mail or fill in an enquiry form on our website we endeavour to react personally within a couple of hours (the same workday) and send an extensive cost estimate within 2 to 3 days.

The first step would be to make a cost estimate specifically to your requirements. A cost estimate usually contains extensive information regarding the route offered, all costs expected (including costs expected during your travel like for instance, eating out, fuel, toll roads etc.). Due to our system (custom designed for us) and making cost estimates daily our estimate are usually very accurate. Should it not be exactly what you had in mind it is always possible to adjust the cost estimate after it has been made to further suite your requirements.

Only once, you are satisfied with what is being offered we go ahead and turn the cost estimate into a quote. All accommodations* and other services will then be contacted and provisionally booked. This process usually takes between 2 and 4 days. When this process is completed, we offer you a quote that is valid for several days. If you wish to accept our quote, it therefore offers you enough time to find and book your flights and so complete the whole package.

Flights already booked?
It should present no problem. With an extensive range of accommodations we have listed, it will virtually always be possible to offer you a very suitable place to stay over. This ensures that you should always be able to travel your chosen route!

*Due to the small scale nature of most of our accommodations we only request availability and provisionally book once we know the enquiry made is serious and a quote has been requested!

Should you accept our quote we will send you a booking confirmation and request a deposit payment if required. Vouchers, route descriptions and other travel documents will dispatch by post or e-mail within 2 to 3 weeks of receiving full payment.

Interested in our tried and tested routes? click here

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3) How quickly can you realistically expect an answer?
Whether u phone us, send an e-mail or fill in an enquiry form on our website we endeavour to react personally within a couple of hours (the same workday) and send an extensive cost estimate within 2 to 3 days. In extreme cases, it may take slightly longer. A complete enquiry and making of a quote especially for you can be done within a couple of days but usually takes a week.

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4) What makes us different?
We would like to think we are very different to all other operators but of course, this is never quite true! Even the advantage of us being South African and Namibian does not amount to much without our passion for our countries and our work! The combination of passion, an extensive knowledge and large list of (often personally known contacts) gives us a unique character. Over the years, we have built up good working relationships with small-scaled accommodations and other specialist operators whom offer just a little more and different service than the average. Except all the above we also offer a 24/7 back up service in case of emergency (both in Southern Africa and Europe) and include a proper map book and a detailed route description. We also offer all our clients that have booked a stay longer than 14 days a free day tour.

Affordable Bespoke Travel.
Custom made trips cost no extra and is always a private LB Safaris journey uniquely designed just for you. We offer you a private and personalized experience, designed uniquely each time. With every bespoke journey, we make use of the same expertise and creativity that we apply to all of our tours and trips to offer you an incredible experience. Let us know what you have in mind and we will do the rest.

More on who we are.
LB Safaris is a Southern Africa tour operator specializing in personalised individual and small-scale group travel for the discerning traveller. Mass tourism is for as far as is possible avoided and our preferred suppliers are usually small-scale personally run accommodations or operators. The goal is to offer the most suitable accommodation and services within a reasonable budget. As a bonded SATSA and NTB member and complying with the Dutch ANVR norm as our standard practice, we offer the traveller the maximum possible security.

We also endeavour to encourage sustainable tourism and the use of FTTSA (Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa) accommodation and operators where possible. With a sales office in the Netherlands, we are conveniently situated in Europe and backed up by both the Pretoria and Windhoek offices in Southern Africa. Our staff in the European office are multi lingual and mostly born and raised South Africans with a passion for Southern Africa. Click here for more info about the team.
Would you like to know more on what we offer and to which destinations? click here.

Interested in our tried and tested routes? click here

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5) Price guarantee and are we good value for money?

Price guarantee?
You should roughly pay the same when booking directly or through us. You should however keep in mind that banks charge transfer fees for every payment made, exchange rates fluctuate, what services are included and with rental cars what terms & conditions as well as which insurance levels are offered. When booking via LB Safaris you get assurance of quality without the risk of direct booking and deal with one party for your whole booking and it saves you lots of time! We also offer you the usual small but essential extra’s, our experience, passion and knowledge as well as a 24/7 backup service from all offices in Southern Africa and in Europe.

Compare before you buy!
Part of being able to determine whether anything is good value for money it is to compare. Especially as it usually concerns at relatively large sum of money. It is however imperative that when a comparison is made it is done on an equal footing.

What has been included?
For instance, when we offer accommodation in a national park the compulsory conservation (entry) fees are included where possible. Is the rental car offered fully insured and what back up services are normally included. Are the offered accommodations clean with a good personal service or do they at barely suffice? Are the distances between stops driveable and is enough time given to explore en route?

It is important also to make sure your expectations are realistic and your available budget is used to its maximum potential. At LB Safaris, we gladly accept the challenge to make the most of your budget. Anybody can offer cheap accommodation but usually you get what you pay for!

To ensure your safety and comfort we prefer not to use the smallest car but rather a car with sufficient engine capacity for the route you are taking and it includes air-conditioning with sufficient luggage space. On average, you will probably be driving longer distances that you normally do so driving comfort is important. As a rule, we use Budget Rent a Car that offers excellent service throughout the country and a large fleet of new vehicles. Accommodations offered are usually on average 3 to 4 star when compared to Europe and in as a rule always have a private en-suite bathroom.

When arriving at night it is standard practice to include a personal meet and greet and/or shuttle service to the first nights accommodation. We also believe that 24/7 backup, good road map, route description, game drives as well as entry fees where unavoidable and pre payable should be part of the package or included in the price.

Affordable Bespoke Travel.
Custom made trips cost no extra and is always a private LB Safaris journey uniquely designed just for you. We offer you a private and personalized experience, designed uniquely each time. With every bespoke journey, we make use of the same expertise and creativity that we apply to all of our tours and trips to offer you an incredible experience. Let us know what you have in mind and we will do the rest.

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To further assist you in maximizing your available budget we suggest the following:

a) Choose the right time to fly. Most airlines no not only have different season prices but also increase the seat price, as the plane gets fuller. It could therefore be a lot cheaper to fly a couple of days later or earlier.

b) Travel out of season. Southern Africa has something to offer most travellers all year round. For more advice, please do not hesitate to ask us for advice.

c) Rent a suitable car. You do not need a 4X4 to travel through most of Southern Africa. For more advice, please do not hesitate to ask us for advice.

d) With a limited budget request more self catering accommodations. We also have several good quality budget accommodations without the frills or maybe not so perfectly located that offer good value for money.

e) Finally, it is also possible to shorten the intended trip by a day or two. It is worth doing well rather than trying to stuff everything into one trip.

If this all fails and your budget is still not quite enough rather save a bit longer and go several months later.

To successfully offer you the right trip it is important to ensure your expectations are realistically met.

Interested in our tried and tested routes? click here

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6) Peace of mind and booking security.
We are a bonded member of SATSA (Southern Africa Tourism Services Association) en NTB (Namibia Tourism Board) and use as a rule Theta registered guides. We endeavour to encourage sustainable tourism and the use of FTTSA (Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa) accommodation and operators where possible. All bookings and payments comply with the accepted Dutch norm (ANVR or similar) for travel agents and tour operators. We also offer a 24/7 back up service in case of emergency (both in Southern Africa and from our Europe sales office) and include a proper map book, route description in all self drive tours as a standard procedure.

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7) What advantage does our knowledge and vast network of contacts offer you?
Southern Africa offers every traveller more than just an interesting visit and spectacular scenery. With a professional team of mostly Southern Africans and offices in Southern Africa and Europe we are able to offer the interested traveller a vast amount of knowledge, contacts and last but not least a passion for our countries. The fact that we use small-scale accommodation and are service minded means we often are able to offer just that little bit extra! Our custom-made trips are always private LB Safaris journeys uniquely designed just for you. We offer you a private and personalized experience each time and at no extra charge.

3 Golden rules of planning a good trip
1) Plan the accommodation stopovers properly.
It is advisable not to plan several one night stops in a row. Getting a good rest is essential if you would like to have a relaxed holiday and be able to take in a vast amount of new scenery. All accommodations en-route should be clean, have friendly staff and comply with your wishes.

2) Take time to explore.
Where required and if suitable, we plan enough time for you to take time to explore. However, it is impossible to explore such a large area completely in the time most travellers have at their disposal. Our philosophy is to rather see less and experience more.

3) Distances travelled should be feasible.
In general roads in South Africa and Namibia of a very high standard. Even the unsealed roads of Namibia are mostly of a high standard and driveable by normal car. It is very important however to plan the distances properly and take into consideration all possible conditions. Not only the terrain you drive through but also scenic stops may determine what a driveable distance is. We regularly travel throughout the region and have years of experience to offer our clients when planning a trip.

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8) Are quotes and advice free?
Quotes should not only be free but also comprehensive and have no hidden costs. Our personal service plus free and comprehensive quoting system is available for all who seriously would like to travel to South Africa, Namibia and the rest of Southern Africa. Would you like to know more? Phone or e-mail us for a free advice. If you prefer we will phone you back at a mutually agreed time. Please note: Custom made trips also cost no extra and is always a private LB Safaris journey uniquely designed just for you. We offer you a private and personalized experience, designed uniquely each time.
.

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Affordable bespoke travel!

Telephone enquiry?
We will gladly assist you or answer your questions and/or queries by telephone if possible
tel nr +31 (0)521 511 800
Our team awaits your call on weekdays between 09:00 en 17:00 (9am -5pm) Central European Time.
Are you in another time zone or only available on specific days like for instance weekends?
Make an appointment per e-mail and if possible, we will call you when it suits you best!
Obviously, this service and any quotes leading from it are free of charge.

Do not hesitate to ask for free personal travel advice or a tailor made price estimate and/or quote.

Interested in our tried and tested routes? click here

go back to Q&A list

9) Assurance of quality without the risk of direct (blind) booking.
U have used the internet, which is a fantastic medium to get on to our website. It can however sometimes have pitfalls. Websites occasionally do not exactly reflect what is on offer and thus presents a challenge. For instance, is it possible to eat out or should you rather eat at the accommodation? Some accommodations are not within a drivable distance of any restaurants or have an excellent kitchen of their own. Last but by no means least are the accommodations offered clean and/or is the furniture not run down?

LB Safaris offers accommodations that we visit and inspect personally or regular intervals. We very often know the owners personally and have a long working relationship with them. Mostly we offer small scale personally run accommodations like guest houses, the better bed and breakfast stay over, personally run lodges and small hotels that have a comparable quality of between 3 and 4 stars. We rate accommodations not only on hygiene but also friendly service, personal atmosphere and where possible special surroundings, beautiful views etc. Should we offer a self-catering or more basic accommodation we prefer to use the AA (Automobile Association) as a guideline for quality and what is offered? We also know which accommodations have a good kitchen and where you cannot eat out thus helping you determine which accommodations should only be B&B.

To ensure the best possible value for money we do not always opt for the cheapest possible services. Personal service, small scale and special features like a beautiful view or excellent service also play part in our choice. We have at our disposal a large amount of accommodations that range from basic to spectacular enabling us to offer most travellers something of their preference and more. Combined with our knowledge of the best possible route and frequency of staying over, drivability of certain routes etc we can probably offer most travellers an experience of a lifetime and unforgettable holiday to Southern Africa.

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10) Social awareness.
We prefer working with companies and accommodations that promote environmentally friendliness, involves where possible the local population and traders and enhances the general well being of all involved. We endeavour to encourage sustainable tourism and the use of FTTSA (Fair Trade in Tourism South Africa) accommodation and operators where possible. All travellers travelling with LB Safaris also assist us in sponsoring a special self-help project. We occasionally vary projects and prefer to assist with one or two projects at a time. This enables the help and financial backing we offer is not spread thinly and actually means something. For more info on our currently sponsored project click here

Interested in our tried and tested routes? click here

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11) Philosophy en goals
A holiday should not only be enjoyable and safe but an experience treasured for years thereafter. Our challenge is to make your holiday more than just a trip to Southern Africa, but help you, where possible to experience the full beauty of it. To us as South Africans and Namibians it is more than just a job. We enjoy the challenge of helping you experience a beautiful region with exceptional countries as well as experiencing the soul of Africa.

For a good travel experince nothing beats genuine Southern African hospitality!

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12) Languages spoken.
Even though English is virtually spoken in the whole of Southern Africa, each country has its own specific languages and peoples. In South Africa, we have 11 official languages! English, Afrikaans, Zulu, Xhosa, Sotho, Venda, Tswana, Tsonga, Pedi, Shangaan and Ndebele. In Namibia, the official language is English but many other languages like Afrikaans, German, Oshivambo, Otjiherero, Nama-Damara and many others are used daily. Having so many different languages also has its impact on slang and local terms from a specific language but used and understood in all other languages. A good example is the word “lekker” sometimes pronounced “lekka” which originates from Dutch meaning lovely, nice, or good etc. and is now used by all to convey their pleasure or approval.

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13) What does or name mean?
Lekkerbly (our name that is pronounced lekkablay) originates from a Xhosa greeting that was translated into Afrikaans a language derived from Dutch. When leaving friends or family after a visit often the party leaving wishes a good stay to the party staying behind. Good stay directly translated in Afrikaans is (good)lekker + (stay)bly = Lekkerbly!

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14) ) Why choose Southern Africa as your destination?
Southern Africa with countries like South Africa, Namibia, Botswana etc is one of the most versatile and beautiful destinations of earth! Except having a large and very varying group of (some age old) cultures it also has some of the most beautiful scenery and wildlife that our planet has to offer. With a mostly hospitable and friendly people and good infrastructure, it offers the individual traveller or small groups an affordable and uniquely varied destination.

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Lekkerbly - Assurance of quality without the risk of direct booking!

Interested in our tried and tested routes? click here