Disability wheelchair travel in Africa is set to increase in the future with the efforts being put in place and one of the tour operators in Africa – Victoria safaris, specializing in this emerging market. We have several tailor – made disability itineraries meant for wheelchair clients.
Disability(Wheelchair Accessible) tourism in Africa has seen been ignored by tour operators due to in accessibility and accommodation facilities within the African hotels, game parks and lodges within the wildlife sanctuaries. Victoria Safaris, one of the adventure tour operators based in Nairobi Kenya has recently started an aggressive wheelchair accessible safaris into the famous Kenyan wildlife sanctuaries which include Masai Mara Game Reserve, Lake Nakuru National Park, Tsavo East National Park and Amboseli National Park. For beach holidays, we have arrangements with Turtle Bay beach club which is wheelchair compliant and has four disability rooms facing the ocean front. Victoria safaris is doing its best to advice the various hotels in Nairobi city and other towns within Kenya and its environs to at least have one disability(wheelchair accessible) rooms. This conforms with the world over requirement for every hotel to be wheelchair accessible compliant.
There are over 500,000 disabled persons who are able to travel into Africa, but fears that, they may not be able to access the required facilities for their travel and accommodation. Victoria Safaris with the initiative of its General Manager- James Asudi has urged the lodge management in various parks in Kenya to establish atleast one room in every tented camp and one room in every lodge facility in Maasai Mara National Reserve, Lake Nakuru National Park, Amboseli National Park and Tsavo East National Park. In all the named facilities the camps and lodges which has since established disability(Wheelchair) rooms are – Sarova Mara Camp in Maasai Mara, Sarova Lion Hill Lodge in Lake Nakuru National Park, Sopa Lodge in Amboseli and Ashnil Aruba Lodge in Tsavo East National Parks respectively.
Disability Safari Vehicles
Victoria Safaris has modified its Safari fleet vehicles to accommodate its wheelchair clients’ which include the 4×4 Land cruisers and the 7 seater Tour Safari Mini vans. We have since developed the wheelchair ramps which we use for transferring our wheelchair clients’ into and out of the appropriate safari vehicles. We have also supplied the straps for holding the wheelchair in position inside the said vehicles for comfort while our clients are on Safari.
Recently we have finished a successful 16 days wheelchair accessible safari into the Kenyan Wildlife sanctuaries for an Australian Hospital Accountant – Mrs. Kelly Green who is on wheelchair together with the husband, Michael who is physically fit. This was a test case for Victoria Safaris and for those who would want to confirm the trip facilities and comfortability, you may contact our recent clients on email: [email protected]
Collaboration
Victoria Safaris collaborates with Flamingo Tours of South Africa in this endeavor for making possible Wildlife and cultural Safaris for disabled (wheelchair clients) who would want to visit Southern African Wildlife sanctuaries and the East African Wildlife game reserves and game parks.
We invite individuals, Families with wheelchair family members, corporate organisations, non-governmental organisations (NGO’S), disability centers and organisations to book their disability members of society or join us in this emerging market by booking their disabled and wheelchair friends and family members for these memorable safaris and tours in Kenya,Uganda,Rwanda,and Tanzania.
Source: The Sequitur
