COX & KINGS' NEW 2015 AFRICA BROCHURE INTRODUCES NEW SOUTH AFRICA TOURS AND FURTHER SUGGESTIONS FOR PRIVATE TRAVEL

With a comprehensive range of tours across Africa, Cox & Kings has launched its new brochure for 2015, which features new tours to South Africa as well as new 'In Style' suggestions for travelling to Namibia, Kenya, Botswana and South Africa.

Cox & Kings' passenger numbers to Africa have continued to increase, with a 10% growth in 2014 compared to 2013. Bookings on escorted tours have almost doubled over the same time. As demand grows for travel to areas off the regular tourist trail, Cox & Kings has increased its suggestions for private travel, with a range of examples showing options to suit every budget. Cox & Kings' Africa product manager, Louise Stanion, says: “A lot of our clients have travelled to the region with us before and want to discover places off the beaten track with authentic experiences. The strengthened rate of the pound against the rand means that luxury travel to South Africa is more affordable than ever and our new tours showcase the range of options available for different budgets. Growth this year to Botswana is really encouraging and I'm delighted to be able to introduce such a range of different priced options.”

SOUTH AFRICA: With passenger numbers to South Africa growing year-on-year, Cox & Kings is introducing a range of new tour options including self-drive itineraries departing from Johannesburg, a selection of small-group experiences that can be incorporated into longer tailor-made itineraries and suggestions for exploring lesser-visited parts of the country. Pearls of the Limpopo is a new 11-day / 8-night self-drive itinerary priced from £1,965 per person to the north-eastern part of South Africa, home to the mountainous Highveld and wildlife-rich Lowveld in the northern reaches of the Kruger National Park. Safari, Ocean & Cape is a new 13-day / 10-night escorted tour to South Africa priced from £3,495 per person. Taking in the country's highlights, the tour includes a safari in the Eastern Cape, the Garden Route along the coast to the Winelands and finishes with a three-night stay in Cape Town.

NAMIBIA: Namibia has seen considerable increase in demand in 2014 compared to previous years, due in part to the current favourable exchange rate. Passenger numbers on the group tour in 2014 have more than doubled compared to 2013. Untouched Wilderness is a 13-day / 10-night escorted tour priced from £2,995 per person. With demand growing for tailor-made travel to Namibia, the new brochure has more suggestions for areas to explore independently, including the seldom visited Caprivi Strip in the north of the country. Often likened to Chobe National Park 15 years ago, there is an array of wildlife in the area's five national parks. Cox & Kings' new Journey Through the Caprivi is a one-way self-drive journey from Windhoek to Livingstone, via Etosha and the Caprivi Strip. The 15-day / 12-night suggested self-drive itinerary priced from £3,825 per person.

BOTSWANA: Private travel to Botswana has increased by more than 100% in 2014 compared to 2013. With some of the most remote and pristine wilderness in Africa, most travel in the region is by light aircraft. Commonly perceived to be at the upper end of most price ranges, Cox & Kings has introduced a new twin centre trip that allows guests to discover two of the country's main highlights at an affordable price. Victoria Falls & Chobe National Park is a 9-day / 6-night suggested itinerary priced from £2,395 per person. Great Botswana Safari, which travels by light aircraft throughout, is priced from £3,545 per person for a 9-day / 6-night itinerary.

IN STYLE: As well as introducing lower priced itineraries into the brochure, Cox & Kings has also developed a collection of luxury 'in style' suggestions to showcase the very best of each country staying in the most luxurious accommodation. Namibia in Style is an 11-day / 8-night itinerary priced from £6,675 per person, a 13-day / 10-night South Africa in Style itinerary is from £7,995 per person and Kenya in Style is from £4,975 per person for a 13-day / 11-night itinerary. Botswana in Style is a 10-day / 7-night itinerary priced from £4,395 per person staying in Belmond camps throughout. This trip offers particularly good value in the shoulder and emerald seasons

ETHIOPIA: Since the launch of Bale Mountain Lodge at the start of 2014, awareness of Ethiopia to the luxury market has grown considerably and passenger numbers on Cox & Kings' escorted tour have increased by over 20% compared to 2013. Bale National Park is the favoured habitat of Ethiopian wolves and an outstanding place for bird watching. With the opening of Bale Mountain Lodge it is becoming an increasingly popular part of the country to include. The 14-day / 11-night Ethiopian Odyssey is priced from £2,695 per person in 2015, down from £2,875 in 2014. A six-night extension to the tour, including three nights at Bale Mountain Lodge, is priced from £1,695 per person.

All prices include flights, transfers and guided excursions and accommodation with breakfast daily and other meals as specified.

Please see www.coxandkings.co.uk/africa for the full programme to Africa, which includes Botswana, Gambia, Ghana, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mauritius and the Seychelles and Uganda.

For more information or images, or to request a copy of the brochure, please contact Katie Parsons on 020 7808 5694 or email katie.parsons@coxandkings.co.uk  

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