We at Sun Safaris were thrilled to receive the news that we have been nominated again for a World Travel Award. Just as we were last year, we have been nominated in the category of Africa’s Leading Safari Company, alongside some exceptional fellow nominees.
Our team in Cape Town is a dedicated workforce, motivated by Directors Brett Thomson and Lance Harcourt, set on offering our clients from all over the world the best possible African experience. We ‘do safari’ for both work and play, relishing in every opportunity to be in the bush, to inhale the air of the wild locations we visit. Our personal experiences are what ensure we sell the best safaris.
Something that we hold very close to our hearts, and something we like to be associated with, is the support of and participation in conservation. We love the luxury lodges, the exclusive experiences, and the once-in-a-lifetime sightings, but we firmly believe that we need to be responsible for the caretaking of this wild world we want to share with our clients. What sort of Africa would we have to behold if we had to allow environmental pollution, poaching, and illegal product markets to deplete her resources?
Currently, our continent is looking at a loss of 95% of its lions over the last 50 years. The growth of human populations and settlements in rural Africa has occupied around 75% of the Serengeti, which results in one of the greatest challenges for wildlife today: conflict with humans.
We want to see this precious and iconic species thrive, both for our own benefit, and for that of our guests who rely on us to give them the safari experience of their lives. For this reason, Sun Safaris has dedicated a certain portion of its revenue to assisting some of the best Big Cat conservation programmes in Africa. The Big Cat Initiative, founded by revered wildlife filmmakers Dereck and Beverly Joubert, in association with National Geographic, has funded over 40 conservation projects in over 13 countries; saving, changing, teaching and building in Africa. It relies on the financial contribution of independent sponsors to do the job of protecting lions and other big cats from extinction.
In Namibia, the legendary Skeleton Coast is home to one of the most unique lion populations in existence. They are known as the Desert Lions, and are the only increasing population of lions in Africa. From only a handful of lions in the 1980s, to upwards of 130 individuals today, the lions of the Skeleton Coast have survived extreme drought, over-hunting and conflict with farmers. To their rescue, came Dr Flip Stander, who has made it his life goal to make sure these lions avoid extinction. What it means for these specially adapted lions to survive is that they have to live in harmony with the Himba farming communities of the Kunene. To contribute to this extremely worthy cause, Sun Safaris pays the salary and provides some essential equipment to Lion Ranger, Bertus Tjipombo, whose job it is to prevent lions predating on livestock.
Sun Safaris will turn 12 this year, putting over a decade’s worth of hard work and exceptional growth behind its name. We are honoured to receive this nod as one of Africa’s Leading Safari Companies by the prestigious World Travel Awards, and our goal for the future is to continue to combine luxury safari holidays with our passion for preserving what this wild continent has to offer.
If you would like to vote for us to win in the category of Africa’s Leading Safari, please follow this link and select Sun Safaris under the appropriate voting category.
To the future of lion-filled safaris!
