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Hartley’s Safaris and Oceans & Islands

Uncovering, protecting, and celebrating the most wild, inaccessible, unspoilt, and unusual places on earth

We are an independent bespoke tour operator with offices situated in Johannesburg, South Africa and Lincoln in the United Kingdom. Hartley’s pride ourselves on having two specialist divisions, Hartley’s Safaris and Hartley’s Oceans & Islands.

 

The name Hartley’s has been synonymous with Africa since 1834. Our origins are set deep in the Okavango Delta in Botswana, where David Hartley, one of the doyens of the safari industry operated Xugana Island Lodge, Xugana Mokoro Trails & Tsaro Elephant Lodge for 26 years. A natural extension of his lodge and charter operations was a tour organisation specializing in tailor made safaris to Southern, Central & East Africa.

 

In 2001, our Johannesburg office opened the ‘Hartley’s Ocean & Islands’ division with a focus on Island holidays and particular specialist knowledge on scuba diving. For the South African outbound traveller we offer holidays to remote island & beach wilderness destinations all over the world and for the inbound international traveller we offer specialist knowledge of Southern & East Africa’s diving & beach destinations.

 

The Hartley’s Team have secured a vast network of contacts, with direct access to all hotels, lodges, flights and transfers thus ensuring at competitive pricing. As a company, we are extremely proud of our respected and long standing reputation within the travel industry.

HARTLEY’S SAFARIS

Find your Africa

Africa holds a special place in the hearts of many. There is much to explore and experience. Africa is different, although it is the most peaceful and grounding place, you don’t just go there for “relaxation”. Although it’s raw, inspiring, and thrilling, you don’t just go there for a “break” from normal life. And although it has unparalleled spectacle and diversity, you don’t just go there for “sightseeing”. Africa means more.

 

Because we don’t just know Africa, but understand it, and understand our clients, we know that choosing a trip with us isn’t only about a holiday, it’s about a need. And whatever that need is, Africa can fulfill it, and with you we can find your Africa.

HARTLEY’S OCEANS & ISLANDS

The distant shore

Hartley’s Oceans & Islands presents a diverse and captivating underwater portfolio. Unbound by convention, we share your vision, exploring the Earth’s farthest and most unique corners with a deep love for wildlife and wonderment.

 

Our rich history & personal experiences have established Hartley’s as a renowned name in luxury exploration, turning dreams of remote destinations into reality. Today, we stand as a testament to boundless possibilities, offering extraordinary underwater journeys with commitment to the essence of Hartley’s dream & vision for unparalleled travel experiences.

Find your Africa & explore the Distant Shore

  • African Dive Safaris

    There are extensive and spectacular coral reefs along the East African coast and around the Indian Ocean Islands too. The reefs along Africa’s east c...

  • AMBER MOUNTAIN NATIONAL PARK

    Amber Mountain National Park (Le Parc National Montagne d’Ambre) shelters around the slopes of the spectacular Amber Mountain massif in northern Madag...

  • Archaeology

    Some of the world’s richest early hominid sites are found in Southern and east Africa. These include the Cradle of Humankind near Johannesburg in Sou...

  • Keen stargazers can overnight at isolated farms houses and even if only equipped with a pair of binoculars will be treated to spectacular views of the...

  • Southern and East Africa offer an enormous variety of specialist birding opportunities. Birding safaris are offered to almost every part of the region...

  • The broad Zambezi River provides an excellent pathway for canoeing trips through remote game-rich wildlife areas shared by Zimbabwe and Zambia. The “...

What our clients have to say

  • I love Egypt!

    I just wanted to shoot you a quick email to say a massive THANK YOU for all your help with last week’s trip. Oh my God - I LOVE EGYPT!!!! It was even better than I imagined and I can't wait to come back. I needed more time everywhere - there was just too much I wanted to see and do. All the Emeco guides were fantastic, so friendly and helpful. The tours were terrific. It was unbelievable actually, I felt like I was on a movie set most of the time when I was looking at temples and tombs and the pyramids! Couldn't quite get my head around, that some of them were over 5000 years old. Walking around local markets in Cairo and Aswan was very cool. Now I have the daunting task of organising my 1000+ photos on my camera and iPhone 🙂 Thank you so very much again - I just had the best trip!

    Lenore

  • Wonderful Experience

    Thank you very much for all the travel arrangements you organised. We had a fantastic time; it was such a varied trip and the time flew by. It was not only the sights we saw, but also the people we met who contributed to the overall wonderful experience, coming from such varied backgrounds, even though we were little more than passing ships. Putting people all together on the same dinner table, for example, as happened in several locations was very entertaining, and led to many interesting exchanges, contributing immeasurably to a good atmosphere. Not for people who want to get away from it all, but it suited us well. Once again, thank you for putting so much of it together – it all ran so smoothly – our lives were truly enriched by our encounters, and we could probably write a book about it! I would definitely recommend Hartley’s to any one contemplating a trip to Southern Africa, and hope I shall one day be able to ask you to arrange another adventure.

    Marion and Vanessa, Bedford

  • These guys know their stuff

    I was cruising websites looking for information on a Victoria Falls holiday when I came across the Hartley’s website and the more I read the more hooked I became! It is always a bit of a shot in the dark when choosing who to work with but I figured that a company who has been around for as long as these guys must know their stuff!! And they did – I was so impressed with not only the genuine passion for Africa but for the amount that these guys knew about the camps and lodges that I was interested in. For anybody considering a tailor made safari I have no hesitation in recommending Hartley’s.

    M. Healy, Johannesburg

  • Invaluable Knowledge

    We had a fantastic trip that went well beyond expectations. The fact that you were able to advise from your own experiences made a difference. The knowledge of what was available for a Botswana wildlife safari was so important and that can only really be gained by using an African safari specialist such as Hartleys. The fact that you knew about the scheduled mobile trip that went where we wanted to go meant that we had a personal tailor made safari at standard prices – especially personal when there were only 5 of us on it – that was a fantastic bonus!!! There are a lot of companies who offer to organise safaris, but I have no hesitation whatsoever in recommending Hartleys and will be using you again for help in arranging our next trip. Hopefully it won’t be too long off as the salt pans looked very interesting!!

    Pat Simpson, Fuerteventura

  • Fabulous Holiday

    Just to let you know we had a fabulous holiday. Thank you for the recommendations. We had no problems at all. All the transfers etc. went smoothly and all the accommodation was fantastic. We really enjoyed the food (what they manage to cook in the bush is amazing) and all the staff we met were absolutely charming and willing to do whatever. A big thank you once more, and I really hope I will be able to contact you again!

    Helena and Richard, Heathfield

  • Experience we will never forget

    Our holiday was a fantastic – well organised and very much enjoyed by both of us. Thank you for all the attention to detail. We met some lovely, interesting people, and it was an experience which we will never forget.

    Alex and David, Peterborough, UK

  • Exceeded Expectations

    Thank you so much for organising such an amazing holiday. After our African honeymoon safari, we knew that we wouldn’t be disappointed, but you still managed to exceed our expectations. All our camps were individual and offered different experiences. Our game viewing was spectacular – we had some amazing close encounters and have many photographs to prove it.

    Emma and Richard, Kent, UK

  • Brilliantly Organised

    Everything was wonderful – the organisation, the wildlife, the accommodation, and the transfers in-between went extremely smoothly.

    Sue and Hayden, Essex, UK

  • Ensuring absolutely no “gotcha’s”

    Although it is a long way from Australia to South Africa, the Hartley’s personnel and their extensive experience ensure there are absolutely no “gotchas”, and no planning gaps. They make planning, organising and even paying for trips totally effortless, and I would not dream of going to Africa without involving Hartley’s!

    Rita Shaw, Sydney, Australia

  • Many thanks for a splendid holiday!

    Many thanks for a splendid holiday!

    Annabel Townsend, Stellenbosch, South Africa

  • Wahoo!! | The Royal Livingstone

    Thank you for working hard to make this happen as being together is of course ideal. We are having a lovely time. We loved Mala-Mala, the people, food and especially our guide Adi. The boys did not want to leave. The Royal Livingstone is an absolutely stunning property. Wow!! We could not be more pleased with all! Wahoo!!! Best, Kristin

    The Maas Family, San Francisco, US