Tour Company for Seniors
 

We are 68 years young and are having problems with locating a tour company that caters to older adults. We know some of the tented camping looks OK, but we really aren't into camping. It isn't easy to know what the age of the people are who respond to this forum. We don't want to camp out under the stars but we aren't interested in tours like A and K or Tauck due to the expense involved. Any help would be appreciated.

Hello,

Take a look at OAT (Overseas Adventure Travel) which caters for older adults. Their trips are pretty good value if you don't mind a group trip.

An alternative would be designing your own trip to suit your preferences in accommodation, etc.

Cheers,
Julian

Elderhostel has several trips to South Africa.

Are you thinking of Eastern or Southern Africa?

"Tented Camping" is really a misnomer as it covers the gambit from 2-person igloo tents to tents larger than my living room with bathtubs and air-conditioning!

It really comes down to your preferences and not age! What would be your perfect safari style accommodation?

646wyck- My husband and I are 65 and 70 and have just booked with http://www.goodearthtours.com/
and are using mostly lodges. Check their website and see if it fits your needs. You can arrange for private guide and driver for very little additional. Do a search on Fodors and you will see many positive reviews.

I've done the OAT trip to Tanzania (Safari Serengeti). They use Kibo Safaris, which is a good ground operator. We had people that were 78 and 84; they did just fine. Don't miss the tented experience; it's wonderful!

646wyck:
ALong the lines of what climbhigh and shaytay said---On our trip, a fellow travelor we met said, you can't really call it camping, you have to say we went "tenting."

As others have mentioned, please seek more details on tented camps. You'll be pleasantly surprised I am sure. You could even ask A&K and Tauck about their accomodations, which likely include many nice tented camps. You wouldn't have to actually book with them. The majority of safari participants I encounter at these very lovely tented camps are 50 and over, with 60s and 70s being common too.

You can also do a private departure safari staying at just lodges if you are adamant about avoiding tents.

Let us know what you decide!

A girlfriend of mine in her 60s (but you'd never know) just returned from at OAT safari and had an amazing time! This is her 2nd or 3rd OAT trip in less than 2 years, and she's planning on Thailand later this year. She raves about it - small groups, and she travels alone, but makes friends among the group and everywhere she goes. Most affordable as well. The tents weren't like boy scout tents - from the photos, they were quite luxurious! Makes me wish I'd gone - in fact, her last tales from Macchu Picu made me request material from OAT..

Another vot for OAT which is a good option and well reported on. Their groups are small, no more than 16, and often their African itineraries have less. Ages of participants from 45 & up. They include international air and your ground itinerary - accommodations in lodges and tent camps. Check them out.

646 Wyck,

If you live in Canada, let me know. I know of a few good companies that run tours for seniors.

Tenting in Kenya meant having a four-poster bed complete with hot water bottles (it gets COLD there!), full toilet and shower, mosquito netting, tea served to us in bed before sunrise followed by a game drive in a jeep.

And we are a full decade older than you are! Go for it!

Try Grand Circle Travel. They have a trip to SA called Highlights of SA. Pace and price are good. Traveled with them before and the give what they say they wilo give.

We've gone on INTRAV tours before. They tend to accomodate older travelers. We've been very happy with their arrangements. INTRAV is a St. Louis based company.