Charlie’s Travels came to life thanks to founder Charles Witlox and is your ticket to the real, undiscovered Africa! We are not your typical travel agency – we prefer to venture off the beaten path. With our passion for adventure and love for this beautiful continent, we create unique and tailor-made journeys. Our team of enthusiastic Africa lovers is ready to take you on an unforgettable journey filled with local experiences, breathtaking landscapes, and authentic encounters.
From 2014 until the end of 2022, Charlie traveled across Africa and collaborated with resourceful locals to develop new journeys, routes, and experiences: from uncharted Masai territory to the shores of the Indian Ocean. Now, the team at Charlie’s Travels continues his legacy, actively exploring new routes and experiences. There’s no middle man with us, as we create our own adventures. As local experts, we closely cooperate with partners on the ground, enabling us to offer unique and authentic experiences.
Our home base is in Nairobi, right in the heart of Africa, allowing our playground to extend across this beautiful continent. With our physical presence, we possess a wealth of firsthand knowledge about Africa. We take great pride in being the only Dutch travel agency based in Kenya, granting us direct access to the most up-to-date information about our destinations. Thanks to our colleagues living in Uganda, South Africa, Kenya, and Tanzania, we can provide you with the most authentic and unforgettable experiences.
If you want more information about a particular country you will be paired with one of our Travel Consultants. They specialize in East and/or South Africa and will work with you to find the ideal trip.
All our Travel Consultants speak Dutch – of course, communication in English is also possible if preferred. After booking the trip, a smooth operator comes into play, responsible for all the arrangements. This team mainly comprises Swahili and English-speaking experts. The Travel Consultant will remain your point of contact throughout the journey.
We prefer to get in touch with you within one hour, but let’s say we aim to contact you on the next working day. If it takes longer than expected, please feel free to send us a message via WhatsApp.
You can reach us from Monday to Friday between 09.00 and 17.00 (Dutch time) at +31857430344. On Saturdays and Sundays, we are available via WhatsApp between 09.00 and 19.00 hours. Feel free to contact us during these hours, and we’ll be happy to assist you!
This means that we work with you to put the trip together. Your input and our Africa knowledge therefore ensures the ideal tailor-made trip. It gives you complete freedom in choosing an itinerary. Of course we will make sure it is realistic ;).
Absolutely! Tell us all about your dream trip because the more we know, the better we can make it come true! Do you prefer staying in luxurious lodges, experiencing the wilderness during a camping adventure, or discovering the authentic African life through a homestay? Would you like to use public transportation, have a car with a chauffeur, or drive a 4×4 vehicle yourself? Are you looking for an active adventure or a relaxing time on the beach? Everything is possible, and we are ready to turn your dream trip in Africa into reality! Just let us know your preferences, and we’ll tailor the perfect itinerary for you!
We tailor each trip based on your wishes and our Africa knowledge. The price depends on several factors: the country, route, company, transportation, accommodations and activities. Of course, we take your budget into account! Ask our Travel Designers for a price indication.
Often our travelers book the airfare themselves. Of course, we are happy to give advice and make sure the trip matches your flight.
Because the trip is customized, this varies from trip to trip. We like to include as much as possible so you have the most complete trip possible. Everything is negotiable and possible!
Our trips are built from a co-creation and are completely custom-made. For this reason, we do not have standard packages ready to go.
You will travel the trip independently. In consultation we arrange drivers, guides or rangers. Of course we are available and not far away to advise you. During an anniversary trip someone will accompany you.
We focus on travel in South and East Africa. Foreign Affairs mainly issues yellow-colored travel advice for these countries, which means: travel is allowed, but pay attention to security risks. Our team is spread across the countries where we also offer travel. Charlie’s Angels are present in six different countries. The safety of our travelers is a top priority for Charlie’s Travels. We continuously monitor the safety in the various countries, including the political situation. We do not send travelers to areas that are not safe. In cases of emergency, we can always be reached through our emergency phone number. Furthermore, your safety is also largely based on common sense: do not walk the streets in the dark, avoid the bad neighborhoods (unless accompanied by guides), and adapt your clothing and jewelry to the neighborhood you are in. Of course, we will also give you advice on this and you can always ask questions.
Our trips are guided by local partners who have a lot of knowledge and understanding of what to do in emergency situations. There are also activities you can do on your own. In case of an emergency, there is a Charlie’s Travels emergency number that you can call 24/7. We partner with Amref Flying Doctors. This means they can assist from the air in case of emergencies.
It is wise to wear covering clothes in malaria areas after sunset. Use DEET 30% -anti-mosquito spray and rub bare body parts with it; i.e. your face, neck, hands, ankles. You can take Malarone (prophylaxis) medication that makes it much harder for the parasite to settle. Contact the GGD to get medical advice and a prescription for medication.
It is wise to wash your hands both before and after eating. The safest way to do this is with disinfecting soap. Do not drink water from the tap, only from bottles. Also be careful not to put tap water ice cubes in your drink. Take diarrhea inhibitors with you to be on the safe side, should you still experience any discomfort.
Depending on your trip, we arrange (all) the transportation for you. These include local transport partners with whom we work a lot and who will take you from A to B with a Safari Van or Land Cruiser, but we also use train transportation and domestic flights. During a self-drive trip, make sure you have a (downloaded) road map of the country in question. The quality of the roads varies greatly from country to country and area to area. Your contact person knows all about this and can inform you before and during the trip. Other drivers can always be unpredictable, so always buckle up and watch your belongings.
We are happy to advise and help you, but we are not doctors, so our advice cannot be considered binding medical advice. We therefore recommend that you schedule a consultation with the GGD or family doctor in time to arrange vaccinations and other resources. Also, take out travel insurance.
You can still join us last minute. A little flexibility is required. We recommend that you book a long trip at least six months to a year in advance.
Often our travelers book the international flight tickets themselves. Of course, we are happy to give advice and make sure the trip matches your flight.
Yes. Depending on your itinerary, we provide advice in transportation and will book domestic flights for you when necessary.
Basically, these extras are included unless it explicitly states exclusive.
When your itinerary is completely satisfactory, the Travel Consultant will send an invoice by mail. Want to know more about the payment terms? Please contact your Travel Consultant.
You can pay with us in various ways, including iDeal, BanContact, Sepa, credit card, and GiroPay.
That depends on how far in advance you book the trip. Usually the second deposit is 60 days in advance.
This is different for each country. Before departure, your Travel Consultant will inform you about the visa and any other documents.
Unfortunately, we do not give advice on vaccinations and malaria pills. This is because this is different for every destination and person. We advise you to contact the GGD or your family doctor for advice.
You need travel insurance and we highly recommend cancellation insurance.
About four weeks before departure, you will receive a comprehensive information package by mail.
You don’t have to take these off, but we recommend it.
Because we work directly with communities in East Africa that are still unknown to the general public, we can contribute to the development of these regions by closing business deals in a different way. We are ‘on the ground’ and we exploit this unique position by helping the people we work with -chauffeurs, hostel owners or guides for example- to set up an independent and sustainable business. We take care that money ends up with the right people and not in the wrong (sometimes foreign) pockets. Moreover, we strive to hire as many Africans as possible in our offices. They obviously know their country and region best, so we can continue to offer new off the beaten track experiences.
Periods of drought in (East) Africa last longer and are more intense. At the same time, 2018 was the wettest year on record. The drought is causing agricultural and resource losses, but the rain is also washing away a huge amount. These weather extremes put many people in trouble. At Charlie’s Travels, we are trying to reduce the footprint of our transportation, accommodations and consumption.
Nature and wildlife are perhaps the most valuable assets of this region. A big part of this is that we offset our travelers’ emissions with one of our local partner projects. We also encourage visits to conservancies where more attention is paid to flora and fauna than in game parks. In addition, we analyze the footprint of accommodations so that we can choose those that are ecologically responsible. Our goal is to start offering zero footprint trips.
We work a lot with local communities, as mentioned above, which makes our mutual connection very important. We want to avoid at all costs that communities become victims of tourism, physically and economically as well as socially and culturally. Local cultural values are intrinsically important, both for the people themselves and for the trips we want to offer. This is why we educate all our travelers on behavior, customs and tipping, encourage cultural exchange and try to frame our content as little as possible. We may be young, rugged and adventurous as a company, but only with good, respectful collaborations can we continue to organize off the beaten track trips.
At Charlie’s Travels, we want to make a positive impact on the environment with our travels. We work very hard at that ourselves, but you can contribute too! Simply by reading up on the country you’re going to and how best to behave there. We’ve made it easy for you and listed all the behavioral guidelines for you. If you are going to Africa, please read this document carefully before you leave!
How nice of you to share your travel experience! We love to be tagged on social media channels. Or send your story to [email protected].
We would love to hear your feedback to continue to develop ourselves. Your Travel Designer is responsible for your trip. Contact him or her to provide feedback.
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