Five Great African Safaris for Boomers

Great for: Wildlife enthusiasts, Adults with a passion for learning, and Boomers seeking adventure. Road Scholar, formerly known as Elderhostel, is geared toward travelers 50 and over, and, as its current name suggests, includes various educational components in all its trips. This safari travels from Kenya to Tanzania and back, with stops in Kenya’s Amboseli and Maasai Mara national parks and Tanzania’s wildlife havens of the Serengeti and Ngorongoro Crater. Note that it involves extensive riding in safari vehicles over often poor, unpaved roads.

Great for: Wildlife enthusiasts and Boomers seeking adventure. Safari HQ’s series of Boomer targeted Safaris offer relaxed itineraries and high-quality lodges or permanent tent camps that come with beds. This safari travels northern Tanzania to take in Ngorongoro Crater as well as the Serengeti, Lake Manyara and Tarangire national parks, and includes Maasai and other tribal visits

Great for: Wildlife Enthusiasts and Boomers seeking adventure. Owned by the widely popular Grand Circle Corporation, Overseas Adventure Travel specializes in adventurous tours for folks over 50, with group sizes ranging from a maximum of 10-16. This safari travels from South Africa’s Kruger National Park to Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park (the country’s largest wildlife park) and Victoria Falls (where both the falls themselves and village life are showcased), then on to Namibia’s Impalila Island and Botswana’s Chobe National Park, home to 50,000 elephants.

Great for: Wildlife enthusiasts and Boomers seeking adventure. Don’t let the name “Eldertreks” put you off – it was the first adventure travel company designed just for people 50 and older (dating from 1987), though companions 18 and over can join in. Maximum group size is 16, lodgings come with private bathrooms, contact with local people is encouraged, and itineraries veer off the beaten path. This extensive safari is one of them, visiting game reserves in three lesser-visited countries as well as Victoria Falls and several historical and cultural sites.

Great for: Wildlife enthusiasts and Boomers seeking adventure.Tauck has an excellent reputation after nearly 90 years in the tour business. Lodging, food and guides are usually top flight; even the tented accommodations on its African safaris are deluxe. This safari includes walking with lions at Victoria Falls, a walking safari in Moremi Game Reserve in Botswana’s Okavango Delta, the salt plains and meerkats of the Kalahari Desert, and South Africa’s Seal Island, especially suited for those who’ve already done classic East African safaris.