Festive Safari: Christmas in the Bush

Tanzania

From the open plains of the Serengeti to the baobab-studded wilderness of Ruaha, Tanzania is home to some of Africa's most celebrated safaris and December is a wonderful time to experience it.

As the short rains turn the landscape green, the great herds of wildebeest and zebra begin moving south towards the plains where they will give birth in the new year, with lion and leopard and cheetah never far behind.

In the remote south, Ruaha offers a wilder, quieter side of safari with very few camps, great herds of elephants and the chance to explore on foot.

Tanzania Acommodation

Ellidore Recommends: Serengeti House

– Exclusive use
– Four suites
– Up to 8 guests

An expansive private estate within Singita's Grumeti reserve, Serengeti House sits on the western edge of Tanzania's Serengeti, with four suites gathered around a central living space and an infinity pool overlooking a waterhole.

Enjoy the freedom of your own home, with Singita's guiding and service close at hand. Watch wildlife come down to drink from the pool deck, take to the tennis court or spend an afternoon in the gym and massage suite. Children can join Singita's Mini Rangers programme, while adults head out on guided walks. For a morning to remember rise early for a hot-air balloon flight over the plains as the sun comes up.

Ellidore Recommends: Jabali House

– Exclusive use
– Three bedrooms
– Up to 6 guests

A secluded safari home within the grounds of Jabali Ridge, Jabali Private House sits among dramatic granite boulders in Tanzania's Ruaha National Park, looking out over ancient baobabs and sweeping grassland.

With your own chef, butler, guide and vehicle, the days take shape entirely around you. Head out on walking safaris and game drives in search of Ruaha's lions and great elephant herds, then return to two spacious master suites, a twin room for younger travellers and a private plunge pool overlooking the bush. The lodge's infinity pool and spa are close at hand, and as evening falls, dinner is served in the privacy of your own home, surrounded by the sounds of the African bush.

South Africa

From the leopard country of the Sabi Sand to the red dunes of the Kalahari, South Afric combines world-class safari with remarkable ease of travel, and December is high summer with long, warm days and a landscape full of young animals.

Afternoon storms refresh the bush, the reserves are lush and green and newborn impala and other young animals bring the plains to life. With just a two-hour time difference from the UK and malaria-free reserves such as Tswalu, it is an easy choice for families with younger children.

South Africa Accommodation

Ellidore Recommends: Tswalu Tarkuni

– Exclusive use
– Five suites
– Up to 10 guests

Tswalu's most private house, Tarkuni lies within South Africa's largest private game reserve, a vast, malaria-free Kalahari landscape of red dunes, grasslands and mountains.

With your own house manager, chef guide and tracker, the Kalahari unfolds entirely at your pace. Sit quietly with a family of meerkats as they emerge in the morning sun, ride out across the dunes or search for black-maned lions and pangolin. Younger guests have their own bush walks, tracking and archery. As night falls, sleep out on the Malori deck beneath one of the clearest skies in Africa.

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