DISPATCHES FROM EXOTIC LANDS
Christmas always poses the challenge of what to give your friends and family. For the adventurous traveller, we have gathered a collection of Christmas safari gift ideas that will avoid the guesswork.
Whoever they may be, and whatever age, we have selected a variety of inspiring Christmas safari gifts suitable for all. Handy gadgets to take into the bush, superb attire that is both practical and stylish, luggage, travel accessories and thought-provoking books, there’s something for everyone, even meaningful gifts for the person who has everything.
9 Amazing Christmas Safari Gift Ideas for Avid Travellers
Delve into Santa’s sack with us to spark ideas for your Christmas safari shopping list:
Rugged Luxury Safari Bags – A Classic Christmas Safari Gift!
If you’re going on safari, go in style! With far more than our share of safari trips smudged across our well-worn passports, we know better than most precisely what constitutes the perfect safari bag. Unsatisfied with what was available, we decided to make our own, and we’re exceptionally proud of it. Our Rugged Luxury safari bags are available in two sizes, voluminous enough for all of your packing needs and adhering to domestic air transfer requirements. The smaller of the two also conforms to international carry-on requirements, giving you the perfect combination. Made in Australia of durable canvas and high-quality leather, they offer the perfect safari solution with an air of timeless chic. They’re also ideal for stuffing full of Christmas safari gifts to place under the tree!
The Christmas Safari Gift of Giving
At the Classic Safari Company, we pride ourselves on contributing a portion of every sale to a range of charities and organisations and supporting properties that protect wildlife and the environment. Yet our clients frequently ask us how they can do more.
The wild places we travel to often need our help; to preserve their natural wonder, protect their native wildlife and support indigenous peoples and cultures. Any charity donation is admirable and valuable, but we suggest the following:
Reteti Elephant Orphanage: Perhaps the ultimate Christmas safari gift is a real elephant! Sponsoring an orphaned elephant with Reteti provides the recipient with an adoption pack and regular photos and updates of their little calf, creating a tangible connection beyond the warm-and-fuzzies of a charity donation.
Wild Cat Conservation Centre: Established in 2016 in the Hawkesbury Valley, the Wild Cat Conservation Centre is one of Australia’s few big cat conservation and breeding facilities. Helping to protect, study and preserve these majestic felines, the centre can only survive on donations, but also offers a little more. Guests can take a private guided tour to learn about their breeding program or observe the world’s fastest land animal at full speed from the centre’s savanna hide.
Pride Rock Trust School: This vital community school in Livingstone, Zambia, educates youngsters between the ages of four and 12, giving them the knowledge to grow and succeed. Funded exclusively on donations, the school has a GoFundMe page to help finance its lessons, repairs and essential projects, such as drilling a bore to provide the children with clean drinking water.
Tracker Jacket by Troy
Close to our heart, the Troy Tracker jacket is not only an exceptional choice for safari outerwear, the team behind the label are also part of our family.
Unparalleled luxury, classic safari style, and utilitarian design, the Tracker looks as good as it performs. Numerous pockets provide ample storage space for essentials and a longer hem and heavy cotton fabric provide a much-needed layer of warmth when on a dawn game drive. It also has a waist drawstring for a more elegant, tailored look.
Robust and durable, it is lightweight enough to not add additional bulk and suitable for a range of weather conditions.
A Christmas Safari Gift for Readers
Books transport us through time and place, taking us into past memories, future exploits or unattainable realms. There are so many books to choose from to inspire global travel and African adventures that one could easily fill a library and still need space for more.
These are some of our favourites:
Iain Allen – Outsider: This fascinating biography documents the life of a man who has scaled Kilimanjaro 32 times, ascended Mount Kenya over 150, hiked Alaskan, Nepalese and Californian ranges and founded the Great Walk of Africa. Walking over 10,000 accumulative miles throughout Africa, he has seen conflicts, wonder and more than a few hostile interactions with wildlife.
Ray Dearlove – Tales of Two Countries: Growing up through South Africa’s fierce apartheid regime and Nelson Mandela’s persecution and rise to presidency, Ray Dearlove migrated to Australia a little over 30 years ago. His tales from both nations are harrowing, fascinating and humorous in equal measure, making this read both entertaining and educational.
Warren Mendes – Food Trail South Africa: South African-born chef and food presenter Warren Mendes partnered with South Africa Tourism on this superb cookbook that brings the flavours of the nation into your kitchen. Taking a gastronomic journey through the country, Mendes sourced local recipes brimming with the flavours of South Africa.
LARQ Water Bottle
As handy on the plains of Africa as it is in your home or office, LARQ is a water bottle unlike any other. Its unique filtration system eradicates 99.999% of bio-contaminants, chlorine and other harmful chemicals. Each bottle is self-cleaning and even provides a connected app to check hydration and remind you to take a drink throughout the day.
LARQ allows you to fill your bottle from virtually any water source, secure in the knowledge that you will receive safe, clean drinking water with every slurp. Even at home, LARQ provides healthier, purer, cleaner water quickly and conveniently, without having to wait for filter jugs to drain. It’s the Christmas safari gift that keeps on giving.
Everyday Cashmere Scarf
It comes as a surprise to some that it can get pretty chilly on an African safari, and with any worldwide travel, the climate is always an unpredictable element. Compact, natural and warm, Everyday Cashmere’s range of products ensures that you remain snug and warm from head to toe on any adventure or during air-conditioned flights. A cashmere scarf is lightweight and compact, whilst offering superior warmth while also looking wonderfully chic and stylish.
Everyday Cashmere’s selection of scarves come in a range of styles and colours, and while some are distinctly and elegantly feminine, others are equally as suitable for him or her, whether on a pre-dwan game drive, a Patagonia hike or daily commute.
Enjoy a Classic discount! Simply use the code “classicsafari” when making any purchase from Everyday Cashmere for an exclusive 15% saving.
Brixton
Brixton’s range of high-quality, Australian-made hats has something to suit everyone. A wide-brimmed hat is highly recommended on safari or for travels to cloudless climates, not only protecting you from the sun but also reducing glare for improved nature spotting.
Superior quality and timeless style make Brixton hats that will last a lifetime, so whether heading on an adventure or chomping prawns in the backyard on Christmas Day, they’ll find a permanent place on your head. While we suggest the Hawkins style, the new Joanna is packable, allowing you to roll it up into your luggage without damaging its shape.
Lencent Travel Adaptor
There are plenty of options for universal travel adaptors, each with its own strengths and benefits. Want all your cables included? Only charging devices? Looking for wireless charging on the go? There’s an adaptor that is perfectly suited to your needs.
However, for a truly universal adaptor, the Lencent has it all. Two USB-A ports, three USB-C, accepting any plug type and a selection of built-in adaptors to fit any socket, the Lencent even comes with surge and heat protection to safeguard your device from fickle current supply.
Its compact design packs easily and, while cables aren’t incorporated into its design, Lencent allows you to use and feed any electrical accessory anywhere in the world.
Joby GorillaPod
When taking photos and videos on safari, keeping your camera steady can be incredibly challenging. Videos need to be smooth and longer-exposure shots also need a steady hand. If you’re waiting for an animal to appear from its den or watching a leopard in a tree, it can be a 20-minute arm workout just keeping your lens trained on your subject. Of course, a tripod would be incredibly handy, but they aren’t permitted on game vehicles and add significant bulk to your baggage. While some game vehicles are fitted with camera mounts, that isn’t always the case, and they’re invariably restricted in their positioning. So how do you get a crisp, pin-sharp photo without risking carpel tunnel in your forearm?
Enter the Joby GorillaPod, a compact, three-legged tripod that can fit in your backpack and grip onto anything. The three flexible legs allow you to find stability on any uneven surface and wrap the GorillaPod onto vehicle frames, furniture, bicycles, trees… or a patient giraffe’s leg! Being under 30cm tall, it is also allowed on game drives and can be quickly repositioned if your subject moves, while giving you the steadiness you need for the perfect shot. It even has attachments for both cameras and phones, so whichever device you’re on, the Joby will keep it stable. Tried and tested in the field by our own Ella Collins, the Joby GorillaPod has our seal of approval.
Patagonia Ultralight Tote & Backpack
Carry-on baggage may also be suitable for taking on game drives or hikes, but it is often bulky and excessive for daily excursions.
Patagonia’s Ultralight Black Hole® Tote Bag is lightweight, compact, yet versatile and capacious. Made from 100-percent recycled nylon, it is incredibly durable and comes with internal and external pockets for valuables and a side pouch for your water bottle.
With the convenience of either tote-style handles or stowable backpack straps, its weather-resistant coating keeps rain showers at bay. While ample for all you could wish for on a day’s outing, it also packs down into its own pocket for easy storage.
Coming with Patagonia’s Ironclad Guarantee, the Ultralight Tote can be fixed or replaced for life, should any damage occur.
Just like Christmas, a safari comes but once a year, sometimes even once in a lifetime, so being adequately prepared is absolutely essential. With this collection of Christmas safari gift ideas, your loved one will have all they could wish for on their next adventure.
Still stuck for ideas? Drop us an email! We can arrange travel credit or share our ideas for the perfect gift for any safari lover.
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