FAQ

• demonstrates economic value to intact African ecosystems beyond just those of the savannahs of east and southern Africa
• enhances the protection of these natural ecosystems
• serves as an economic stimulus for adjacent rural communities and helps guide our guests to see the world differently and in so doing changes their day-to-day behaviour

The founders of Wild Expeditions have all been involved in African ecotourism since the mid-1990s, but in its current form Wild Expeditions started in 2016 with the opening of Lale’s Camp and the broader Ethiopian expedition business. Masoala Forest Lodge started in 2002 but only joined the Wild Expeditions collective in 2020, while Camp Hwange opened in 2012 but became part of Wild Expeditions in 2022. Karangoma was developed over the course of 2023.

Our camps are in Botswana (Okavango Delta), Ethiopia (lower Omo Valley), Madagascar (Masoala National Park) and Zimbabwe (Hwange National Park).

In Ethiopia we cover literally the whole country, but with favoured destinations being the Bale Mountain, the Danakil, Kibish, the Omo Delta and Gambella. In Madagascar we explore the isolated Masoala Peninsula and its marine reserves.

Yes. In Ethiopia we love tailor-making itineraries to new and interesting areas, or simply adapting those where we operate more often to the specific requirements of our guests. If you wanted to see the White-eared Kob migration or a Surma wedding ceremony it is our job to find the best place at the best time to achieve that and arrange the best travel experience

There are a few pivotal reasons why ecotourism investments and operations – done ethically and professionally – are positive for Africa biodiversity conservation and rural communities. The primary reason is economic. Ecotourism is often the only job creator and tax generator in remote, rural areas and acts as an economic stimulus far beyond the range of typical industries. Not only does this benefit governments at regional and national levels through various taxes, but also protected area agencies who often lack the ability to generate revenue from the natural asset they protect. This revenue is then used to subsidise park management. The same applies to rural communities who might have land, but generally do not have access to markets of any kind in order to monetise that resource. Revenue-share partnerships, rentals and usage fees all mean money being ploughed back into these communities. Employment is even more effective in this regard. The net effect is that the natural resource in question – whether it be a national park, or a communal land or marine areas – now has an economic value far beyond what it would do were it not to be used for ecotourism. Of course, mining or agriculture might be alternatives that generate the same or greater economic returns but these have nowhere near the same positive impacts in terms of biodiversity and ecosystem service protection.

Yes, we endeavour to include all the typical costs in one nightly or package rate. So, accommodation, meals, (most) drinks, activities, park and conservation/community fees are included in the prices you will see on this website. What is not included is the cost of flights or road transfers to access our camps and expeditions.

Where possible, our camps are 100% solar-powered (with back-up generators for emergencies) using photovoltaic panels, battery banks and invertors to generate and store energy. This – together with solar water heaters – mean that fossil fuel usage is dramatically less than were we to use diesel generators or even (were it possible) grid electricity. Of course, vehicles and boats, which are essential to our operations, use fossil fuels like diesel and petrol, as we do use LP gas for fridges and stoves and even wood for cooking, but we concentrate a very large proportion of our activities on walking and kayaking. Water and human waste are also a significant area of focus and the use of septic tanks and soakaways in permeable soils is critical to avoid water table contamination. We limit single use plastic wherever this is possible, even banning it outright in our Madagascar operation.