4 of the best safari trips that support local communities

1. Explore a unique botanical kingdom in South Africa

Most safaris focus on wild animals, but Grootbos Private Nature Reserve bucks the trend. Yes, there’s wildlife to be seen in this sublime corner of the Western Cape — black-backed jackals, for example, or if you’re exceptionally lucky, a Cape leopard, found only in the Cape Fold Mountains. But in a rare turnabout, it’s the plants that are the stars here.

A couple of hours’ drive south east of Cape Town, Grootbos lies within the Cape Floral Kingdom, noted for its heath-like fynbos vegetation. Biodiversity-wise, it’s extraordinary. The kingdom is home to over 9,000 vascular plant species, and Grootbos’s botanists have recorded over 800. Arrive in the South African winter or spring (June to November) and you’ll see stunning proteas in full bloom. If forest bathing among ancient milkwoods is more your style, any month will do.

Behind the scenes, the Grootbos Foundation works closely with disadvantaged local communities, training young adults in horticulture, creating sustainable livelihoods through small business development and running a football team as an exercise in empowerment. To find out more, book a Progressive Tourism Tour to experience these projects first-hand.

How to do it: Grootbos Private Nature Reserve offers double rooms from 20,400 ZAR (£844), full board.

2. Learn about trade beads and textile traditions in Ghana

A safari destination to watch, Ghana is a gregarious nation with sandy beaches, lush rainforests and refreshingly little-visited national parks. Two of these count among the best nature destinations in West Africa: Kakum National Park, where butterflies flit through the forest and there’s a spectacular 1,000ft-long canopy walkway to cross, and Mole National Park in the north west, home to elephants, hippos and monkeys.

It’s Ghana’s colourful traditions and community projects, however, that make this nation special. On a cultural tour of social enterprises, you can discover how cacao is grown, how richly patterned adinkra cloth is printed and how kente cloth, traditionally worn by Ghanaian royalty, is woven. Visit a Krobo bead factory to meet artisans who recycle glass bottles to create vibrant, hand-painted beads with symbolic significance, using techniques handed down through generations. Trashy Bags Africa in Accra also welcomes visitors. The project makes fun, eco-friendly bags and other items from plastic waste and colourful fabric offcuts. As well as collecting millions of plastic bags from Ghana’s streets, it creates training opportunities and jobs for locals.

How to do it: Go Ahead Tours offers a 12-day group tour of southern Ghana, including cultural and nature experiences, from £3,760, excluding flights.

3. Support a local school in Uganda

Often associated with its thriving gorilla population — thanks to stringent conservation efforts, there are thought to be around 459 gorillas living in the dense Ugandan forests — as well as the opportunity to witness troops of chimps up to 100-strong swinging through the treetops, Uganda is increasingly becoming known for its welcoming and warmhearted culture.

Spending time at — and supporting — a local school is a great way to interact meaningfully with the people of this African nation. Engaging with children through activities like reading and playing sports or participating in a music and dance lesson provides a first-hand understanding of their daily lives, as well as some of the educational challenges that Uganda faces. Underprivileged families lack the financial resources to access quality education, struggling to cover the associated costs, such as school fees, uniforms and textbooks, and literacy rates in the country currently stand at 80%, lower than neighbouring Kenya and Tanzania where they’re around 82%.

How to do it: Tribe Travel takes 50 people twice a year to Uganda, where the itinerary features community volunteering, building and renovating the One Love Project school and orphanage. £2,495 for 10 days.

4. See The Great Migration through the eyes of the Maasai in Kenya

Each year, thousands of wildebeest and zebras wend their way into Kenya’s Maasai Mara in search of fresh pastures. A community-friendly way to experience this spectacle is to stay on a conservancy where safari operators pay rent to local landowners. This helps maintain the livelihoods and traditions of Maasai pastoralists who, due to climate change, are struggling to keep their livestock fed and watered.

Isaaten Conservancy is a shining example. Home to an awardwinning luxury tented camp, Mara Bushtops, it’s run for the benefit of both wildlife and herders. Some of the latter work in the camp, so don’t be surprised if your guide is resplendent in a scarlet shuka (Maasai blanket) instead of regulation khaki.

Mara Bushtops supports the nearby Nkoilale School, where sponsorship money from guests has helped educate hundreds of children. Bushtops has also funded staff training in food hygiene and gender equality, along with infrastructure projects such as building a new computer lab. Finally, by planting trees, setting up an environmental club and offering local kids nature drives, Bushtops is nurturing a new generation of nature guardians.

How to do it: Kuoni offers an eight-day safari in the Samburu National Reserve and the Maasai Mara, including a stay at Mara Bushtops, from £6,715, including flights.